EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki - User contributions [en]

User talk:RandomUser34

2021-05-07T19:50:45Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) created the description

Topic:W8imbyllgj8nmd4b

2021-05-07T19:49:59Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) hid the topic "e" (test complete)

Topic:W8imbyllgj8nmd4b

2021-05-07T19:49:43Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) commented on "e" (e)

Topic:W6q02hb176k4a6ej

2021-04-17T18:43:12Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) commented on "Hello!" (Obtaining adminship takes time, I doubt he'd give you adminship since you're a very new account)

Rightpedia

2021-04-17T18:28:04Z

RandomUser34: Reverting Nazi vandalism that was mistakenly reinstated by admin

{{Primary sources|date=May 2018}}
{{Original research|date=May 2018}}
{{Notability|date=May 2018}} 
{{Infobox website
|name = Rightpedia
|url = {{URL|https://rightpedia.info}}
|slogan = "A politically incorrect encyclopedia"
|commercial = No
|type = [[Internet encyclopedia]]
|registration = Optional (required only for editing), via e-mail
|language = English, Hungarian
|content license = [[GNU Free Documentation License]] 1.3
|owner = Eleonóra Dubiczki, Hungary
|launch date = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2015|1|}}
|alexa = {{increase}} 261,856 ({{as of|2018|4|16|alt=April 2018}})<ref name="Alexa Internet">{{cite web|url= https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/rightpedia.info |title= Rightpedia.info Traffic, Demographics and Competitors - Alexa |publisher= [[Alexa Internet]] |accessdate=16 April 2018}}</ref>
|current status = Active
}}
{{Antisemitism}}

'''Rightpedia''' is a [[neo-Nazi]], [[white supremacist]], [[Alt-right|alt-right]] electronic encyclopedia which contains extreme [[anti-Semitism]], [[Holocaust denial]] and attacks on [[Jewish]] people.<ref>Kestenbaum, Sam. [https://forward.com/fast-forward/357038/counter-semite-the-latest-in-white-nationalist-rebranding/ ‘Counter-Semite’: the Latest in White Nationalist Rebranding]. ''[[The Forward]]''. 14 Dec 2016.</ref> The website [[doxes]] and harasses [[left-wing]] politicians and [[anti-fascists]] in the style of the [[far-right]] [[Redwatch]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2018}}

==History==
{{see|Metapedia}}
Rightpedia was founded in January 2015 by ex-[[Metapedia]] admins,<ref> Ward, Justin. [https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/03/12/wikipedia-wars-inside-fight-against-far-right-editors-vandals-and-sock-puppets Wikipedia wars: inside the fight against far-right editors, vandals and sock puppets]. [[Southern Poverty Law Center]]. 12 Mar 2018.</ref> who felt Metapedia wasn't extreme enough in its [[racism]] or offensiveness; one of the co-founders of Rightpedia Michael Coombs (posting under the [[pseudonym]] Mikemikev) has since claimed: "Metapedia has gone soft to conform to Swedish '[[hate speech]]' laws. Rightpedia is where it's at."<ref>[https://twitter.com/mikemikev/status/971496999475347456 Mikemikev]. Twitter. 7 Mar 2018.</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=May 2018}}

Like ''The Daily Stormer'', Rightpedia has had a history of problems finding site hosting. Originally hosted by Orain as "Rightwiki",<ref>[http://wikipediocracy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=5931 Orain hosts white supremacist wiki]. [[Wikipediocracy]]. 19 Jan 2015.</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=May 2018}} in June 2015 there were complaints about [[libel|libellous]] articles Michael Coombs was creating on [[anti-racist]] and [[civil rights]] campaigners, resulting in steward action, removing the defamatory content.<ref>[https://archive.today/20150819152702/https://right.orain.org/wiki/Rightwiki_talk:Community_portal Rightwiki talk:Community portal (Notice of local steward action)]. Archive.is.</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=May 2018}} Orain was later [[hack (computer security)|hack]]ed, forcing Rightpedia to find a new host. In September 2015, Rightpedia was rejected hosting by Mireheze a free, non-profit wiki; a steward noted "the wiki seems to be simply supporting [[neo-Nazism]] and the ideals of the [[Nazi party]]" and declined hosting.<ref>[https://meta.miraheze.org/wiki/Stewards%27_noticeboard/Archive_1#Decision Meraheze Stewards' noticeboard].</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=May 2018}} In October 2015, Rightpedia was briefly hosted by MW Zip's wikis, but it was removed after a complaint was made about "anti-Semitic and potentially libellous content" that violates MW Zip's Acceptable Use Policy.<ref>[https://archive.today/20151010124953/http://mwzip.com/forum/index.php?topic=105.0 Right.mwzip.com is hosting anti-Semitic content]. Archive.is.</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=May 2018}} Rightpedia then purchased hosting from [[GoDaddy]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20151026191601/http://www.whoishostingthis.com/?q=en.rightpedia.info Whoishostingthis: en.rightpedia.info]. Archive.is.</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=May 2018}}

==Content==

According to the website Hate Speech Watch: "The content [on Rightpedia] is predictably racist and intensely anti-Semitic".<ref>[https://www.nohatespeechmovement.org/hate-speech-watch/report/read/1058 Hate Speech Watch: Rightpedia]. 4 March 2017.</ref>

Although [[Metapedia]] shares the same [[white nationalism]] ideology of Rightpedia, the latter is different in its approach in that whereas Metapedia attempts to present itself as an encyclopedia in tone and content, Rightpedia is more similar to ''[[The Daily Stormer]]'' in its tone and content. It uses [[alt-right]] [[internet memes]] and terminology, publishes [[fake news]] stories and anti-Semitic [[conspiracy theories]], engages in racist [[internet troll|trolling]], [[doxes]] and smears [[left-wing]] politicians, as well as [[anti-racist]] activists (e.g. [[Nick Lowles]]).{{Citation needed|date=May 2018}}

Rightpedia has articles that criticize [[Metapedia]], [[Conservapedia]], [[Wikipedia]] and [[RationalWiki]]. Although created by ex-Metapedia admins, Rightpedia's criticism of Metapedia is that it is not racist enough and accuses the current administration for being "[[Zionist]]" as part of an [[Antisemitic_canard|anti-Semitic conspiracy theory]]. The current admins from Rightpedia (including Michael Coombs) and Metapedia have debated each other on the white nationalist forum [[Stormfront (website)|Stormfront]], both accusing each other of wrongdoing in a thread that was eventually locked.<ref>[https://www.stormfront.org/forum/t1076604-8/?postcount=73#post12594820 Metapedia admins banned]. [[Stormfront (website)|Stormfront]]. 12 Jan 2015.</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=May 2018}}

===Mikemikev===

In response to Michael Coombs [[doxing]] and posting [[malicious falsehood|malicious falsehoods]] about people on Rightpedia, legal complaints have been sent to Google to deindex articles for [[defamation]].<ref>[https://www.lumendatabase.org/notices/15785165 Defamation Complaint to Google: Rightpedia]. [[Lumen (website)|Lumen]].</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=May 2018}} Michael Coombs (who posts online as Mikemikev) has been banned on RationalWiki and Wikipedia on hundreds of [[sockpuppets]].<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Sockpuppet_investigations/Mikemikev Wikipedia: Sockpuppet Investigations/Mikemikev].</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=May 2018}} He has since created smear articles about the admins from these wikis who banned him, including doxing their personal home addresses and family members. The [[Southern Poverty Law Center|SPLC]] in their article on Rightpedia note: "One of the white nationalists [Mikemikev] who co-founded Rightpedia, a far-right free encyclopedia that split from Metapedia, created more than 140 accounts in the past 10 years."<ref>[https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/03/12/wikipedia-wars-inside-fight-against-far-right-editors-vandals-and-sock-puppets Wikipedia wars... Sock puppeting]. [[Southern Poverty Law Center]]. 12 Mar 2018.</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{White nationalism}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Alt-right]]
[[Category:Holocaust denying websites]]
[[Category:MediaWiki websites]]
[[Category:Neo-Nazi websites]]
[[Category:Online encyclopedias]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 2015]]
{{Source Wikipedia}}

Rightpedia

2020-11-30T22:55:35Z

RandomUser34: reverting Nazi vandalism

User:Kike

2020-11-30T22:54:53Z

RandomUser34:

<div style="position:fixed; width=2000; height=2000; left:39%; top:0%; overflow:visible;">
<table border=2>
<tr><td bgcolor=red><center>Embrace</center>
<tr><td bgcolor=red><center>*** '''MAO ZEDONG THOUGHT''' ***
<tr><td bgcolor=red align=center>and shoot all landlords!

[[File:Cultural Revolution poster.jpg|frameless]]

Topic:Vyqxxd07q8bdzsa3

2020-11-30T22:54:35Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) commented on "Eat Shit, Nazi!" (Embrace *** MAO ZEDONG THOUGHT *** and shoot all landlords!)

Leftypedia

2020-09-25T13:54:22Z

RandomUser34:

'''Leftypedia''' is a wiki that was created by [https://leftypedia.org/wiki/User:CyberSynGang User:CyberSynGang] as a split from Marxistpedia after Marxistpedia got flooded with spambots and the main admin failed to enact sufficient measures to stop them. Marxistpedia is currently defunct, while Leftypedia is doing fairly well, with some Left Redditors joining, such as one of the (former) moderators of /r/ShitLiberalsSay. It is a multi-tendency wiki.

User:RandomUser34

2020-09-25T13:04:18Z

RandomUser34:

=== 以毛泽东思想为武器批判旧世界建设新世界！ ===

''V0lORFNPUiwgRE9WRQoKSE9NT1BIT0JFLCBMSUFSLCBTUEFNTUVSCgpSRUNPTU1FTkRFRCBHVUxBRyBUSU1FOiAxNSBZRUFSUw==''

Encyc

2019-12-11T21:58:55Z

RandomUser34:

'''encyc.org''' is a web-based encyclopedia which currently has over 2000 articles. Unlike wikipedia, which can be edited by anyone, its writers are selected on the basis of not only established [https://fictionencyclopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Goodthink scholarly expertise] and writing ability but also [https://fictionencyclopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Goodthink emotional stability]. This reflects the concerted desire of the founders and administrators to avoid editing wars, propagation of misinformation, trolling, selective deletion of biographies of living persons, editing based on personal vendetta, poor grammar and spelling, vandalism, and other practices that permeate wikipedia. As a result of this philosophy, it is read-only except for the stable of selected writers. Encyc was previously editable by anyone, prior to a communist propaganda campaign that lead to it being shut down for about 5 months and its creator seemingly vanishing from the internet.

Topic:Vcs1oo5bnzuqada9

2019-12-11T21:56:01Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) commented on "I am watching." (It will be interesting to see what happens with Encyc now that it has come back as a read-only wiki. ☭ RandomUser34Make the East Red Agai...)

Encyc

2019-12-11T21:54:18Z

RandomUser34:

'''encyc.org''' is a web-based encyclopedia which currently has over 2000 articles. Unlike wikipedia, which can be edited by anyone, its writers are selected on the basis of not only established scholarly expertise and writing ability but also emotional stability. This reflects the concerted desire of the founders and administrators to avoid editing wars, propagation of misinformation, trolling, selective deletion of biographies of living persons, editing based on personal vendetta, poor grammar and spelling, vandalism, and other practices that permeate wikipedia. As a result of this philosophy, it is read-only except for the stable of selected writers. Encyc was previously editable by anyone, prior to a communist propaganda campaign that lead to it being shut down for about 5 months and its creator seemingly vanishing from the internet.

Topic:Vcr605290blkmpq9

2019-12-11T13:53:36Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) edited a post on "encyc article"

Topic:Vcr605290blkmpq9

2019-12-11T13:34:45Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) commented on "encyc article" (So what you are basically saying is that Encyc is now a private wiki? (yes i am willing to be civil) ☭ RandomUser34Make the East Red Agai...)

Topic:V98c5o9n6rkfeoqp

2019-12-05T13:21:55Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) edited a post on "Protect request"

Topic:V98c5o9n6rkfeoqp

2019-12-05T13:21:03Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) edited a post on "Protect request"

Topic:V98c5o9n6rkfeoqp

2019-12-05T13:20:05Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) edited a post on "Protect request"

Topic:V98c5o9n6rkfeoqp

2019-12-05T13:18:38Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) commented on "Protect request" (He won't come to an agreement, he'll probably just hide anything I say RandomUser34 (talk) 14:18, 5 December 2019 (CET))

Topic:V98c5o9n6rkfeoqp

2019-12-03T15:47:19Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) commented on "Protect request" (It is not vandalism. By the way, can't wait to see that map go blue in 2020!)

Topic:V98c5o9n6rkfeoqp

2019-12-03T15:45:34Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) restored a post on "Protect request" (undo hide)

Topic:V98c5o9n6rkfeoqp

2019-12-03T15:45:28Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) hid a post on "Protect request" (scum)

Leslie M. Golden (writer)

2019-12-03T13:28:36Z

RandomUser34:

{{delete|Duplicate, contains false information}}

{{Infobox
|name = Les Golden
|bodystyle =
|title = Les Golden
|titlestyle =

|image = [[Image:GambleJPG.jpg|190px|alt=Les Golden]]
|imagestyle =
|caption = Les Golden counting cards at the Kellogg Graduate School of Business (Northwestern University) Casino Night
|captionstyle =
|headerstyle = background:#ccf;
|labelstyle = background:#ddf;
|datastyle =

|header1 =
|data2 =
|header3 =
|data4 =
|header5 =
|label6 = Occupation
|data6 = Writer, astronomer, professor, musician, stand-up comedian, cartoonist
|label7 = Known for
|data7 = Developer of [[Golden Diagram]] <ref name="lexica">http://www.omnilexica.com/?q=Leslie%20M.%20Golden</ref> for blackjack and the Magic Circle Strategy for roulette
|header8 =
|label9 = Influences
|data9 = Nina Grace Smith, L. Knowles Cooke, [[Frank Drake]], W.J. "Jack" Welch, [[David W. Tucker]], Edward O. Thorp, [[Del Close]]
|label10 = Contact
|data10 = drlesgo@aol.com; lesgoldencardcounting@yahoo.com; literary agent - elagencywest@aol.com
|header11 =
|label12 = References
|data12 = http://www.geocities.ws/les_golden; http://www.oocities.org/goldenforstaterepresentative; cell 773-837-3146
}}

'''Les Golden''' is an internationally known gambling columnist and science writer. He lives in Oak Park, [[Illinois]].<ref> http://www.illinoisauthors.org/authors/Leslie_Morris_Golden</ref><ref>http://www.librarything.com/profile/Les_Golden</ref><ref> http://www.librarything.com/author/goldenlesliem</ref><ref>http://www.authorsden.com/lesgolden</ref> He has written for gambling.com, iGamingBusiness, gamblingonline, [[Bluff Magazine|Bluff Europe]], and Jackpots Review print magazines. He became aware of card counting systems and became a card counter at the popular casino game of [[blackjack]] while a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, by reading the 1966 revised edition of Beat the Dealer,<ref>Thorp, E. O. (1966) ''Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One'', Random House, New York</ref> the seminal work of mathematician Edward O. Thorp, who was aided in his computer simulations by programmers Julian Braun and Harvey Dubner.<ref>Thorp, E. O. (1966),''Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One'', Random House, New York, pp. 93-94</ref> As a graduate student in astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley, Golden made monthly trips to [[Reno]], [[Nevada]] and played blackjack using Thorp’s systems. He is the developer of the [[Golden Diagram]] <ref name="lexica"/> technique for countering casino countermeasures at blackjack and the Magic Circle system for winning at biased roulette wheels. Dr. Golden was named an [[International Gaming Institute Scholar]] (IGI) (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) for 2016. He currently resides in Oak Park, [[Illinois]], and [[Reno]], [[Nevada]]. His is also an astronomer, professor, actor, musician, and environmental and animal welfare activist and incorporates his knowledge in these areas into his writing.

==Background==
===Education and Research===
[[File: LesGoldenCollectedWritings.JPG|thumb|right|125px| The noted author and biographer Jordan Naoum has published collected writings of Golden in his 2011 book, Les Golden]] Leslie Morris Golden (''Eliezer Moshe ben Reuven Motl y Chanah Kaileh'', ''Lazar Masche'') was born in Chicago, an identical twin,<ref>His parents are Irving R. (b. 1907) and Anne K. Golden (b. 1909; maiden name, Eisenberg). Anne had twin brothers, Irving and Sam (b. 1905), and twin uncles on her mother’s side, Michel and Kivah Gerstein (b.1876), making the Golden twins the third successive generation of male twins on the maternal side. The birth of the Golden twins was one of a record number of twin births at Wesley Memorial Hospital, a part of Northwestern Hospital in Chicago, in early December.</ref><ref>(1943), “Twins Tend Record Twin Crop,” ''Chicago Herald-American'', December 4, p. II-3</ref><ref>Petlicki, Myrna (1997), “Golden memories,” ''Oak Leaves'' (Oak Park, Illinois), July 2, p. B3-6</ref> the son of Anne K. (née Eisenberg; March 7, 1909 – November 19, 1999), a legal stenographer and homemaker, and Irving R. Golden (March 15, 1907 – June 22, 2005), an attorney and co-owner with his father Max Goldstein, an immigrant finish carpenter from Belarus, Russia, of a store fixture and bar manufacturing firm,<ref>Kogan, Rick (2005), “Lawyer also designed, built bars,” ''Chicago Tribune'', July 24, p. IV-7</ref> and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, where he attended Horace Mann grammar school and Oak Park-River Forest High School.

[[File: LesGoldenSemesteratSea.jpg|thumb|left|175px| Professor Golden was the first University of Illinois professor chosen to be a professor on Semester at Sea. He taught courses on astronomer and the possibility of extraterrestrial life.]]He holds the B.A. (with Distinction) and Masters of Engineering Physics from Cornell University,<ref name="Cornell">http://www.cornell65.com/interest/golden.html</ref> where he was both a Cornell McMullen Scholar and a Fellow of the Interfoundation Committee of the American Institute for Economic Research (Great Barrington, Mass.). The Cornell website notes him as one of its distinguished alumni writers.<ref>www.collegegrid.com/grid/index.php/Cornell_University</ref> He received the M.A. and Ph.D in astronomy from the University of California, Berkeley,<ref> http://badgrads.berkeley.edu/doku.php?id=alumni:old</ref><ref>http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/2006ASPC..356...87F, page 90</ref> under Professor William J. “Jack” Welch,<ref>http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Faculty/Homepages/welch.html</ref> the Watson and Marilyn Alberts Chair emeritus in Extraterrestrial Intelligence. His dissertation was “A Microwave Interferometric Study of the Subsurface of the Planet Mercury.”<ref>http://books.google.com/books/about/A_Microwave_Interferometric_Study_of_the.html?id=vJK_HgAACAAJ</ref><ref>http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=Microwave%20Interferometric%20Study%20Subsurface%20Planet%20Mercury&index=books</ref><ref>(2012) Rivers, Eric, The Solar System, April 25; http://www.amazon.com/The-Solar-System-Eric-Rivers/dp/1475228791/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1338396178&sr=1-1</ref>

At Cornell, he was the award-winning feature editor and then editor-in-chief of the [[Cornell Engineer magazine|Cornell Engineer magazine]]<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=b6TAAAAYAAJ </ref><ref>https://books?id=zqUkAQAAMAAJ</ref> <ref>https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924058075700;view=1up;seq=11</ref> and a member of the Engineering Student Council. Some of his early research in astronomy appeared in a book by Stephen Hawking.<ref> (1979) Hawking, S. W. & Israel, W. General relativity: an Einstein centenary survey. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-22285-0. “A much cited centennial survey”;
books.google.com/books?isbn=0521222850 </ref> He performed research at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, as a National Research Council Resident Research Associate<ref>http://nrc58.nas.edu/aodir/gen_page.asp?mode=detail&sql=idnumber='760817'</ref> and the Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, California. He is the director of the [[Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project]] (N.E.A.R.),<ref>http://www.astronomy.com/sitecore/content/Magazine%20Issues/1994/April%201994.aspx , page 22</ref> which he founded as a University of Illinois at Chicago professor in 1994. He has been elected to both [[Phi Beta Kappa]] (arts and sciences) and [[Tau Beta Pi]] (engineering)<ref>https://www.tbp.org/memb/MemberLookup.cfm
</ref> as well as [[Pi Delta Epsilon]] (journalism). He is listed in [[Marquis Who's Who]] in Science and Technology and [[Marquis Who's Who]] in the World.

In addition to the many citations to his scholarly research in astronomy and the history of science, Golden’s writings and work has been cited in numerous books.<ref>see, for example, The Complete Guide to the Illinois Software Industry, Chicago Software Association;[[Cornell Engineer magazine|Cornell Engineer]],[[Cornell University College of Engineering]]; Mix Hypermedia, Mix Publications; The Griffith Observer, Griffith Observatory; http://books.google.com/books?id=99oqAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Leslie+M.+Golden%22&dq=%22Leslie+M.+Golden%22&hl=en</ref>

The noted author and biographer Jordan Naoum has published collected writings of Golden in his 2011 book, Les Golden (Duc Publishing, ISBN 978-6-1368-4994-2)<ref>www.renotransmission.com/installation.html</ref><ref>www.oakparkjournal.com/2012/2012-Book-announced-Golden-bio.html </ref><ref>www.topix.com/forum/games/blackjack/TM5R2SK854B8812DS</ref><ref>www.publishingheadlines.com/biography-of-les-golden-published-by-duc-publishing/</ref><ref>http://www.topix.com/city/oak-park-il/2013/08/oak-park-renaissance-man-les-golden-has-been-written-by-biographer?fromrss=1</ref> which is available worldwide.<ref>See, for example, www.barnesandnoble.com/w/les-golden-jordan-naoum/1104425304; http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Jordan-Naoum/dp/6136849941/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327941857&sr=1-1; http://www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndSearch/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=9786136849942; http://www.betterworldbooks.com/les-golden-id-6136849941.aspx </ref>

===Performing===
[[File: LesGoldenNotEasyBeingGreen.JPG|thumb|left|175px| One of the leading environmentalist spokesmen and activists in Illinois, Les Golden as President of the CARE party in Oak Park, Illinois, secured the election of a majority on the Park Board which on their first day in office banned pesticides in the parks and recreation centers.]]Golden is a nationally-referenced animal welfare advocate and environmental activist,<ref>http://www.elephantinformation.com/CEMENT%20FLOORING%20or%20HARD%20DIRT%20GROUND.htm </ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-11-24/news/0411240206_1_new-trees-oak-park-district-mulberry-trees</ref><ref>Dwyer, Bill (2007), “Tree Fury at Field,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', July 10, p. 1; http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/07-10-2007/Tree_fury_at_Field</ref><ref>Noel, Josh (2007), “Oak Park tree-removal plan heads for debate,” ''Chicago Tribune'', July 12, p. 7; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2007-07-19/news/0707181717_1_trees-park-renovation-plan</ref><ref>Golden, Leslie M. (2005), “Elephant deaths are a matter of physics,” ''Chicago Sun-Times'', January 28, p. 24</ref><ref>(2000) “Trailside needs a champion,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'' (editorial), November 1, p. 32</ref><ref>Vincent, Ed (2002), “The Lost Chukar,” http://www.suburbanjournals.com/Stories2002/Lost-Chukar-Returned-Home-2002.html, August 10</ref><ref>see, in addition, for example, Golden, Les (2002), “All it would take is a fence to keep critters alive,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', June 12, p. 41; Golden, Les (2000), “Les ‘Cut the Roadkill’ Golden says, Slow Down!”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 19, p. 25; Golden, Les (2000), “Hey, Sylvestri, save our furry and feathered friends,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', October 25, p. 34; Little, Rebecca and Trainor, Ken (2000) “Silvestri responds to Golden, Trailside,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', November 1, p. 2; Golden, Les “Let’s Save the Dogs” Golden (2002), “Ask politicians to make dog fighting a felony,” May 22, p. 32; (2008), “Inside Report: Les ‘Cut the coyotes a break’ Golden,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', January 23, p. 5; Linden, Eric (1991), “’Dandelion Dig’ idea blooming,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', May 29, p. 7; (2001) Golden, Les, “It’s not easy being green, but here are some ideas”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 11, p. 40</ref><ref>(2004) http://www.oakparkjournal.com/2007/2007-Field-Park-ralley-July-8th-2pm.html</ref><ref>“Oak Park Environmentalist Persuades School to Save Taxpayer Dollars, Intergovernmental Cooperation the Key to Recycling Dutch Elm Mulch,” www.oakparkjournal.com/stories2004/2005-les-golden-mulch-nov.html</ref><ref>http://oakpark.suntimes.com/people/voices/ltr_golden-OAK-08012013:article; (2013) Golden, Les, “Inoculation can save ash trees,” Oak Leaves, July 29.</ref> a professional trumpet player, jazz vocalist, and band leader,<ref>http://villageofoakpark.com/Stories2002/2003-Les-Golden-comments-July4th-music.html</ref><ref>https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-110EB48B37554C68.html</ref> and a professional actor with more than 100 stage, film, radio, television, and commercial credits,<ref> http://www.creativehotlist.com/Individuals/details/198826</ref><ref> (1994), “A film career far (but not removed) from Tinseltown,”
Compuserve magazine, August, p. 55 </ref><ref>(1982) “Improvising Your Way to Success,” ''Spring'',1, 6, p. 34 </ref><ref> (1984) “The boss is never wrong,” ''Screen magazine'', October 1, p. 19</ref><ref>www.imdb.com/title/tt0097170/</ref><ref>www.locatetv.com/person/les-golden/118760</ref><ref>http://www.reelz.com/person/146084/les-golden/movie-friends/</ref><ref>Petrulis, Len (1982), “Golden TV ‘Spoof’ on Reality,” ''Berwyn Life'', May 19, p. 14</ref> including multiple principle Shakespearean roles with [[Oak Park Festival Theatre]], an Equity-contract theatre.[[File:WhoisLesGolden.JPG|thumb|200px|Les Golden Renaissance Man feature article]] As a model, he has appeared on the covers of numerous magazines including ''Burpee Seeds'', ''Heathkit'', ''Amway Magazine'', and ''Money Magazine.''

In 1966 Golden provided the stimulus for the formation of the [[University of California Jazz Ensembles]] by placing an ad calling for student jazz musicians in the [[Daily Californian]]. With the arrival of Dr. [[David W. Tucker]] to the Cal campus in 1969, the organization became the most prominent musical organization on the Berkeley campus. Golden was a trumpet player, soloist, and vocalist with the elite Wednesday Night big band. For seven years he was the emcee for the program, appearing at dozens of performances annually at concerts and jazz festivals throughout California.<ref>http://ucjazz.berkeley.edu/ </ref>[[File:DailyCalArticlebyLesGoldenUCJazz1968.JPG‎|thumb|left|175px|Article by Les Golden in the Daily Californian announcing the first concert of the University of California Jazz Ensembles]]

Golden is an award-winning developer of sophisticated music notation software.<ref>Nolan, Herb (1989), “An Astronomer Tackles the Music Software Marketplace,” ''Upbeat'', November, p. 45-46</ref><ref>(1989), “100 Great Products for Under $100,” ''Electronic Musician'', December, '''5''', 12, p. 46</ref><ref>Mahin, Bruce P. (1989), “Choosing Music Notation Software,” ''The Instrumentalist'', '''43''', 11, p. 26-31</ref><ref>(1989), “Basic Composer,” ''Music Educators Journal'', April, p. 20</ref><ref>Kuzmich, John (1990), “Scoring With Computers,” ''Jazz Educators Journal'', '''23''', 3, p. 52</ref><ref>King, Patricia (1990),” “Basic Composer,” ''The Music and Computer Educator'', '''1''', 10, p. 26</ref><ref>(1991), “Basic Composer 4.3,” ''Compute'', '''13''', 2, p.90</ref><ref>Lynch, Dennis, (1990), “Unlock your creativity via computers,” Chicago Tribune, February 23, Section 3, p. 3, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-02-23/entertainment/9001160136_1_computers-apple-iigs-steve-jobs</ref>

He is a published jazz critic.<ref>Golden, Les (1994), “Ravinia places Chicago on map for jazz fans,” ''Northwest Leader'', August 3, p. 6</ref>

He has appeared numerous times as an actor<ref>http://people.theiapolis.com/actor-B9C1/les-golden/sites/les-golden-actor-1000547.html</ref> on the live-broadcast productions of "[[Unshackled]]!" He was a featured regular on the [[Eddie Hubbard]] Show radio program as the character Jeffrey Clayton Maxwell from Bhutan. He was one of the stable of gifted Chicago character actors cast in numerous national and regional television commercials by renowned director [[Josef Sedelmaier]] of “Where’s the Beef?” fame. He is a member of both the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). He was a charter member of Chicago's Porchlight Theatre Ensemble. He has appeared in featured roles with [[Broderick Crawford]], [[Tippi Hedren]], [[Troy Donahue]], [[Charlotte Ross]], Susan Hart, [[Robert Petkoff]], [[David Darlow]], [[Bruce Jarchow]], [[Paula Scrofano]], and others.[[File:LesGoldenKreyHotDogsActor.JPG|thumb|175px|Les Golden possesses a "great character face." Shown here as model for Krey Hot Dogs.]]

His [[Bacon number]] (the number of motion picture role links between a given actor and prolific actor [[Kevin Bacon]] - Les Golden, Deadly Spygames with [[Tippi Hedren]], who was in [[Jayne Mansfield|Jayne Mansfield’s]] Car with Kevin Bacon) is 2<ref>http://oracleofbacon.org/</ref> (closer value than 82% of all credited motion picture actors).

He has authored stage and screen plays, including “The Skull Caper,” based on the bequeathal of the skull of his mentor [[Del Close]] to the [[Goodman Theatre]] in [[Chicago]], a full-length murder mystery comedy, [[Murder by Mistletoe]], and a screenplay, [[Never Split Tens]], based on the life of the mathematician who developed the card counting system for the casino game of blackjack.<ref> http://www.creativehotlist.com/Individuals/details/198826</ref>

As "Flash Golden," he was the play-by-play announcer for the California Golden Bears basketball radio broadcasts and hosted Flash's Jazz Patio on [[KALX]]-FM. As a stand-up comedian, he has performed at San Francisco's Holy City Zoo and Mustard Seed, the Comedy Store and other clubs in Los Angeles, the Comedy Cottage in Chicago, as well as on the college circuit, Playboy Club, and other clubs from Puerta Vallarta to Boston. He appears both as himself, [[Les Golden]], and as [[Subrahmanyan Berkowitz]] from Bhutan. He is a published editorial cartoonist.[[File:FlashGoldenatOaklandColiseum.JPG|thumb|250px|Flash Golden at halftime at Oakland Coliseum for Cal-UCLA showdown. He wears his signature gold jacket and blue and gold tie. To his right is color man George Skofis. To his left, standing, is Larry Heavey, baritone sax player with the UC Jazz Ensembles.]]

As an editorial and comic cartoonist, Les Golden has been widely published. He is listed in [[Comiclopedia]]<ref>http://lambiek.com/artists/g/golden_les.htm</ref>. His subjects are taken from his interest in politics and other careers as a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, musician, environmentalist, animal welfare advocate, astronomer, and professor. He may be best known for his strip "Captain Industry" from the 1980's. His content ranges from politically controversial to school-boy silliness, with a clean line-art artistic style. His textbook, Laboratory Exercises in Physics for Modern Astronomy (Springer-Verlag, 2012), includes numerous of his comic illustrations, including those of possible extraterrestrials. He credits Betty Edwards, author of Drawing On the Right Side of the Brain, as his major artistic influence. [[File:LesGoldenCartoona.JPG|thumb|left|225px|As a cartoonist, Les Golden is widely published. Among other venues, he contributes cartoons to various gambling magazines. Copyright 2012 Les Golden. All rights reserved.]]

===Organized Athletics===
In athletics he was a two-sport letterman at Oak Park and River Forest High School and was the manager and third baseman of the "Goldenrods" at Cornell and manager and third baseman of the "Foul Balls" in the fast-pitch summer league at U.C. Berkeley. At JPL, he was the third baseman on the champion JPL fast-pitch team in the Glendale City League.

===Astronomy Publications and Presentations===
[[File: LesGoldenNEAR.JPG|thumb|right|150px| Les Golden, astronomer, founded the [[Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project]] while a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.]]Golden has published several peer-reviewed refereed articles on applications of probability and statistics to astronomy,<ref>Golden, Leslie M. (1971). “Evolution of Quasar Optical and Radio Luminosity,” ''Nature'', '''234''', 103; http://www.nature.com/nature-physci/journal/v234/n49/abs/physci234103a0.html</ref><ref>Golden, Leslie M. (1974). “Isotropy of Radio Source Populations from Comparison of Number - Flux Density Curves,” ''Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society'', '''166''', 383; http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1974MNRAS.166..383G </ref><ref>Golden, Leslie M. (1974). “Observational Selection in the Identification of Quasars and Claims for Anisotropy,” ''Observatory'', '''94''', 122; http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1974Obs....94..122G </ref><ref>Golden, Leslie M. (1979). “The Effect of Surface Roughness on the Transmission of Microwave Radiation Through a Planetary Surface,” ''Icarus'', '''38''', 451; http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0019103579901994 </ref> and has taught probability and statistics as an Adjunct Professor of Management Science in the Heller Graduate School of Business at Roosevelt University in Chicago in addition to being an astronomy professor in the physics department and the Honors College of the University of Illinois at Chicago.<ref> http://www.springer.com/astronomy/astronomy,+observations+and+techniques/book/978-1-4614-3310-1?detailsPage=authorsAndEditors</ref>

[[File:TsunamiLecture.JPG‎|thumb|left|250px| Professor Leslie M. Golden lectures in 2005 on how the East Indian Ocean [[tsunami]]-generating earthquake led to a shortening of the length of the day.]]He lectures to adult and student audiences on the possibility of extraterrestrial life and the hypothetical shapes of their bodies. A frequent cruise ship lecturer, he was selected by Royal Cruise Lines to be their shipboard lecturer on the high seas during the 1986 apparition of Halley's Comet, and was the first University of Illinois professor selected to be a professor on the Institute of Shipboard Education's (ISE) Semester at Sea program,<ref>(1997), “Physics sails the world,” ''UIC News'' (University of Illinois at Chicago), April 30, p. 2; http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/uicnews/articledetail.cgi?id=4005</ref> teaching courses on astronomy and the possibility of extraterrestrial life in the fall semester of 1996. [[File: PhysicsEducationReview.gif|thumb|left|150px|The review of Les Golden’s "Laboratory Experiments in Physics for Modern Astronomy" by Michael Vollmer, published in Physics Education Journal, July 2013, volume 48, number 4, pages 534-535.]]Among his popular writings on astronomy<ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-01-20/news/0401200115_1_communication-satellites-mars-initiative-astronomy</ref><ref>http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?30437-Benefits-Of-A-Mission-To-Mars</ref><ref> articles.chicagotribune.com/keyword/astronomy/recent/4</ref> and public presentations,<ref>(2005) Anderson, Holly, “Day shortened by quake, astronomer calculates,” http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-110D9F0B0030ACF0.html, January 5</ref><ref>http://blog.chicagoweathercenter.com/2004/12/27/aftermath_of_the_earthquake_sh/</ref><ref>(2013), Jobs in the sky, Chicago Tribune, February 16, p. 13; http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-vp-0216voicelettersbriefs-20130216,0,5802913.story</ref> he presented a series of lectures to the renowned Field Museum of Natural History on the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligent life, has been the featured speaker at the meeting of the Great Lakes Planetarium Association, and was the keynote speaker for Chicago's Adler Planetarium on the occasion of the dedication of their new wing.

His textbook, Laboratory Exercises in Physics for Modern Astronomy (Springer-Verlag, 2012)<ref>http://www.springer.com/astronomy/astronomy,+observations+and+techniques/book/978-1-4614-3310-1</ref> has been enthusiastically reviewed.<ref>http://www.amazon.com/Laboratory-Experiments-Physics-Modern-Astronomy/dp/146143310X</ref><ref>(2013) Vollmer, Michael, “Physics and astronomy meet in book of experiments,” Physics Education, v. 48, no. 4, p. 534-535; http://iopscience.iop.org/0031-9120/48/4/M03;jsessionid=6530B374440A8BBC9B63245D60D284DF.c1; http://iopscience.iop.org/0031-9120/48/4/M03/pdf/0031-9120_48_4_M03.pdf</ref>

==Biosphere 2 Candidate==

Prof. [[Les Golden]] was a finalist for the second crew of [[Biosphere 2]]. From Biosphere, Golden hoped to direct the [[Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project]], created by Golden in 1994 when he was a professor in the physics department at the [[University of Illinois at Chicago]].<ref>(1997), “Physics sails the world,” ''UIC News'' (University of Illinois at Chicago), April 30, p. 2</ref><ref>(1994), “Near Earth Asteroid Project,” ''Astronomy'', April, p. 22</ref> N.E.A.R. is a world-wide network of amateur astronomers and space scientists involved in the discovery and determination of the orbits of near-earth asteroids or more generally near-earth objects with possible earth-crossing orbits.

==Renaissance Man Description==
Les Golden is a Renaissance Man, a true polymath. [[File: LesGoldenAlkaSeltzer.jpg |thumb|250px| Principal actor for Alka Seltzer national campaign. This photo appeared in every National Basketball Association program for every team during its season.]]He has been so described in numerous newspapers and magazine. "Let's say there was a local character who has a B.S. and M.S. in engineering physics from Cornell University; earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of California in Berkeley; is a professional actor; a former stand-up comedian in San Francisco and L.A. and an improv performer with Chicago's Second City, is a freelance jazz and theater critic and playwright; is president of his own software development company; gives lectures on UFOs and the possibility of extraterrestrial life; was listed in the Marquis "Who's Who in Science and Engineering;" and every July 4 either he or his twin brother lead the band that precedes the fireworks at the local high school. You'd accuse us of making him up, right? Wait, it gets better. Let's say all of that is not enough. Let's say this guy wants to make his mark in politics . . . only he insists on filing under a nickname which usually gets him tossed off the ballot . . . " <ref>(1997) Trainor, Ken, "Who is Les Golden?", ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 2, p. 29-37</ref>[[File: LesGoldenJazzOaklandMuseum.jpg |thumb|left|250px|Members of the University of California Jazz Ensembles in a publicity photo prior to a performance at the Oakland Museum. From top, Gary Maas, drummer, now an optometrist, Les Golden, trumpet, vocalist, and announcer, and Larry Heavey, baritone sax, now a radiologist.]]

"Where to start in introducing the complete one-off individual that is Les Golden? Actor, stand-up comedian, humorist UFO lecturer, singer, astronomer, cartoonist, playwright, trumpet player, voiceover artist, political activist . . . we could go on. You can probably tell that Les is a bit of a character. Luckily for readers, he's also a great blackjack player,"<ref>(2009) Lines, Chris, "A Word From the Editor," ''Gambling Online'', August, p. 8.</ref>

"It would be an unusual man who really went by the name 'Cut the Taxes,' but Golden, of Oak Park, is an unusual man. He is an actor and educational software developer with a Ph.D. in astronomy; he is a trumpet player, writer and physics professor who devotes much of his free time to taxpayers rights issues."<ref>(1995) Zorn, Eric, "This Candidate Is A `Cut The Taxes' Above The Rest," ''Chicago Tribune'', October 3; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-10-03/news/9510030038_1_wallace-gator-bradley-candidates-taxes. See also, (1994), "A film career far (but not removed) from Tinseltown," ''Compuserve magazine'', August, p. 55; Krapf, Paula (1995) "Silence not Golden: aspiring local politico a man of many names, Faces," ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', September 20, p. 4</ref>

“His interests form a list so long as to stagger the imagination. He is a stand-up comic who has performed all over the United States and Mexico, a professional actor in more than 100 plays, films and commercials; and he is the author of Basic Composer, PC-compatible software that is used to compose, play back, and print music and lyrics. (As an astronomer), in 1986 he went on a Halley’s Comet cruise, following the comet from Acapulco to Greece and transmitting reports to the Syndicated Writers’ Group.”<ref>(1991) “CB as a Channel for Discovery,” ''Compuserve Magazine'', December, p. 18</ref>

[[File:LesGoldenNameGame.jpg|thumb|right|175px| Les Golden is a true polymath, a Renaissance Man. His numerous activities have provided him with many names. Play the Les Golden Name Game! ]]Unlike many in society who were influenced and aided by family members in achieving success in given fields, Golden is entirely a self-made man. No one in either his maternal or paternal extended families have matriculated at an Ivy League college, earned a Ph.D, nor have had professional careers as an actor, stand-up comedian, playwright, political cartoonist, magazine editor, non-fiction writer, software developer, scientist, or professor. His identical twin brother and he are the only professional musicians in the extended families.<ref>Petlicki, Myrna (1997), “Golden memories,” ''Oak Leaves'' (Oak Park, Illinois), July 2, p. B3-6</ref><ref>http://villageofoakpark.com/Stories2002/2003-Les-Golden-comments-July4th-music.html</ref><ref>Lynch, Dennis, (1990), “Unlock your creativity via computers,” Chicago Tribune, February 23, Section 3, p. 3, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-02-23/entertainment/9001160136_1_computers-apple-iigs-steve-jobs</ref>

Les Golden has featured listings at the non-vanity websites Library Thing,<ref>http://www.librarything.com/profile/Les_Golden</ref> Illinois Authors, <ref>http://www.illinoisauthors.org/authors/Leslie_Morris_Golden</ref> Authors Den,<ref>http://www.authorsden.com/lesgolden</ref> Comiclopedia,<ref>http://lambiek.com/artists/g/golden_les.htm</ref> and Theiapolis.<ref>http://people.theiapolis.com/actor-B9C1/les-golden/sites/les-golden-actor-1000547.html</ref>

In addition to these, he is listed at a remarkable multiplicity of amazon.com websites marking notability: 
https://www.evi.com/q/actors_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/comedians_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/musicians_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/writers_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/activists_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/astronomers_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/playwrights_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/scientists_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/professors_from_oak_park,_illinois.

==Writings==
Les Golden has had books published by reputable publishers in fiction and non-fiction. His biographical novel based on the life of gambling theorist [[Edward O. Thorp]] received stellar endorsements.

“I found the story tremendously entertaining, with a pantheon of compelling characters such as gambler Ed Thorp and bookie Manny Kimmel taking us from the casinos of Nevada to those of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Les Golden’s novel is a triumph begging for adaptation to the screen.”

LANA WOOD
Television and film producer
Actress (“Diamonds Are Forever”)
Best-selling author, Natalie, a Memoir

“Les Golden has an ever-increasing influence and burgeoning popularity. A significant name in the industry, the ‘go to’ man for strategy and anecdotal literary dexterity. I cannot acclaim his star highly enough.”

JAMES MCKEOWN
Editor, iGaming Business Magazine
Editor, Gambling.com Magazine

“Les Golden is a comedy genius. It really is as simple as that. An expert in the field, he makes getting educated not only painless but actually funny.”

DAVE BLAND
Editor, Flush Magazine
British television pundit

“I learn more about strategy through Les’ writings than I do through many failed trips to Vegas. Always concise, easy-to-read, and intelligent.”

JON YOUNG
Editor WPT (World Poker Tour) Magazine

“Les Golden makes numbers hilarious. He's simply the funniest gaming strategy writer there is. His writing is ‘rakish’ and ‘bond-esque.’ ”

PHILIP CONNELLER
Editor, Bluff Europe Magazine

“The dialog crackles and the fictional elements brilliantly illuminate how cool Ed Thorp is. And there’s just the right amount of blackjack and math. I love it.”

AARON BROWN
Professional gambler, Wall Street risk manager
Author, The Poker Face of Wall Street

==Gambling Writings==
===Introduction to Card Counting===
[[File: LesGoldenUnitedAirlines.JPG|thumb|left|125px| International poster-boy for United Airlines. These brochures were available at every UAL ticket office and airport terminal in the world. An accompanying poster was on the wall in every UAL ticket office and airport terminal in the world as well as being printed in every major American newspaper (and perhaps foreign as well).]]In the months before the premier Wednesday Night Band of the [[University of California Jazz Ensembles]], under the direction of Dr. [[David W. Tucker]], went in 1972 to Reno, Nevada, to compete in its first [[Reno]] Jazz Festival,<ref>www.unr.edu/rjf/</ref> Golden, a trumpet player and vocalist with the band and its announcer, purchased Beat the Dealer at the legendary Moe’s Bookstore in Berkeley, California, and studied Thorp’s complete point count system. In the next five years at Berkeley, Golden made monthly trips to Reno, with additional trips to Lake Tahoe and Virginia City, Nevada. In 1977 he moved to Los Angeles to perform research at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a National Research Council Resident Research Associate post-doctoral fellow in astronomy,<ref>http://nrc58.nas.edu/aodir/gen_page.asp?mode=detail&sql=idnumber='760817'</ref> and his gambling excursions were to [[Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]]. He continued to perform stand-up comedy at various venues including The Comedy Store and The Improv.
[[File:CountonLesLogojpg.JPG‎|thumb|240px|Logo for Les Golden's popular "Count on Les" columns for gambling.com print magazine]]

===Writings===
He has written for ''Gambling.com'',<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20111003095727/http://www.professional-poker.com/news/2006/nov/764-gamblingcom-poker-content.htm
http://www.professional-poker.com/news/2006/nov/764-gamblingcom-poker-content.htm.</ref><ref>http://www.gambling.com/Blackjack/tips-strategies/194/the-blackjack-breakdown</ref> ''Gambling Online'',<ref>www.gamblingonlinemagazine.com/casinos.php</ref> ''iGaming Business'',<ref> http://www.igamingbusiness.com/content/shannon-elizabeth-heats-gamblingcom-magazine</ref>, ''Bluff Europe''<ref>http://www.sbg-globalblackjack.com/p/blackjack-news-headlines-for-september-02-2011</ref><ref>en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluff_Magazine</ref><ref>www.bluffeurope.com/</ref>, and ''Jackpots Review'' magazines, and as a newspaper columnist as a casino advocate.<ref>Golden, Les (1992). “Pleasant Home: Here's a Worthwhile Gamble,” ''Oak Leaves'' (Oak Park, Illinois), July 31, p. 21</ref> His writing reflects his Renaissance man<ref name=''tinsel''>(1994), “A film career far (but not removed) from Tinseltown,” ''Compuserve magazine'',
August, p. 55</ref><ref>(1995) Krapf, Paula, “Silence not Golden: aspiring local politico a man of many names, Faces,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', September 20, p. 4</ref><ref>Trainor, Ken (1997), “Who is Les Golden?”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 2, p. 29-37</ref><ref>(1998) Silver, Moe (name adopted by writer Ken Trainor for purpose of article), “The Clone Ranger divides again”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 1, p. 52</ref><ref name="Shrewish">Trainor, Ken (2001) “Funny, he doesn’t look shrewish,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 1, p. 2</ref><ref name="Cornell"/><ref>http://www.trueknowledge.com/q/facts_about__les_golden_28</ref> multiple knowledge bases. With a technical background, many of his articles deal with probability issues in casino games, focusing on roulette, craps, and blackjack, and discussing such topics as the central limit theorem, the [[normal curve]], and Gambler's ruin, and often employing [[Monte Carlo]] simulations and references to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, an area to which he had been introduced at Cornell University by his mentor Frank Drake and which is one of his research and public lecture areas as an astronomer.<ref>(1983). “People Focuses on Fellow Who Makes ETs His Specialty,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', November 16</ref><ref>(1983), “Rosary prof makes stars come to life for ‘ET’ class,” ''Suburban Sun-Times'' (West), July 1, p. 14</ref><ref>(1984). ”Halley's Comet, Alien Life Highlight Astronomer's Talk,” ''Harlem-Irving Times'', March 2, p 3</ref> [[File:LesGoldenasDrArmstrong.jpg‎|thumb|150px|Les Golden had the part of Dr. Armstrong in Agatha Christie’s "Ten Little Indians." Golden is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists]]With his stand-up comedian background, his style has been described by one of his editors, “You can probably tell that Les is a bit of a character. Luckily for readers, he’s also a great blackjack player,”<ref>Lines, Chris (2009), “A Word From the Editor,” ''Gambling Online'', August, p. 8.</ref> and by Dave Bland, the editor of ''Flush Magazine'', "Les Golden is a comedy genius. I could write more but it really is as simple as that.”<ref>http://triblocal.com/oak-park-river-forest/community/stories/2010/06/cut-the-taxes-golden-is-now-cut-the-cards/</ref><ref>http://triblocal.com/members/dianenichols/mentions/</ref> A professional actor with a Kevin Bacon number of 3 who has studied with Ann Woodworth of [[Northwestern University]] and [[Del Close]] of Chicago’s [[The Second City]] improvisational nightclub, Golden periodically writes about applying acting techniques to camouflage both being a card counter and also being a member of roulette and blackjack teams.<ref>Golden, Les (2010), “So, Do You Feel Lucky, Punk. Well, Do ‘Ya? ,” ''Bluff Europe'', October, p. 88-89</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2010), “Yonder Lies the Castle of my Fodder,” ''Bluff Europe'', November, p. 90-91</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2010), “The Rain in Spain Falls Mainly on the Plain”: Camouflage by Status,” ''Bluff Europe'', December, p. 90-91</ref>

[[File: LesGoldenAsteroidDiscovery.jpg|thumb|left|175px|The beginnings of the [[Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project]] was the subject of an article in Compuserve Magazine, which also discussed his being a writer for the Syndicated Writers’ Group reporting as a Halley’s Comet lecturer on the high seas.]]Golden has won multiple awards for his writing,<ref> http://www.creativehotlist.com/Individuals/details/198826</ref> including the prestigious Eric Hoffer and Lili Fabilli Laconic Essay Prize,<ref>http://financialaid.berkeley.edu/prizes-and-honors-lili-fabilli-and-eric-hoffer-essay-prize</ref><ref> http://students.berkeley.edu/finaid/undergraduates/hofferprize.htm </ref>, the Griffith Observatory Science Writing Competition,<ref> (1974), Griffith Observer, number 6 </ref>, the International Compuserve Magazine Essay Contest,<ref>(1991) “CB as a Channel for Discovery,” ''Compuserve Magazine'', December, p. 18</ref> and the First Prize in the [[Nicolaus Copernicus]] International Essay Competition (American Council of Polish Cultural Clubs). Gambling.com's website refers to Golden as “gambling.com magazine’s resident blackjack genius.”<ref>http://www.gambling.com/blackjack/tips-strategies/194/the-blackjack-breakdown</ref> His research into the gambling game of 21 has been published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal.<ref> http://www.appliedprobability.org/content.aspx?Group=tms&Page=tmsabstracts36_1#eight </ref>

===Golden Diagram===
After the publication of Beat the Dealer, gambling casinos reacted to the advantage that a card counter gains over the house by adopting counter strategies. These included employing multiple decks rather than the single hand-held deck. Two-deck games and games employing four and six decks dealt from a so-called shoe became commonplace.

[[File: LesGoldenBiologyET.jpg|thumb|left|175px| Dr. Les Golden, a popular UIC professor of physics and director of the Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project, delivers a colloquium on the subject of Extraterrestrial Life to the University of Illinois at Chicago Biology Colloquium. ]]Players soon realized intuitively that both these changes in the game reduced their probabilities of winning. In games with a multiple deck, compared to single-deck or double-deck games, players experience frequency, magnitude, and depth (the fraction of the deck which has been dealt in playing previous hands) effects: 1) The deck becomes favorable less frequently at all depths, 2) when the deck does becomes favorable, the magnitude of the advantage is not as great, 3) all decks are favorable infrequently until a significant portion of the deck has been dealt and this occurs at greater depths into the deck in games using multiple decks.

[[File: DrLeslieMGoldenBlackjackArticle.jpg|thumb|right|125px| The June, 2011, paper in The Mathematical Scientist, a peer-reviewed British scholarly journal, established Prof. Les Golden as a recognized expert in the probability and statistics as well as strategy of the casino game of blackjack. ]]Golden, based on a Monte Carlo simulation and theoretical arguments, calculated the magnitude of these effects. The results of his analysis are displayed as [[Golden Diagram|Golden diagrams]]. <ref name="lexica"/><ref>Golden, Les (2010). “Countering the Casino Countering of Counters: The Golden Diagram to the Rescue,” ''Bluff Europe'', June, p. 84-85</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2011). “Trust Me: An Undetectable Winning System For Blackjack! ,” ''Bluff Europe'', March, p. 94-95</ref> He also suggested a stepwise betting strategy to reduce the effects.<ref>Golden, Leslie M. (2011). “An Analysis of the Disadvantage to Players of Multiple Decks in the Game of 21.” ''The Mathematical Scientist'', '''32''', 2, p. 57-69</ref><ref>http://www.appliedprobability.org/content.aspx?Group=tms&Page=tmsabstracts</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2011). “Stepping Out With My Baby: The Stepwise Betting Strategy,” ''Bluff Europe'', April, p. 92-93</ref>

His paper on the subject<ref>digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/gaming_institute/2016/June9/10/</ref> was accepted for presentation at the 2016 triennial Gambling and Risk Taking Conference at the Mirage Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas.<ref>https://www.unlv.edu/sites/default/files/page_files/27/IGI-DraftConferenceSchedule.pdf</ref>

===Magic Circle strategy===
[[File: DrLeslieMGoldenBook.jpg|thumb|right|200px| The bookseller flyer for Laboratory Experiments in Physics for Modern Astronomy.]]The game of roulette, being a game of Simple random sample|statistics without replacement, is not amenable to systems such as card counting, which rely on the non-randomness of the particular game. If, however, the roulette wheel is not perfectly level, laboratory studies, most notably at the British National Weights and Measures Laboratory, and theoretical studies have shown that a skillful croupier can by virtue of muscle memory release the roulette ball with a speed and at a location on the table to bias the bin in which it comes to rest.<ref>Dixon, P. (2005). “Roulette Wheel Testing,” ''Report on Stage 3.1 of NWML/GBGB Project Proposal''</ref><ref>http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2007/ph210/hall1/</ref>

The Magic Circle strategy takes advantage of this potential bias and the non-random location of the various bets on the roulette wheel.<ref>Golden, Les (2009). “Vodka Can Make You Tilt: How You Can Win At Roulette,” ''Bluff Europe'', November, p. 90-92</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2009). “With The Tips In This Article You’ll Become Wealthy Beyond Your Wildest Dreams!,” ''Bluff Europe'', December, p. 90-92</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2010). “Beginners in the Casino: Camouflaging Team Roulette,” ''Bluff Europe'', January, p. 90-91.</ref> Golden showed that, after influencing the croupier to direct the ball into certain sectors of the roulette wheel, a team of players can lay bets in strategic locations on the wheel to secure profitable play.

His paper on the subject<ref>digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/gaming_institute/2016/June9/11/</ref> was accepted for presentation at the 2016 triennial Gambling and Risk Taking Conference at the Mirage Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas.<ref>https://www.unlv.edu/sites/default/files/page_files/27/IGI-DraftConferenceSchedule.pdf</ref>

==Political Activity==

===National Animal Welfare Activity===
===Onion the dog===
Les Golden began the internationally-noted movement to save [[Onion the dog]] of Henderson, Nevada, from euthanasia. The dog was saved after Golden's attorney fought for his life at the Nevada Supreme Court. Animal welfare and animal control laws are being rewritten as a result.<ref>https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/07/les-golden-oak-park-dog-a_n_1497423.html</ref>[[File:WGNInterview.JPG|thumb|350px| Les Golden being interviewed in front of his Oak Park, Illinois, home on nationwide television feed from WGN-TV in Chicago in May, 2012. Golden began the campaign to save Onion the dog from euthanasia after a tragic family event in Henderson, Nevada. The eventually successful campaign to save Onion’s life, using pro bono attorneys with legal fees paid by Golden and his animal welfare group, reached the Nevada Supreme Court, took nearly two years, and gained international attention.]]

===Local===
====CARE Party====
[[File:EricZornLes.JPG|125px|thumb|Featured column on Les Golden in Chicago Tribune.]]
Golden began his political career with the non-partisan [[CARE Party of Oak Park|CARE Party]]. (Citizens Active for Respect for the Environment/Citizens Active for a Responsible Electorate) in Oak Park, [[Illinois]]. He later formed the [[TURF Party]] (Taxpayers United of River Forest) in the adjacent community. He was the president of UTOP (United Taxpayers of Oak Park) from 1991 through 2005.<ref>http://www.oakparkjournal.com/Stories2002/2003-national-taxpayers-protest-op-sept-25.html</ref> As CARE party president he has been responsible for slating more than 70 candidates for local political office, achieving the election of eight on tax-accountability and environmental issues.<ref>see, for example, (1989) CARE joins school board fray, Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest , July 31, page 1; (1989) CARE tries to seek new identity, Oak Leaves, October 11, page 7; (1990) CARE endorsements have defeat the "incumbent" goal, Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest , October 31, page 21; (1991) CARE challenges shake up village races, Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest, February 6, page 1;
(1991) CARE: a party in search of an image, Oak Leaves, August 14, page 8; Thomas, Sherry (1995) “Is Runningbear really ‘Cut the Taxes’?”, ''Oak Leaves'' (Oak Park, Illinois), August 23, p. 13; Linden, Eric (1995) “New OPRF ‘slate’ reads like a hoax,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 9, p. 7</ref> He has sponsored and moderated numerous taxpayer information forums.<ref>see, for example,(2006) “Oak Park tax gripes to be discussed”, September 26, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-09-26/news/0609260292_1_property-tax-property-owners-steep-hike; (1987) 200 turn out at CARE tax forum, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', October 7; CARE tax forum adds speakers, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', September 9, 9; http://www.oakparkjournal.com/Stories2002/2003-national-taxpayers-protest-op-sept-25.html</ref> His advocacy of tax-relief has led him to seek local elected office as “Cut the Taxes.”<ref>(2003) Golden, Les “Cut the Taxes” Golden, How to turn the Barrie negative into a positive,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', February 26</ref>

====Animal Welfare and Environmentalism====
A major influence on animal welfare and environmental protection efforts locally and in the State of Illinois, Golden has been a leader in water and materials conservation, recycling, tree protection, wildlife protection, pesticide bans, efforts to retard global warming, and numerous other initiatives, as well as childhood education in these efforts. He has achieved numerous reforms in this regard as president of the [[CARE Party of Oak Park|CARE Party]]. [[File: LesGoldenOakParkPesticideBan.jpg|thumb|left|175px|In 1991, Les Golden, as president of Citizens Active for Respect for the Environment, achieved a ban on pesticides in the parks and recreation centers of Oak Park, Illinois.]]

In 2012, Golden learned of the plan by the village of Oak Park to destroy all the pigeons who found shelter among the steel support beams under the train trestle at Marion Street. Some residents complained about the unsightly droppings. Golden discovered that a gel substance placed on the surfaces adjacent to roosting areas was unappealing to all birds who would walk through it, in particular pigeons, starlings, and sparrows. The village trustees opted for that solution, although destruction of the birds had been imminent, and the birds were saved.<ref>(2012) Golden, Les, “An alternative pigeon solution for Oak Park,” Wednesday Journal, June 5</ref>

At the last hour, in 2013, the Oak Park Park District announced that the expansive Ridgeland Common park area in the center of the village was going to be converted into an artificial turf soccer field. This required the bulldozing of the popular sledding hill, an attraction since 1965, the destruction of dozens of mature trees and bushes, and the termination of the modest dog park and the chip/mulch pile for use by residents. The sledding hill had been a popular year-round attraction for a multitude of exercise, picnicking, fireworks viewing, and nature-oriented activities, and the residence of mature shade-providing hackelberry trees. This occurred despite a sham public planning process that had been in place for several years <ref>http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/8-7-2012/Park-District-of-Oak-Park-tells-
architects-to-move-forward-with-Ridgeland-Common-plans/</ref> and which had focused on the renovation of the ice rink/swimming pool complex. In February, 2013, Golden, posing as “Richard Kullman” in order to gain access to the inner sanctum of the local park district while ensuring that the story being about the park and not himself, created what became known as the “Kullman Kaper” and began a media frenzy. He organized and held a rally, generated numerous letters to the local press and emergency government meetings, and stimulated the creation of an online petition.<ref>Manchir, Michelle (2013), “Oak Park residents oppose plan to remove sled hill and dog run”, Chicago Tribune, March 6, p. 5</ref> <ref>Manchir, Michelle (2013), “Plans to close dog park angers some pet owners,” Chicago Tribune, March 12, p. 7</ref> The feckless “Green Committee” had one such emergency meeting, to which it invited an artificial turf contractor make a predictable presentation. The new executive director caved in to the desires of the paid soccer officials sitting on the park board and the destruction of the park began in April.

Golden has long lobbied against the environmental disaster of campaign lawn signs.<ref>http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/4-3-2012/Ways-for-Oak-Park-residents-to-recycle-those-campaign-signs/</ref>

====Lobbying for Intergovernmental Cooperation====

Despite the self-serving claims by local elected officials of trying to work together,<ref>http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/12-10-2013/Intergovernmental-cooperation-is-a-reality-with-IGOV/</ref> intergovernmental cooperation to save the environment and to save taxpayer dollars has been an abysmal failure in Golden’s hometown of [[Oak Park]], Illinois. Golden has suggested numerous means of attaining such, with limited success against the entrenched bureaucracies rampant in [[Oak Park]].

For several decades, Golden has been trying to convince the local Oak Park governments to save costs and display environmentalism by using wood chips from the stumps of trees that were cut down as mulch for the parks. Despite one victory<ref>http://www.oakparkjournal.com/stories2004/2005-les-golden-mulch-nov.html</ref>, the park district continues to pay thousands of dollars annually for mulch that is free for the taking. Indeed, officials in nearby neighborhoods of Chicago routinely obtain the wood chips from Oak Park trees and tree stumps.

Dating back to the 1990’s, Golden has lobbied local officials, without any support from the local Green Party, Democratic Party, local political party, any government official, or any private resident, to bundle their newsletters to save paper and mailing costs. In all, about 30 newsletters are mailed to each home annually. These include quarterly self-congratulatory mailings from the township, monthly mailings from the village, quarterly mailings from the park district and two school districts, water quality reports from the village, periodic mailings from the Oak Park library, monthly senior citizen mailings from the township, and other mailings. In the late 1990’s, Golden’s solo effort began to have results, when the library began to bundle its mailing with the village monthly newsletter. In the 2010’s, the two school district started to bundle their mailings with that of the village and library. The township and park district continue to flaunt such efforts at cost savings and environmentalism.

Golden continually exhorts the park district to find alternate means of distributing its near-100 page activities brochure to 20,000 households quarterly at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars in postage. In fact, 90% of households simply discard the hefty brochure, an environmental disaster. Golden has suggested intergovernmental cooperation as a means to resolve both problems. Simply by distributing the brochure at each of the nine public schools, the three firehouses, the three libraries, the dozen parks, and the nearly dozen administration buildings of the local governments, no resident would be more than one or two blocks from a brochure drop-off location. Those residents who actually have enrolled in an activity in the previous two years would continue to receive the brochure. The brochure would, in addition, be available online.

Despite the logic of this suggestion, the park district continues to waste trees and taxpayer dollars. The self-congratulatory propaganda published in the brochure leads the park district to ensure that every household received the document.

In 2013, the authoritative peer-reviewed journal The Mathematical Scientist published Prof. Golden’s analysis of the role of intergovernmental cooperation in optimizing the use of limited resources such as tax revenues in governing.<ref>Golden, Leslie M. (2013), “The Optimal Allocation of Resources
Among Competing Units of Government”
''The Mathematical Scientist'', 38, 2, December</ref> Golden sent the paper to every elected official in Oak Park as well as the executive directors of every board in Oak Park, as well as the editors of the Chicago and Oak Park newspapers.

====Tax Relief, Commercial Development, and Candidate Sponsor====
Golden’s interest in tax relief has led to a leadership role in large-scale commercial development as principal of Holley Court Partners.<ref>http://www.oak-park.us/public/pdfs/Planning/Harlem_South/2006%20RFP%20Responses/09.26.06_Holley%20Court%20Partners.pdf</ref>

[[File: LesGoldenParksCandidacy.jpg|175px|thumb|left| As a candidate for the Oak Park Park District, Les “Cut the Taxes” Golden suggested an imaginative use for a local park among tax-saving measures.]]His notoriety as a sponsor of political candidates led to his namesake, "Moe Silver," Chairman of the "LOVE Party," being a lead character in the locally-drawn "Shrubtown" comic strip and theatrical play by the same name by artist and writer Marc Stopeck.<ref>see, for example, Stopeck, Marc (1991), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', July 24, p. 17; Stopeck, Marc (1991), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 14, p. 22; Stopeck, Marc (1991), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 21, p. 23; Stopeck, Marc (1991), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 28, p. 21; Stopeck, Marc (1992), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 12, p. 24; Stopeck, Marc (1993), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 11, p. 22</ref>

===Statewide and National===
====Nickname and Ballot Access====
[[File: LesGoldenTreeRally.JPG|150px|thumb|right|In 2007, Leslie M. Golden discovered the plan by the Oak Park Park District to destroy all the old growth trees in a local park. Within 48 hours, on the July 4th weekend, he organized a committee to hold a Sunday rally, wrote a flyer, had the flyer distributed throughout the community, obtained speakers, and notified the press. Over 200 people attended on the hottest day of the year.]]His political candidacies for U.S. Congress<ref>(1996) Kass, John, “Nothing dull about 7th race – U.S. House contest full of controversy,” ''Chicago Tribune'', March 8, Section 2, p. 1</ref> and State Representative<ref>(1992) Zorn, Eric, “But Yakov seems so, so . . . judicial,” ''Chicago Tribune'', March 10, Section 2, p. 1</ref><ref>(1996) Montgomery, Susan, “GOP slates Golden to run for state rep,” ''Oak Leaves'', July 3, p. 10</ref><ref>http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=16936&WhenStart=2011-08-06+12%3A51%3A32</ref><ref> (1996) “Cut taxing districts,” ''Berwyn Life'' October 9, p. 22 </ref> using the nickname "Cut the Taxes" have led to court actions,<ref>http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/773242/posts</ref><ref>(2002), Mission: Fool voters (editorial), ''Chicago Tribune'', January 18, p. 18 </ref><ref> http://anti-state.com/forum/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=1446</ref><ref>http://ddd-hph.dlconsulting.com/cgi-bin/newshph?a=d&d=HPH19980107.2.3&cl=&srpos=0&st=1&e=00-00-0000-99-99-9999--20--1----Sen.+Obama-all</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-09-18/news/0209180186_1_ballots-fractional-jagielski </ref><ref> http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/10-30-2002/Golden_wins_Cut-The-Taxes_suit,_sues_again_</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-10-16/news/0210160202_1_blagojevich-spokesman-doug-scofield-illinois-state-board </ref><ref>Zorn, Eric. (1995) This candidate is a Cut the Taxes above the rest, ''Chicago Tribune'' (Metrowest), October 3, p. 1; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-10-03/news/9510030038_1_wallace-gator-bradley-candidates-taxes </ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-10-23/news/0210230072_1_golden-ballot-orr </ref><ref>http://www.actuarialoutpost.com/actuarial_discussion_forum/showthread.php?p=136091</ref><ref>www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-1110F700ED5B9A50.html</ref><ref>http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2009/09/should-we-use-cheryle-robinson-jackson-or-stick-with-cheryle-jackson-.html</ref><ref> (1996) Hevrkejs, Judy and Conklin, Mike, “Cutting Les,” ''Chicago Tribune'', March 12, p. 2</ref><ref> (1996) “ ‘Cut the Taxes’ cut from GOP ballot,” ''West Suburban Post'', March 8, p. 5</ref><ref>http://forums.gunbroker.com/pop_printer_friendly.asp?TOPIC_ID=34426</ref> a re-writing of Illinois election law concerning allowable names on the ballot<ref>http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=001000050HArt%2E+16&ActID=170&ChapterID=3&SeqStart=56200000&SeqEnd=57400000; see 10 ILCS 5/16-3 (e); </ref><ref>10 ILCS 5/16-3 (e)</ref><ref>(2002) McLaughlin, Amy, “Candidates’ Stances Offer Clear Choices for Voters.” Chicago Daily Herald, November 1, page 4</ref><ref>(2002) Sneed, Michael, “Election Board Objects to Nixed Nicknames.” Chicago Sun-Times, October 13, page 6;
http://article.wn.com/view/2002/10/13/Election_Board_objects_to_nixed_nicknames/</ref><ref>(2002) “State’s Attorney Suing to Keep Slogans Off Ballot,” Chicago Sun-Times, October 16, page 80; http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1461211.html, "State's attorney suing to keep slogans off ballot”</ref><ref>http://www.upi.com/Suit-filed-to-keep-sloganeering-off-ballot/95431034782244/
</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-06-03/news/0306030127_1_orr-slogans-78th-district; (2003) Groark, Virginia, “Legislature cuts the slogans from names on ballot,” Chicago Tribune, June 3</ref><ref> Trainor, Ken (1997), “Who is Les Golden?”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 2, p. 29-37 </ref> propagated throughout the state of Illinois in election guides for candidates,<ref>www.champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/docs/2012/2012CanGuide.pdf</ref><ref>www.elections.il.gov/downloads/electioninformationcourth/pdf/2011canguide.pdf </ref> lengthy discussions in the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) handbook on election law<ref> www.iicle.com </ref> which is on display in courthouses in the state of Illinois, scholarly studies on election law and ballot access, <ref>http://www.umsl.edu/~kimballd/illinois.pdf</ref> and rewriting of election law in other states. <ref>law.onecle.com/texas/election/52.031.00.html</ref> In addition, in another part of the revised election law, the Golden Rule, for the first time in Illinois history, allows any election official whatsoever, state as well as local, to extend their previous ministerial powers beyond mere printing of the ballot to actually removing slogans from ballot names.<ref>10 ILCS 5/16-3 (f)</ref> These cases in election law and the revised Illinois election law statutes have been cited repeatedly in jurisdictions throughout the country.

====Taxation, Constitutional Convention, and Drug Legalization====
[[File: LesGoldenCutTaxingDistricts.jpg|thumb|left|175px| As the GOP candidate for the office of State Representative from the 8th Illinois district, Golden suggested means for funding education.]]In 2008, he was the statewide spokesman and one of three state-wide coordinators for the group seeking to convene an Illinois Constitutional Convention.<ref>(2008) Sweeney, Chuck, Constitutional convention? Here's a pro-con, Rockford Register Star, June 18; http://www.rrstar.com/opinions/x1713643550/Constitutional-convention-Heres-a-pro-con; https://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/x415942049/Chuck-Sweeny-Pros-and-cons-of-Constitutional-convention; https://www.norwichbulletin.com/x415942049/Chuck-Sweeny-Pros-and-cons-of-Constitutional-convention</ref><ref>(2008) Wilson, Doug, Business group says constitutional convention would be too costly, risky, Quincy Herald-Whig, July 15</ref><ref>www.chicagogop.com/home/blogger/drlesmgolden/</ref><ref>http://www.chicagogop.com/component/comprofiler/userprofile/drlesmgolden</ref> He wrote the field guide for campaign workers which was used in other states also seeking to convene constitutional conventions. He has consistently fought legislation removing property tax caps in Illinois.<ref> (1995) Schory, Brenda, “Loud protest trails quiet passage of tax cap bill,” Kane County Chronicle, July 7, p. 1</ref> He was selected to be a charter member of the board of the Illinois Taxpayer Education Foundation (ITEF) in 1994.

He has repeatedly written about the abuse of “life safety legislation” by the Illinois General Assembly.<ref>(2008) Golden, Les, “Schools' safety bonds are abused,” Chicago Sun-Times, December 2; http://www.taxpayereducation.org/2008/12/schools-safety-bonds-are-abused/</ref><ref>http://www.geocities.ws/les_golden/fiscalpolicy/index.html</ref>
<ref>Golden, Leslie and Tobin, James, Illinois Taxpayer Education Foundation, Report 37, 2001.</ref>
<ref>Wertheimer, Joanna and Golden, L.M., (1997) "Schools Play End Around Taxpayers," Grayslake Advisor, January 15, p. 14-18.</ref>

He has been recognized by the Media Awareness Project<ref>http://www.mapinc.org/</ref> as a key spokesman in the national movement to legalize drugs to combat an epidemic of crime and to generate government revenues.<ref>http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n523/a06.html</ref><ref>(2013) Legalize drugs, Chicago Tribune, October 28, p. 19; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-10-28/opinion/ct-vp-1028-voice-letters-20131028_1_drug-business-drug-trafficking-drug-crimes</ref>

===Recognition and Honors===
He is President of Citizens Active for Respect for the Environment/Citizens Active for a Responsible Electorate (CARE) in Oak Park, Suburban Coordinator of the Alliance of (Cook) County Taxpayers (ACT), and heads the National Taxpayers United of Oak Park.

Golden received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Taxpayers United of Illinois umbrella group in 1991 for his taxpayer advocacy efforts.

In 2013, the authoritative peer-reviewed journal The Mathematical Scientist published Prof. Golden’s analysis of the role of intergovernmental cooperation in optimizing the use of limited resources such as tax revenues in governing.<ref>Golden, Leslie M. (2013), “The Optimal Allocation of Resources
Among Competing Units of Government”
''The Mathematical Scientist'', 38, 2, December</ref>

==Quotes==
"The only famous (card) counters are the ex-counters."
“Human beings are the only species that derive joy from the misfortunes of others. The greater the misfortune, the greater the joy.”
“If you set mediocre goals, the most you will ever achieve is mediocrity.”
“We don’t own the Earth; we simply share it.”

==Published Books==
*''Basic Composer: An Analysis of Music Notation Software'', Music Education Incentives Publishers (1988)
*''Astronomy 101'', UIC Press (1994)
*''A Field Guide for Political Activists: How to Generate Support and Turn Out Your Voters'', Lee Brooke (2008)
*''Laboratory Experiments in Physics for Modern Astronomy: With Comprehensive Development of the Physical Principles'', Springer Science+Business (2012)<ref> http://www.springer.com/astronomy/astronomy,+observations+and+techniques/book/978-1-4614-3310-1</ref>
*''Never Split Tens'', Springer International Publishers/Copernicus (2017 release)
*''The Body Shapes of Extraterrestrials and Other Essays in Astronomy to Zoology'', World Scientific Publishing Company (2017 release)

==Discography==
*''Deuces Wild'', The Deuces

==Selected Theatrical, Film, Radio, Television, and Commercial Credits==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Title
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Director
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Role
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Co-stars
|-
|Kronenbourgh Beer
|Josef Sedelmaier
|Murray
|Bruce Jarchow
|-
|Tony’s Pizza
|Josef Sedelmaier
|Vito
|
|-
|Chicago Tribune
|Jim Wotring
|Jo-jo
|Marji Bank, Ernest Perry
|-
|K-Mart
|Jim Wotring
|Lester
|Tim Gamble
|-
|Eagle Foods
|Gerald Hagner
|Les
|Ken Anderson (athlete)
|-
|Motorola Cellular
|Ed Italo
|Miller
|Lee Trevino (athlete)
|-
|Buick
|Jim Parish
|Cal
|Don Majowski (athlete)
|-
|True Value Hardware
|Jim Lynch
|Professor Astroray
|(one-person show)
|-
|Cognex
|Stewart Talent
|Timothy McCoy
|Paula Scrofano
|-
|Illinois State Lottery
|Jeff Jones
|Big Brother
|
|-
|Heinz Ketchup
|Bob Shallcross
|Les Golden (stand-up comedian as himself)
|
|-
|Bubble Up
|Stan Cottle
|Murray
|Charlotte Ross
|-
|The Len Petrulis Show
|Len Petrulis
|Phillipe Maurice, Parisian fashion designer
|Kajon Mueller
|-
|Freeman Shoes
|Loren Ostir
|Wally Tucker
|
|-
|Thrift Drugs
|Clay Covert
|Mr. Eisen
|(one-person show)
|-
|Madison Gas and Electric
|Bob Wendt
|Bob
|(one-person show)
|-
|Ohio Edison
|Ken Ancell
|Mr. Heater
|(one-person show)
|-
|American Family Insurance
|John Alexson
|Mark
|Rick Plastina
|-
|Outtakes
|Jack Sell
|Harvey Knox
|Broderick Crawford
|-
|The Nightmare Trial of Billy Barnes
|Gerald Rogers
|Edward Keppel
|
|-
|The Roommate
|Nell Cox
|Mr. Chipbeef
|Barry Miller, Lance Guest
|-
|Welcome Home, Bobby
|Herbert Wise
|Coach Lazare
|Adam Baldwin
|-
|How I Became A Holy Mother
|Arnold Aprill
|Master
|Patti Shaughnessy
|-
|Taming of the Shrew
|Dale Calandra
|Gremio
|Ned Mochel, Susan Hart, and others
|-
|YMCA
|Jerold Haislmaier
|Michael Marks
|
|-
|Ten Little Indians
|Faith Dukor-Chaplick
|Dr. Armstrong
|June Atkinson, Russ Cady
|-
|Stage Struck
|James Carter
|Herman
|Jim Mullen
|-
|The Odd Couple
|Faith Baime
|Vinnie
|
|-
|What the Wine Sellers Buy
|Wanda Getsug
|George
|Lucy Evans
|-
|The Little Sister
|Ray Andrecheck
|Toad
|B.F. Helman
|-
|Taming of the Shrew
|David Darlow
|Vincentio
|Robert Petkoff, David Darlow, Kristine Thatcher, Greg Vinkler, Michael Halberstam, and others
|-
|The Inspector General
|Knowles Cooke
|Bobchinsky
|Stephen Straight, Barbara Tucker
|-
|Eddie Hubbard Show Live from Arnie’s
|Eddie Hubbard
|Jeffrey Clayton Maxwell
|Robert Goulet, and others
|-
|Unshackled!
|Jack O’Dell
|Richard Goldstein (and others)
|Judith Easton, David Mink, and others
|-
|Deadly Spygames
|Jack Sell
|General Vladimir Korchenko
|Tippi Hedren, Troy Donahue
|-
|Lady Blue
|Gary Nelson
|Davey Carlton
|Danny Aiello, Jamie Rose, Ron Dean
|}

==Writing Awards==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Competition
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Sponsor
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Award
|-
|Eric Hoffer and Lili Fabilli Laconic Essay Prize
|Eric Hoffer
|First Place Winner
|-
|Cornell Engineer Feature Article Competition
|Cornell University College of Engineering
|First Place Winner
|-
|Engineering College Magazines Association Awards
|Engineering College Magazines Association
|Best Editorial, Second Place Winner
|-
|Engineering College Magazines Association Awards
|Engineering College Magazines Association
|Best Editorial, All Issues, Second Place Winner
|-
|Griffith Observatory Science Writing Competition
|Griffith Observatory
|Honorable Mention Winner
|-
|International Compuserve Magazine Essay Competition
|Compuserve Magazine
|First Place Winner
|-
|Nicolaus Copernicus International Essay Competition
|American Council of Polish Cultural Clubs
|First Place Winner, Senior Division
|-
|Tau Beta Pi Essay Competition
|Tau Beta Pi Association
|Honorable Mention Winner
|-
|}

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:1; column-count:1;">
<references />
</div>

==Technical Publications==

===Probability and Statistics in Astronomy===
1. Golden, Leslie M. (1971). “Evolution of Quasar Optical and Radio Luminosity,” ''Nature'', '''234''', 103.

2. Golden, Leslie M. (1974). “Isotropy of Radio Source Populations from Comparison of Number - Flux Density Curves,” ''Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society'', '''166''', 383.

3. Golden, Leslie M. (1974). “Observational Selection in the Identification of Quasars and Claims for Anisotropy,” ''Observatory'', '''94''', 122.

4. Golden, Leslie M. (1979). “The Effect of Surface Roughness on the Transmission of Microwave Radiation Through a Planetary Surface,” ''Icarus'', '''38''', 451.

===Technical Articles on Gambling===

1. Golden, Les; Thompson-Hill, Jeremy; and Theobold, Rick (2008). “Has Online Gaming Reached Saturation Point?,” '' iGaming Business'', March/April, p. 16-17.

2 Golden, Les; Turner, Noah; and von Bar, Jens (2009). “The Death of the RNG,” '' iGaming Business'', July/August, p. 56-59.

3. Golden, Leslie M. (2011). “An Analysis of the Disadvantage to Players of Multiple Decks in the Game of 21.” ''The Mathematical Scientist'', ''' 32''', 2, p. 57-69.

===Peer-Reviewed Articles on Intergovernmental Cooperation===

1. Golden, Leslie M. (2013), “The Optimal Allocation of Resources Among Competing Units of Government,” ''The Mathematical Scientist'', 38, 2, December

==External links==
*[http://www.geocities.ws/les_golden] Home Page
*[http://www.illinoisauthors.org/authors/Leslie_Morris_Golden] Illinois Authors Listing
*[http://www.worldcat.org/title/laboratory-exercises-in-physics-for-modern-astronomy/oclc/773666079] World Catalog Listing
*[http://www.betterworldbooks.com/les-golden-id-6136849941.aspx] Collected Writings
*[http://www.librarything.com/profile/Les_Golden] Library Thing Listing
* [http://www.authorsden.com/lesgolden] Authors Den Listing
* [http://people.theiapolis.com/actor-B9C1/les-golden/sites/les-golden-actor-1000547.html] Theiapolis listing as actor
* [http://lambiek.com/artists/g/golden_les.htm] Cartoonist listing at Comiclopedia
* [http://www.creativehotlist.com/Individuals/details/198826] CreativeHotList
*[https://www.evi.com/q/actors_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Actor
*[https://www.evi.com/q/comedians_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Comedian
*[https://www.evi.com/q/musicians_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Musician
*[https://www.evi.com/q/writers_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Writer
*[https://www.evi.com/q/activists_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Animal Welfare and Environmental Activist
*[https://www.evi.com/q/astronomers_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Astronomer
*[https://www.evi.com/q/playwrights_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Playwright
*[https://www.evi.com/q/scientists_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Scientist
*[https://www.evi.com/q/professors_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Academic

==Categories==
{{DEFAULTSORT:Golden,Les}}
[[Category:Academia]]
[[Category:Actors]]
[[Category:Theatre]]
[[Category:American academics]]
[[Category:American actor-politicians]]
[[Category:American environmentalists]]
[[Category:American essayists]]
[[Category:Comics characters]]
[[Category:Betting systems]]
[[Category:Research]]
[[Category:Film theorists]]
[[Category:American film actors]]
[[Category:American stand-up comedians]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:Gambling]]
[[Category:Gambling games]]
[[Category:Gambling terminology]]
[[Category:American comedians]]
[[Category:American musicians]]
[[Category:American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:American sports announcers]]
[[Category:College basketball announcers]]
[[Category:American writers]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Political slogans]]
[[Category:Probability theory]]
[[Category:Jewish actors]]
[[Category:Jewish comedians]]
[[Category:Jewish writers]]
[[Category:Jewish environmentalists]]
[[Category:Jewish writers]]
[[Category:Jewish animal welfare advocates]]
[[Category:Jewish academics]]
[[Category:Jewish cartoonists]]
[[Category:Jewish politicians]]
[[Category:Jewish musicians]]
[[Category:Jewish gambling writers]]
[[Category:Jewish playwrights]]
[[Category:Jewish bandleaders]]
[[Category:Jewish astronomers]]
[[Category:Notable residents of Oak Park Illinois]]
[[Category:Notable residents of Illinois]]
[[Category:Gambling writers]]
[[Category:Acting]]
[[Category:Activism]]
[[Category:American astronomers]]
[[Category:American columnists]]
[[Category:American computer programmers]]
[[Category:American entertainers]]
[[Category:American film actors]]
[[Category:American jazz trumpeters]]
[[Category:American people of Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Polish-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American political writers]]
[[Category:American scientists]]
[[Category:American screenwriters]]
[[Category:American stage actors]]
[[Category:American voice actors]]
[[Category:Animal Welfare]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Blackjack]]
[[Category:Celebrities]]
[[Category:Celebrity Interviews]]
[[Category:Jewish American writers]]
[[Category:Jewish scientists]]
[[Category:Illinois Republicans]]
[[Category:Illinois politicians]]
[[Category:Scientists from Illinois]]
[[Category:Cornell University alumni]]
[[Category:Astrophysicists]]
[[Category:University of California Berkeley alumni]]
[[Category:Film production companies of the United States]]

----------==

this is what RandomUser34 changed it to on 5/4/19

Leslie Morris "Les" Golden is an award-winning<ref>http://financialaid.berkeley.edu/prizes-and-honors-lili-fabilli-and-eric-hoffer-essay-prize</ref> writer<ref>(2013) Vollmer, Michael, Physics Education Journal, volume 48, number 4, pages 534-535</ref><ref>(2018) Olszewski, Peter, Never Split Tens!, https://www.maa.org/press/maa-reviews/never-split-tens</ref>, who as a gambling writer and mathematician was named a 2016 Scholar by the International Gaming Institute of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, animal welfare advocate<ref>https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/07/les-golden-oak-park-dog-a_n_1497423.html</ref><ref>(2012) Haynes, Brian, “Group hopes to save dog”, Las Vegas Review-Journal, May 5, page 1A</ref><ref>http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-chicago-man-leads-push-to-save-dog-that-killed-child-in-nevada-20120505,0,3026660.story?track=rss</ref><ref> http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/nevada-baby-mauled-death-pet-dog-birthday-celebration-article-1.1069796</ref><ref> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2545414/Dog-mauled-death-1-year-old-boy-life-spared-Nevada-judge-finds-new-home-nearly-two-years-fatal-attack.html</ref>, actor<ref> (1994), “A film career far (but not removed) from Tinseltown,”
Compuserve magazine, August, p. 55 </ref><ref>(1982) “Improvising Your Way to Success,” ''Spring'',1, 6, p. 34 </ref><ref> (1984) “The boss is never wrong,” ''Screen magazine'', October 1, p. 19</ref>, musician and band leader<ref>https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-110EB48B37554C68.html</ref>, software developer<ref>Nolan, Herb (1989), “An Astronomer Tackles the Music Software Marketplace,” ''Upbeat'', November, p. 45-46</ref><ref>Lynch, Dennis, (1990), “Unlock your creativity via computers,” Chicago Tribune, February 23, Section 3, p. 3, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-02-23/entertainment/9001160136_1_computers-apple-iigs-steve-jobs</ref>, political reformer<ref>(1995) Zorn, Eric, "This Candidate Is A `Cut The Taxes' Above The Rest," ''Chicago Tribune'', October 3; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-10-03/news/9510030038_1_wallace-gator-bradley-candidates-taxes; https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/167750348/</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-10-23/news/0210230072_1_golden-ballot-orr</ref><ref>(2008) Sweeney, Chuck, Constitutional convention? Here's a pro-con, Rockford Register Star, June 18; http://www.rrstar.com/opinions/x1713643550/Constitutional-convention-Heres-a-pro-con</ref>, and astronomer<ref>(1991) “CB as a Channel for Discovery,” ''Compuserve Magazine'', December, p. 18</ref><ref>(2005) Anderson, Holly, “Day shortened by quake, astronomer calculates,” http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-110D9F0B0030ACF0.html, January 5</ref><ref>http://blog.chicagoweathercenter.com/2004/12/27/aftermath_of_the_earthquake_sh/ </ref> living in Oak Park, Illinois.[[File:WGNInterview.JPG|thumb|350px| Les Golden being interviewed in front of his Oak Park, Illinois, home on nationwide television feed from WGN-TV in Chicago in May, 2012. Golden began the campaign to save Onion the dog from euthanasia after a tragic family event in Henderson, Nevada. The eventually successful campaign to save Onion’s life, using pro bono attorneys with legal fees paid by Golden and his animal welfare group, reached the Nevada Supreme Court, took nearly two years, and gained international attention.]]

See also [[Les Golden]].

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:1; column-count:1;">
<references />
</div>

-----------=

this is what I changed Lesle Morris Golden to
were dupes of lives in Oak Park and Reno; kept the opening paragraph after he edited

Leslie Morris "Les" Golden is an award-winning<ref>http://financialaid.berkeley.edu/prizes-and-honors-lili-fabilli-and-eric-hoffer-essay-prize</ref> writer<ref>(2013) Vollmer, Michael, Physics Education Journal, volume 48, number 4, pages 534-535</ref><ref>(2018) Olszewski, Peter, Never Split Tens!, https://www.maa.org/press/maa-reviews/never-split-tens</ref>, who as a gambling writer and mathematician was named a 2016 Scholar by the International Gaming Institute of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, animal welfare advocate<ref>https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/07/les-golden-oak-park-dog-a_n_1497423.html</ref><ref>(2012) Haynes, Brian, “Group hopes to save dog”, Las Vegas Review-Journal, May 5, page 1A</ref><ref>http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-chicago-man-leads-push-to-save-dog-that-killed-child-in-nevada-20120505,0,3026660.story?track=rss</ref><ref> http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/nevada-baby-mauled-death-pet-dog-birthday-celebration-article-1.1069796</ref><ref> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2545414/Dog-mauled-death-1-year-old-boy-life-spared-Nevada-judge-finds-new-home-nearly-two-years-fatal-attack.html</ref>, actor<ref> (1994), “A film career far (but not removed) from Tinseltown,”
Compuserve magazine, August, p. 55 </ref><ref>(1982) “Improvising Your Way to Success,” ''Spring'',1, 6, p. 34 </ref><ref> (1984) “The boss is never wrong,” ''Screen magazine'', October 1, p. 19</ref>, musician and band leader<ref>https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-110EB48B37554C68.html</ref>, software developer<ref>Nolan, Herb (1989), “An Astronomer Tackles the Music Software Marketplace,” ''Upbeat'', November, p. 45-46</ref><ref>Lynch, Dennis, (1990), “Unlock your creativity via computers,” Chicago Tribune, February 23, Section 3, p. 3, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-02-23/entertainment/9001160136_1_computers-apple-iigs-steve-jobs</ref>, political reformer<ref>(1995) Zorn, Eric, "This Candidate Is A `Cut The Taxes' Above The Rest," ''Chicago Tribune'', October 3; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-10-03/news/9510030038_1_wallace-gator-bradley-candidates-taxes; https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/167750348/</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-10-23/news/0210230072_1_golden-ballot-orr</ref><ref>(2008) Sweeney, Chuck, Constitutional convention? Here's a pro-con, Rockford Register Star, June 18; http://www.rrstar.com/opinions/x1713643550/Constitutional-convention-Heres-a-pro-con</ref>, and astronomer<ref>(1991) “CB as a Channel for Discovery,” ''Compuserve Magazine'', December, p. 18</ref><ref>(2005) Anderson, Holly, “Day shortened by quake, astronomer calculates,” http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-110D9F0B0030ACF0.html, January 5</ref><ref>http://blog.chicagoweathercenter.com/2004/12/27/aftermath_of_the_earthquake_sh/ </ref> living in Oak Park, Illinois.[[File:WGNInterview.JPG|thumb|350px| Les Golden being interviewed in front of his Oak Park, Illinois, home on nationwide television feed from WGN-TV in Chicago in May, 2012. Golden began the campaign to save Onion the dog from euthanasia after a tragic family event in Henderson, Nevada. The eventually successful campaign to save Onion’s life, using pro bono attorneys with legal fees paid by Golden and his animal welfare group, reached the Nevada Supreme Court, took nearly two years, and gained international attention.]]

{{Infobox
|name = Les Golden
|bodystyle =
|title = Les Golden
|titlestyle =

|image = [[Image:GambleJPG.jpg|190px|alt=Les Golden]]
|imagestyle =
|caption = Les Golden counting cards at the Kellogg Graduate School of Business (Northwestern University) Casino Night
|captionstyle =
|headerstyle = background:#ccf;
|labelstyle = background:#ddf;
|datastyle =

|header1 =
|data2 =
|header3 =
|data4 =
|header5 =
|label6 = Occupation
|data6 = Writer, astronomer, professor, musician, stand-up comedian, cartoonist
|label7 = Known for
|data7 = Developer of [[Golden Diagram]] <ref name="lexica">http://www.omnilexica.com/?q=Leslie%20M.%20Golden</ref> for blackjack and the Magic Circle Strategy for roulette
|header8 =
|label9 = Influences
|data9 = Nina Grace Smith, L. Knowles Cooke, [[Frank Drake]], W.J. "Jack" Welch, [[David W. Tucker]], Edward O. Thorp, [[Del Close]]
|label10 = Contact
|data10 = drlesgo@aol.com; lesgoldencardcounting@yahoo.com; literary agent - elagencywest@aol.com
|header11 =
|label12 = References
|data12 = http://www.geocities.ws/les_golden; http://www.oocities.org/goldenforstaterepresentative; cell 773-837-3146
}}

He is an astronomer as well as an internationally known gambling writer, actor, and political, environmental, and animal welfare activist. <ref> http://www.illinoisauthors.org/authors/Leslie_Morris_Golden</ref><ref>http://www.librarything.com/profile/Les_Golden</ref><ref> http://www.librarything.com/author/goldenlesliem</ref><ref>http://www.authorsden.com/lesgolden</ref> He has written for gambling.com, iGamingBusiness, gamblingonline, [[Bluff Magazine|Bluff Europe]], and Jackpots Review print magazines. He became aware of card counting systems and became a card counter at the popular casino game of [[blackjack]] while a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, by reading the 1966 revised edition of Beat the Dealer,<ref>Thorp, E. O. (1966) ''Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One'', Random House, New York</ref> the seminal work of mathematician Edward O. Thorp, who was aided in his computer simulations by programmers Julian Braun and Harvey Dubner.<ref>Thorp, E. O. (1966),''Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One'', Random House, New York, pp. 93-94</ref> As a graduate student in astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley, Golden made monthly trips to [[Reno]], [[Nevada]] and played blackjack using Thorp’s systems. He is the developer of the [[Golden Diagram]] <ref name="lexica"/> technique for countering casino countermeasures at blackjack and the Magic Circle system for winning at biased roulette wheels. Dr. Golden was named an [[International Gaming Institute Scholar]] (IGI) (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) for 2016. He currently resides in Oak Park, [[Illinois]], and [[Reno]], [[Nevada]].

==Background==
===Education and Research===
[[File: LesGoldenCollectedWritings.JPG|thumb|right|125px| The noted author and biographer Jordan Naoum has published collected writings of Golden in his 2011 book, Les Golden]] Leslie Morris Golden (''Eliezer Moshe ben Reuven Motl y Chanah Kaileh'', ''Lazar Masche'') was born in Chicago, an identical twin,<ref>His parents are Irving R. (b. 1907) and Anne K. Golden (b. 1909; maiden name, Eisenberg). Anne had twin brothers, Irving and Sam (b. 1905), and twin uncles on her mother’s side, Michel and Kivah Gerstein (b.1876), making the Golden twins the third successive generation of male twins on the maternal side. The birth of the Golden twins was one of a record number of twin births at Wesley Memorial Hospital, a part of Northwestern Hospital in Chicago, in early December.</ref><ref>(1943), “Twins Tend Record Twin Crop,” ''Chicago Herald-American'', December 4, p. II-3</ref><ref>Petlicki, Myrna (1997), “Golden memories,” ''Oak Leaves'' (Oak Park, Illinois), July 2, p. B3-6</ref> the son of Anne K. (née Eisenberg; March 7, 1909 – November 19, 1999), a legal stenographer and homemaker, and Irving R. Golden (March 15, 1907 – June 22, 2005), an attorney and co-owner with his father Max Goldstein, an immigrant finish carpenter from Belarus, Russia, of a store fixture and bar manufacturing firm,<ref>Kogan, Rick (2005), “Lawyer also designed, built bars,” ''Chicago Tribune'', July 24, p. IV-7</ref> and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, where he attended Horace Mann grammar school and Oak Park-River Forest High School.

[[File: LesGoldenSemesteratSea.jpg|thumb|left|175px| Professor Golden was the first University of Illinois professor chosen to be a professor on Semester at Sea. He taught courses on astronomer and the possibility of extraterrestrial life.]]He holds the B.A. (with Distinction) and Masters of Engineering Physics from Cornell University,<ref name="Cornell">http://www.cornell65.com/interest/golden.html</ref> where he was both a Cornell McMullen Scholar and a Fellow of the Interfoundation Committee of the American Institute for Economic Research (Great Barrington, Mass.). The Cornell website notes him as one of its distinguished alumni writers.<ref>www.collegegrid.com/grid/index.php/Cornell_University</ref> He received the M.A. and Ph.D in astronomy from the University of California, Berkeley,<ref> http://badgrads.berkeley.edu/doku.php?id=alumni:old</ref><ref>http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/2006ASPC..356...87F, page 90</ref> under Professor William J. “Jack” Welch,<ref>http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Faculty/Homepages/welch.html</ref> the Watson and Marilyn Alberts Chair emeritus in Extraterrestrial Intelligence. His dissertation was “A Microwave Interferometric Study of the Subsurface of the Planet Mercury.”<ref>http://books.google.com/books/about/A_Microwave_Interferometric_Study_of_the.html?id=vJK_HgAACAAJ</ref><ref>http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=Microwave%20Interferometric%20Study%20Subsurface%20Planet%20Mercury&index=books</ref><ref>(2012) Rivers, Eric, The Solar System, April 25; http://www.amazon.com/The-Solar-System-Eric-Rivers/dp/1475228791/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1338396178&sr=1-1</ref>

At Cornell, he was the award-winning feature editor and then editor-in-chief of the [[Cornell Engineer magazine|Cornell Engineer magazine]]<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=b6TAAAAYAAJ </ref><ref>https://books?id=zqUkAQAAMAAJ</ref> <ref>https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924058075700;view=1up;seq=11</ref> and a member of the Engineering Student Council. Some of his early research in astronomy appeared in a book by Stephen Hawking.<ref> (1979) Hawking, S. W. & Israel, W. General relativity: an Einstein centenary survey. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-22285-0. “A much cited centennial survey”;
books.google.com/books?isbn=0521222850 </ref> He performed research at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, as a National Research Council Resident Research Associate<ref>http://nrc58.nas.edu/aodir/gen_page.asp?mode=detail&sql=idnumber='760817'</ref> and the Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, California. He is the director of the [[Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project]] (N.E.A.R.),<ref>http://www.astronomy.com/sitecore/content/Magazine%20Issues/1994/April%201994.aspx , page 22</ref> which he founded as a University of Illinois at Chicago professor in 1994. He has been elected to both [[Phi Beta Kappa]] (arts and sciences) and [[Tau Beta Pi]] (engineering)<ref>https://www.tbp.org/memb/MemberLookup.cfm
</ref> as well as [[Pi Delta Epsilon]] (journalism). He is listed in [[Marquis Who's Who]] in Science and Technology and [[Marquis Who's Who]] in the World.

In addition to the many citations to his scholarly research in astronomy and the history of science, Golden’s writings and work has been cited in numerous books.<ref>see, for example, The Complete Guide to the Illinois Software Industry, Chicago Software Association;[[Cornell Engineer magazine|Cornell Engineer]],[[Cornell University College of Engineering]]; Mix Hypermedia, Mix Publications; The Griffith Observer, Griffith Observatory; http://books.google.com/books?id=99oqAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Leslie+M.+Golden%22&dq=%22Leslie+M.+Golden%22&hl=en</ref>

The noted author and biographer Jordan Naoum has published collected writings of Golden in his 2011 book, Les Golden (Duc Publishing, ISBN 978-6-1368-4994-2)<ref>www.renotransmission.com/installation.html</ref><ref>www.oakparkjournal.com/2012/2012-Book-announced-Golden-bio.html </ref><ref>www.topix.com/forum/games/blackjack/TM5R2SK854B8812DS</ref><ref>www.publishingheadlines.com/biography-of-les-golden-published-by-duc-publishing/</ref><ref>http://www.topix.com/city/oak-park-il/2013/08/oak-park-renaissance-man-les-golden-has-been-written-by-biographer?fromrss=1</ref> which is available worldwide.<ref>See, for example, www.barnesandnoble.com/w/les-golden-jordan-naoum/1104425304; http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Jordan-Naoum/dp/6136849941/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327941857&sr=1-1; http://www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndSearch/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=9786136849942; http://www.betterworldbooks.com/les-golden-id-6136849941.aspx </ref>

===Performing===
[[File: LesGoldenNotEasyBeingGreen.JPG|thumb|left|175px| One of the leading environmentalist spokesmen and activists in Illinois, Les Golden as President of the CARE party in Oak Park, Illinois, secured the election of a majority on the Park Board which on their first day in office banned pesticides in the parks and recreation centers.]]Golden is a nationally-referenced animal welfare advocate and environmental activist,<ref>http://www.elephantinformation.com/CEMENT%20FLOORING%20or%20HARD%20DIRT%20GROUND.htm </ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-11-24/news/0411240206_1_new-trees-oak-park-district-mulberry-trees</ref><ref>Dwyer, Bill (2007), “Tree Fury at Field,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', July 10, p. 1; http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/07-10-2007/Tree_fury_at_Field</ref><ref>Noel, Josh (2007), “Oak Park tree-removal plan heads for debate,” ''Chicago Tribune'', July 12, p. 7; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2007-07-19/news/0707181717_1_trees-park-renovation-plan</ref><ref>Golden, Leslie M. (2005), “Elephant deaths are a matter of physics,” ''Chicago Sun-Times'', January 28, p. 24</ref><ref>(2000) “Trailside needs a champion,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'' (editorial), November 1, p. 32</ref><ref>Vincent, Ed (2002), “The Lost Chukar,” http://www.suburbanjournals.com/Stories2002/Lost-Chukar-Returned-Home-2002.html, August 10</ref><ref>see, in addition, for example, Golden, Les (2002), “All it would take is a fence to keep critters alive,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', June 12, p. 41; Golden, Les (2000), “Les ‘Cut the Roadkill’ Golden says, Slow Down!”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 19, p. 25; Golden, Les (2000), “Hey, Sylvestri, save our furry and feathered friends,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', October 25, p. 34; Little, Rebecca and Trainor, Ken (2000) “Silvestri responds to Golden, Trailside,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', November 1, p. 2; Golden, Les “Let’s Save the Dogs” Golden (2002), “Ask politicians to make dog fighting a felony,” May 22, p. 32; (2008), “Inside Report: Les ‘Cut the coyotes a break’ Golden,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', January 23, p. 5; Linden, Eric (1991), “’Dandelion Dig’ idea blooming,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', May 29, p. 7; (2001) Golden, Les, “It’s not easy being green, but here are some ideas”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 11, p. 40</ref><ref>(2004) http://www.oakparkjournal.com/2007/2007-Field-Park-ralley-July-8th-2pm.html</ref><ref>“Oak Park Environmentalist Persuades School to Save Taxpayer Dollars, Intergovernmental Cooperation the Key to Recycling Dutch Elm Mulch,” www.oakparkjournal.com/stories2004/2005-les-golden-mulch-nov.html</ref><ref>http://oakpark.suntimes.com/people/voices/ltr_golden-OAK-08012013:article; (2013) Golden, Les, “Inoculation can save ash trees,” Oak Leaves, July 29.</ref> a professional trumpet player, jazz vocalist, and band leader,<ref>http://villageofoakpark.com/Stories2002/2003-Les-Golden-comments-July4th-music.html</ref><ref>https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-110EB48B37554C68.html</ref> and a professional actor with more than 100 stage, film, radio, television, and commercial credits,<ref> http://www.creativehotlist.com/Individuals/details/198826</ref><ref> (1994), “A film career far (but not removed) from Tinseltown,”
Compuserve magazine, August, p. 55 </ref><ref>(1982) “Improvising Your Way to Success,” ''Spring'',1, 6, p. 34 </ref><ref> (1984) “The boss is never wrong,” ''Screen magazine'', October 1, p. 19</ref><ref>www.imdb.com/title/tt0097170/</ref><ref>www.locatetv.com/person/les-golden/118760</ref><ref>http://www.reelz.com/person/146084/les-golden/movie-friends/</ref><ref>Petrulis, Len (1982), “Golden TV ‘Spoof’ on Reality,” ''Berwyn Life'', May 19, p. 14</ref> including multiple principle Shakespearean roles with [[Oak Park Festival Theatre]], an Equity-contract theatre.[[File:WhoisLesGolden.JPG|thumb|200px|Les Golden Renaissance Man feature article]] As a model, he has appeared on the covers of numerous magazines including ''Burpee Seeds'', ''Heathkit'', ''Amway Magazine'', and ''Money Magazine.''

In 1966 Golden provided the stimulus for the formation of the [[University of California Jazz Ensembles]] by placing an ad calling for student jazz musicians in the [[Daily Californian]]. With the arrival of Dr. [[David W. Tucker]] to the Cal campus in 1969, the organization became the most prominent musical organization on the Berkeley campus. Golden was a trumpet player, soloist, and vocalist with the elite Wednesday Night big band. For seven years he was the emcee for the program, appearing at dozens of performances annually at concerts and jazz festivals throughout California.<ref>http://ucjazz.berkeley.edu/ </ref>[[File:DailyCalArticlebyLesGoldenUCJazz1968.JPG‎|thumb|left|175px|Article by Les Golden in the Daily Californian announcing the first concert of the University of California Jazz Ensembles]]

Golden is an award-winning developer of sophisticated music notation software.<ref>Nolan, Herb (1989), “An Astronomer Tackles the Music Software Marketplace,” ''Upbeat'', November, p. 45-46</ref><ref>(1989), “100 Great Products for Under $100,” ''Electronic Musician'', December, '''5''', 12, p. 46</ref><ref>Mahin, Bruce P. (1989), “Choosing Music Notation Software,” ''The Instrumentalist'', '''43''', 11, p. 26-31</ref><ref>(1989), “Basic Composer,” ''Music Educators Journal'', April, p. 20</ref><ref>Kuzmich, John (1990), “Scoring With Computers,” ''Jazz Educators Journal'', '''23''', 3, p. 52</ref><ref>King, Patricia (1990),” “Basic Composer,” ''The Music and Computer Educator'', '''1''', 10, p. 26</ref><ref>(1991), “Basic Composer 4.3,” ''Compute'', '''13''', 2, p.90</ref><ref>Lynch, Dennis, (1990), “Unlock your creativity via computers,” Chicago Tribune, February 23, Section 3, p. 3, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-02-23/entertainment/9001160136_1_computers-apple-iigs-steve-jobs</ref>

He is a published jazz critic.<ref>Golden, Les (1994), “Ravinia places Chicago on map for jazz fans,” ''Northwest Leader'', August 3, p. 6</ref>

He has appeared numerous times as an actor<ref>http://people.theiapolis.com/actor-B9C1/les-golden/sites/les-golden-actor-1000547.html</ref> on the live-broadcast productions of "[[Unshackled]]!" He was a featured regular on the [[Eddie Hubbard]] Show radio program as the character Jeffrey Clayton Maxwell from Bhutan. He was one of the stable of gifted Chicago character actors cast in numerous national and regional television commercials by renowned director [[Josef Sedelmaier]] of “Where’s the Beef?” fame. He is a member of both the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). He was a charter member of Chicago's Porchlight Theatre Ensemble. He has appeared in featured roles with [[Broderick Crawford]], [[Tippi Hedren]], [[Troy Donahue]], [[Charlotte Ross]], Susan Hart, [[Robert Petkoff]], [[David Darlow]], [[Bruce Jarchow]], [[Paula Scrofano]], and others.[[File:LesGoldenKreyHotDogsActor.JPG|thumb|175px|Les Golden possesses a "great character face." Shown here as model for Krey Hot Dogs.]]

His [[Bacon number]] (the number of motion picture role links between a given actor and prolific actor [[Kevin Bacon]] - Les Golden, Deadly Spygames with [[Tippi Hedren]], who was in [[Jayne Mansfield|Jayne Mansfield’s]] Car with Kevin Bacon) is 2<ref>http://oracleofbacon.org/</ref> (closer value than 82% of all credited motion picture actors).

He has authored stage and screen plays, including “The Skull Caper,” based on the bequeathal of the skull of his mentor [[Del Close]] to the [[Goodman Theatre]] in [[Chicago]], a full-length murder mystery comedy, [[Murder by Mistletoe]], and a screenplay, [[Never Split Tens]], based on the life of the mathematician who developed the card counting system for the casino game of blackjack.<ref> http://www.creativehotlist.com/Individuals/details/198826</ref>

As "Flash Golden," he was the play-by-play announcer for the California Golden Bears basketball radio broadcasts and hosted Flash's Jazz Patio on [[KALX]]-FM. As a stand-up comedian, he has performed at San Francisco's Holy City Zoo and Mustard Seed, the Comedy Store and other clubs in Los Angeles, the Comedy Cottage in Chicago, as well as on the college circuit, Playboy Club, and other clubs from Puerta Vallarta to Boston. He appears both as himself, [[Les Golden]], and as [[Subrahmanyan Berkowitz]] from Bhutan. He is a published editorial cartoonist.[[File:FlashGoldenatOaklandColiseum.JPG|thumb|250px|Flash Golden at halftime at Oakland Coliseum for Cal-UCLA showdown. He wears his signature gold jacket and blue and gold tie. To his right is color man George Skofis. To his left, standing, is Larry Heavey, baritone sax player with the UC Jazz Ensembles.]]

As an editorial and comic cartoonist, Les Golden has been widely published. He is listed in [[Comiclopedia]]<ref>http://lambiek.com/artists/g/golden_les.htm</ref>. His subjects are taken from his interest in politics and other careers as a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, musician, environmentalist, animal welfare advocate, astronomer, and professor. He may be best known for his strip "Captain Industry" from the 1980's. His content ranges from politically controversial to school-boy silliness, with a clean line-art artistic style. His textbook, Laboratory Exercises in Physics for Modern Astronomy (Springer-Verlag, 2012), includes numerous of his comic illustrations, including those of possible extraterrestrials. He credits Betty Edwards, author of Drawing On the Right Side of the Brain, as his major artistic influence. [[File:LesGoldenCartoona.JPG|thumb|left|225px|As a cartoonist, Les Golden is widely published. Among other venues, he contributes cartoons to various gambling magazines. Copyright 2012 Les Golden. All rights reserved.]]

===Organized Athletics===
In athletics he was a two-sport letterman at Oak Park and River Forest High School and was the manager and third baseman of the "Goldenrods" at Cornell and manager and third baseman of the "Foul Balls" in the fast-pitch summer league at U.C. Berkeley. At JPL, he was the third baseman on the champion JPL fast-pitch team in the Glendale City League.

===Astronomy Publications and Presentations===
[[File: LesGoldenNEAR.JPG|thumb|right|150px| Les Golden, astronomer, founded the [[Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project]] while a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.]]Golden has published several peer-reviewed refereed articles on applications of probability and statistics to astronomy,<ref>Golden, Leslie M. (1971). “Evolution of Quasar Optical and Radio Luminosity,” ''Nature'', '''234''', 103; http://www.nature.com/nature-physci/journal/v234/n49/abs/physci234103a0.html</ref><ref>Golden, Leslie M. (1974). “Isotropy of Radio Source Populations from Comparison of Number - Flux Density Curves,” ''Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society'', '''166''', 383; http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1974MNRAS.166..383G </ref><ref>Golden, Leslie M. (1974). “Observational Selection in the Identification of Quasars and Claims for Anisotropy,” ''Observatory'', '''94''', 122; http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1974Obs....94..122G </ref><ref>Golden, Leslie M. (1979). “The Effect of Surface Roughness on the Transmission of Microwave Radiation Through a Planetary Surface,” ''Icarus'', '''38''', 451; http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0019103579901994 </ref> and has taught probability and statistics as an Adjunct Professor of Management Science in the Heller Graduate School of Business at Roosevelt University in Chicago in addition to being an astronomy professor in the physics department and the Honors College of the University of Illinois at Chicago.<ref> http://www.springer.com/astronomy/astronomy,+observations+and+techniques/book/978-1-4614-3310-1?detailsPage=authorsAndEditors</ref>

[[File:TsunamiLecture.JPG‎|thumb|left|250px| Professor Leslie M. Golden lectures in 2005 on how the East Indian Ocean [[tsunami]]-generating earthquake led to a shortening of the length of the day.]]He lectures to adult and student audiences on the possibility of extraterrestrial life and the hypothetical shapes of their bodies. A frequent cruise ship lecturer, he was selected by Royal Cruise Lines to be their shipboard lecturer on the high seas during the 1986 apparition of Halley's Comet, and was the first University of Illinois professor selected to be a professor on the Institute of Shipboard Education's (ISE) Semester at Sea program,<ref>(1997), “Physics sails the world,” ''UIC News'' (University of Illinois at Chicago), April 30, p. 2; http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/uicnews/articledetail.cgi?id=4005</ref> teaching courses on astronomy and the possibility of extraterrestrial life in the fall semester of 1996. [[File: PhysicsEducationReview.gif|thumb|left|150px|The review of Les Golden’s "Laboratory Experiments in Physics for Modern Astronomy" by Michael Vollmer, published in Physics Education Journal, July 2013, volume 48, number 4, pages 534-535.]]Among his popular writings on astronomy<ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-01-20/news/0401200115_1_communication-satellites-mars-initiative-astronomy</ref><ref>http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?30437-Benefits-Of-A-Mission-To-Mars</ref><ref> articles.chicagotribune.com/keyword/astronomy/recent/4</ref> and public presentations,<ref>(2005) Anderson, Holly, “Day shortened by quake, astronomer calculates,” http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-110D9F0B0030ACF0.html, January 5</ref><ref>http://blog.chicagoweathercenter.com/2004/12/27/aftermath_of_the_earthquake_sh/</ref><ref>(2013), Jobs in the sky, Chicago Tribune, February 16, p. 13; http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-vp-0216voicelettersbriefs-20130216,0,5802913.story</ref> he presented a series of lectures to the renowned Field Museum of Natural History on the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligent life, has been the featured speaker at the meeting of the Great Lakes Planetarium Association, and was the keynote speaker for Chicago's Adler Planetarium on the occasion of the dedication of their new wing.

His textbook, Laboratory Exercises in Physics for Modern Astronomy (Springer-Verlag, 2012)<ref>http://www.springer.com/astronomy/astronomy,+observations+and+techniques/book/978-1-4614-3310-1</ref> has been enthusiastically reviewed.<ref>http://www.amazon.com/Laboratory-Experiments-Physics-Modern-Astronomy/dp/146143310X</ref><ref>(2013) Vollmer, Michael, “Physics and astronomy meet in book of experiments,” Physics Education, v. 48, no. 4, p. 534-535; http://iopscience.iop.org/0031-9120/48/4/M03;jsessionid=6530B374440A8BBC9B63245D60D284DF.c1; http://iopscience.iop.org/0031-9120/48/4/M03/pdf/0031-9120_48_4_M03.pdf</ref>

==Renaissance Man Description==
Les Golden is a Renaissance Man, a true polymath. [[File: LesGoldenAlkaSeltzer.jpg |thumb|250px| Principal actor for Alka Seltzer national campaign. This photo appeared in every National Basketball Association program for every team during its season.]]He has been so described in numerous newspapers and magazine. "Let's say there was a local character who has a B.S. and M.S. in engineering physics from Cornell University; earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of California in Berkeley; is a professional actor; a former stand-up comedian in San Francisco and L.A. and an improv performer with Chicago's Second City, is a freelance jazz and theater critic and playwright; is president of his own software development company; gives lectures on UFOs and the possibility of extraterrestrial life; was listed in the Marquis "Who's Who in Science and Engineering;" and every July 4 either he or his twin brother lead the band that precedes the fireworks at the local high school. You'd accuse us of making him up, right? Wait, it gets better. Let's say all of that is not enough. Let's say this guy wants to make his mark in politics . . . only he insists on filing under a nickname which usually gets him tossed off the ballot . . . " <ref>(1997) Trainor, Ken, "Who is Les Golden?", ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 2, p. 29-37</ref>[[File: LesGoldenJazzOaklandMuseum.jpg |thumb|left|250px|Members of the University of California Jazz Ensembles in a publicity photo prior to a performance at the Oakland Museum. From top, Gary Maas, drummer, now an optometrist, Les Golden, trumpet, vocalist, and announcer, and Larry Heavey, baritone sax, now a radiologist.]]

"Where to start in introducing the complete one-off individual that is Les Golden? Actor, stand-up comedian, humorist UFO lecturer, singer, astronomer, cartoonist, playwright, trumpet player, voiceover artist, political activist . . . we could go on. You can probably tell that Les is a bit of a character. Luckily for readers, he's also a great blackjack player,"<ref>(2009) Lines, Chris, "A Word From the Editor," ''Gambling Online'', August, p. 8.</ref>

"It would be an unusual man who really went by the name 'Cut the Taxes,' but Golden, of Oak Park, is an unusual man. He is an actor and educational software developer with a Ph.D. in astronomy; he is a trumpet player, writer and physics professor who devotes much of his free time to taxpayers rights issues."<ref>(1995) Zorn, Eric, "This Candidate Is A `Cut The Taxes' Above The Rest," ''Chicago Tribune'', October 3; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-10-03/news/9510030038_1_wallace-gator-bradley-candidates-taxes. See also, (1994), "A film career far (but not removed) from Tinseltown," ''Compuserve magazine'', August, p. 55; Krapf, Paula (1995) "Silence not Golden: aspiring local politico a man of many names, Faces," ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', September 20, p. 4</ref>

“His interests form a list so long as to stagger the imagination. He is a stand-up comic who has performed all over the United States and Mexico, a professional actor in more than 100 plays, films and commercials; and he is the author of Basic Composer, PC-compatible software that is used to compose, play back, and print music and lyrics. (As an astronomer), in 1986 he went on a Halley’s Comet cruise, following the comet from Acapulco to Greece and transmitting reports to the Syndicated Writers’ Group.”<ref>(1991) “CB as a Channel for Discovery,” ''Compuserve Magazine'', December, p. 18</ref>

[[File:LesGoldenNameGame.jpg|thumb|right|175px| Les Golden is a true polymath, a Renaissance Man. His numerous activities have provided him with many names. Play the Les Golden Name Game! ]]Unlike many in society who were influenced and aided by family members in achieving success in given fields, Golden is entirely a self-made man. No one in either his maternal or paternal extended families have matriculated at an Ivy League college, earned a Ph.D, nor have had professional careers as an actor, stand-up comedian, playwright, political cartoonist, magazine editor, non-fiction writer, software developer, scientist, or professor. His identical twin brother and he are the only professional musicians in the extended families.<ref>Petlicki, Myrna (1997), “Golden memories,” ''Oak Leaves'' (Oak Park, Illinois), July 2, p. B3-6</ref><ref>http://villageofoakpark.com/Stories2002/2003-Les-Golden-comments-July4th-music.html</ref><ref>Lynch, Dennis, (1990), “Unlock your creativity via computers,” Chicago Tribune, February 23, Section 3, p. 3, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-02-23/entertainment/9001160136_1_computers-apple-iigs-steve-jobs</ref>

Les Golden has featured listings at the non-vanity websites Library Thing,<ref>http://www.librarything.com/profile/Les_Golden</ref> Illinois Authors, <ref>http://www.illinoisauthors.org/authors/Leslie_Morris_Golden</ref> Authors Den,<ref>http://www.authorsden.com/lesgolden</ref> Comiclopedia,<ref>http://lambiek.com/artists/g/golden_les.htm</ref> and Theiapolis.<ref>http://people.theiapolis.com/actor-B9C1/les-golden/sites/les-golden-actor-1000547.html</ref>

In addition to these, he is listed at a remarkable multiplicity of amazon.com websites marking notability: 
https://www.evi.com/q/actors_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/comedians_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/musicians_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/writers_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/activists_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/astronomers_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/playwrights_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/scientists_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/professors_from_oak_park,_illinois.

==Writings==
Les Golden has had books published by reputable publishers in fiction and non-fiction. His biographical novel based on the life of gambling theorist [[Edward O. Thorp]] received stellar endorsements.

“I found the story tremendously entertaining, with a pantheon of compelling characters such as gambler Ed Thorp and bookie Manny Kimmel taking us from the casinos of Nevada to those of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Les Golden’s novel is a triumph begging for adaptation to the screen.”

LANA WOOD
Television and film producer
Actress (“Diamonds Are Forever”)
Best-selling author, Natalie, a Memoir

“Les Golden has an ever-increasing influence and burgeoning popularity. A significant name in the industry, the ‘go to’ man for strategy and anecdotal literary dexterity. I cannot acclaim his star highly enough.”

JAMES MCKEOWN
Editor, iGaming Business Magazine
Editor, Gambling.com Magazine

“Les Golden is a comedy genius. It really is as simple as that. An expert in the field, he makes getting educated not only painless but actually funny.”

DAVE BLAND
Editor, Flush Magazine
British television pundit

“I learn more about strategy through Les’ writings than I do through many failed trips to Vegas. Always concise, easy-to-read, and intelligent.”

JON YOUNG
Editor WPT (World Poker Tour) Magazine

“Les Golden makes numbers hilarious. He's simply the funniest gaming strategy writer there is. His writing is ‘rakish’ and ‘bond-esque.’ ”

PHILIP CONNELLER
Editor, Bluff Europe Magazine

“The dialog crackles and the fictional elements brilliantly illuminate how cool Ed Thorp is. And there’s just the right amount of blackjack and math. I love it.”

AARON BROWN
Professional gambler, Wall Street risk manager
Author, The Poker Face of Wall Street

==Gambling Writings==
===Introduction to Card Counting===
[[File: LesGoldenUnitedAirlines.JPG|thumb|left|125px| International poster-boy for United Airlines. These brochures were available at every UAL ticket office and airport terminal in the world. An accompanying poster was on the wall in every UAL ticket office and airport terminal in the world as well as being printed in every major American newspaper (and perhaps foreign as well).]]In the months before the premier Wednesday Night Band of the [[University of California Jazz Ensembles]], under the direction of Dr. [[David W. Tucker]], went in 1972 to Reno, Nevada, to compete in its first [[Reno]] Jazz Festival,<ref>www.unr.edu/rjf/</ref> Golden, a trumpet player and vocalist with the band and its announcer, purchased Beat the Dealer at the legendary Moe’s Bookstore in Berkeley, California, and studied Thorp’s complete point count system. In the next five years at Berkeley, Golden made monthly trips to Reno, with additional trips to Lake Tahoe and Virginia City, Nevada. In 1977 he moved to Los Angeles to perform research at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a National Research Council Resident Research Associate post-doctoral fellow in astronomy,<ref>http://nrc58.nas.edu/aodir/gen_page.asp?mode=detail&sql=idnumber='760817'</ref> and his gambling excursions were to [[Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]]. He continued to perform stand-up comedy at various venues including The Comedy Store and The Improv.
[[File:CountonLesLogojpg.JPG‎|thumb|240px|Logo for Les Golden's popular "Count on Les" columns for gambling.com print magazine]]

===Writings===
He has written for ''Gambling.com'',<ref>http://www.professional-poker.com/news/2006/nov/764-gamblingcom-poker-content.htm.</ref><ref>http://www.gambling.com/Blackjack/tips-strategies/194/the-blackjack-breakdown</ref> ''Gambling Online'',<ref>www.gamblingonlinemagazine.com/casinos.php</ref> ''iGaming Business'',<ref> http://www.igamingbusiness.com/content/shannon-elizabeth-heats-gamblingcom-magazine</ref>, ''Bluff Europe''<ref>http://www.sbg-globalblackjack.com/p/blackjack-news-headlines-for-september-02-2011</ref><ref>en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluff_Magazine</ref><ref>www.bluffeurope.com/</ref>, and ''Jackpots Review'' magazines, and as a newspaper columnist as a casino advocate.<ref>Golden, Les (1992). “Pleasant Home: Here's a Worthwhile Gamble,” ''Oak Leaves'' (Oak Park, Illinois), July 31, p. 21</ref> His writing reflects his Renaissance man<ref name=''tinsel''>(1994), “A film career far (but not removed) from Tinseltown,” ''Compuserve magazine'',
August, p. 55</ref><ref>(1995) Krapf, Paula, “Silence not Golden: aspiring local politico a man of many names, Faces,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', September 20, p. 4</ref><ref>Trainor, Ken (1997), “Who is Les Golden?”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 2, p. 29-37</ref><ref>(1998) Silver, Moe (name adopted by writer Ken Trainor for purpose of article), “The Clone Ranger divides again”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 1, p. 52</ref><ref name="Shrewish">Trainor, Ken (2001) “Funny, he doesn’t look shrewish,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 1, p. 2</ref><ref name="Cornell"/><ref>http://www.trueknowledge.com/q/facts_about__les_golden_28</ref> multiple knowledge bases. With a technical background, many of his articles deal with probability issues in casino games, focusing on roulette, craps, and blackjack, and discussing such topics as the central limit theorem, the [[normal curve]], and Gambler's ruin, and often employing [[Monte Carlo]] simulations and references to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, an area to which he had been introduced at Cornell University by his mentor Frank Drake and which is one of his research and public lecture areas as an astronomer.<ref>(1983). “People Focuses on Fellow Who Makes ETs His Specialty,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', November 16</ref><ref>(1983), “Rosary prof makes stars come to life for ‘ET’ class,” ''Suburban Sun-Times'' (West), July 1, p. 14</ref><ref>(1984). ”Halley's Comet, Alien Life Highlight Astronomer's Talk,” ''Harlem-Irving Times'', March 2, p 3</ref> [[File:LesGoldenasDrArmstrong.jpg‎|thumb|150px|Les Golden had the part of Dr. Armstrong in Agatha Christie’s "Ten Little Indians." Golden is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists]]With his stand-up comedian background, his style has been described by one of his editors, “You can probably tell that Les is a bit of a character. Luckily for readers, he’s also a great blackjack player,”<ref>Lines, Chris (2009), “A Word From the Editor,” ''Gambling Online'', August, p. 8.</ref> and by Dave Bland, the editor of ''Flush Magazine'', "Les Golden is a comedy genius. I could write more but it really is as simple as that.”<ref>http://triblocal.com/oak-park-river-forest/community/stories/2010/06/cut-the-taxes-golden-is-now-cut-the-cards/</ref><ref>http://triblocal.com/members/dianenichols/mentions/</ref> A professional actor with a Kevin Bacon number of 3 who has studied with Ann Woodworth of [[Northwestern University]] and [[Del Close]] of Chicago’s [[The Second City]] improvisational nightclub, Golden periodically writes about applying acting techniques to camouflage both being a card counter and also being a member of roulette and blackjack teams.<ref>Golden, Les (2010), “So, Do You Feel Lucky, Punk. Well, Do ‘Ya? ,” ''Bluff Europe'', October, p. 88-89</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2010), “Yonder Lies the Castle of my Fodder,” ''Bluff Europe'', November, p. 90-91</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2010), “The Rain in Spain Falls Mainly on the Plain”: Camouflage by Status,” ''Bluff Europe'', December, p. 90-91</ref>

[[File: LesGoldenAsteroidDiscovery.jpg|thumb|left|175px|The beginnings of the [[Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project]] was the subject of an article in Compuserve Magazine, which also discussed his being a writer for the Syndicated Writers’ Group reporting as a Halley’s Comet lecturer on the high seas.]]Golden has won multiple awards for his writing,<ref> http://www.creativehotlist.com/Individuals/details/198826</ref> including the prestigious Eric Hoffer and Lili Fabilli Laconic Essay Prize,<ref>http://financialaid.berkeley.edu/prizes-and-honors-lili-fabilli-and-eric-hoffer-essay-prize</ref><ref> http://students.berkeley.edu/finaid/undergraduates/hofferprize.htm </ref>, the Griffith Observatory Science Writing Competition,<ref> (1974), Griffith Observer, number 6 </ref>, the International Compuserve Magazine Essay Contest,<ref>(1991) “CB as a Channel for Discovery,” ''Compuserve Magazine'', December, p. 18</ref> and the First Prize in the [[Nicolaus Copernicus]] International Essay Competition (American Council of Polish Cultural Clubs). Gambling.com's website refers to Golden as “gambling.com magazine’s resident blackjack genius.”<ref>http://www.gambling.com/blackjack/tips-strategies/194/the-blackjack-breakdown</ref> His research into the gambling game of 21 has been published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal.<ref> http://www.appliedprobability.org/content.aspx?Group=tms&Page=tmsabstracts36_1#eight </ref>

===Golden Diagram===
After the publication of Beat the Dealer, gambling casinos reacted to the advantage that a card counter gains over the house by adopting counter strategies. These included employing multiple decks rather than the single hand-held deck. Two-deck games and games employing four and six decks dealt from a so-called shoe became commonplace.

[[File: LesGoldenBiologyET.jpg|thumb|left|175px| Dr. Les Golden, a popular UIC professor of physics and director of the Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project, delivers a colloquium on the subject of Extraterrestrial Life to the University of Illinois at Chicago Biology Colloquium. ]]Players soon realized intuitively that both these changes in the game reduced their probabilities of winning. In games with a multiple deck, compared to single-deck or double-deck games, players experience frequency, magnitude, and depth (the fraction of the deck which has been dealt in playing previous hands) effects: 1) The deck becomes favorable less frequently at all depths, 2) when the deck does becomes favorable, the magnitude of the advantage is not as great, 3) all decks are favorable infrequently until a significant portion of the deck has been dealt and this occurs at greater depths into the deck in games using multiple decks.

[[File: DrLeslieMGoldenBlackjackArticle.jpg|thumb|right|125px| The June, 2011, paper in The Mathematical Scientist, a peer-reviewed British scholarly journal, established Prof. Les Golden as a recognized expert in the probability and statistics as well as strategy of the casino game of blackjack. ]]Golden, based on a Monte Carlo simulation and theoretical arguments, calculated the magnitude of these effects. The results of his analysis are displayed as [[Golden Diagram|Golden diagrams]]. <ref name="lexica"/><ref>Golden, Les (2010). “Countering the Casino Countering of Counters: The Golden Diagram to the Rescue,” ''Bluff Europe'', June, p. 84-85</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2011). “Trust Me: An Undetectable Winning System For Blackjack! ,” ''Bluff Europe'', March, p. 94-95</ref> He also suggested a stepwise betting strategy to reduce the effects.<ref>Golden, Leslie M. (2011). “An Analysis of the Disadvantage to Players of Multiple Decks in the Game of 21.” ''The Mathematical Scientist'', '''32''', 2, p. 57-69</ref><ref>http://www.appliedprobability.org/content.aspx?Group=tms&Page=tmsabstracts</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2011). “Stepping Out With My Baby: The Stepwise Betting Strategy,” ''Bluff Europe'', April, p. 92-93</ref>

His paper on the subject<ref>digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/gaming_institute/2016/June9/10/</ref> was accepted for presentation at the 2016 triennial Gambling and Risk Taking Conference at the Mirage Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas.<ref>https://www.unlv.edu/sites/default/files/page_files/27/IGI-DraftConferenceSchedule.pdf</ref>

===Magic Circle strategy===
[[File: DrLeslieMGoldenBook.jpg|thumb|right|200px| The bookseller flyer for Laboratory Experiments in Physics for Modern Astronomy.]]The game of roulette, being a game of Simple random sample|statistics without replacement, is not amenable to systems such as card counting, which rely on the non-randomness of the particular game. If, however, the roulette wheel is not perfectly level, laboratory studies, most notably at the British National Weights and Measures Laboratory, and theoretical studies have shown that a skillful croupier can by virtue of muscle memory release the roulette ball with a speed and at a location on the table to bias the bin in which it comes to rest.<ref>Dixon, P. (2005). “Roulette Wheel Testing,” ''Report on Stage 3.1 of NWML/GBGB Project Proposal''</ref><ref>http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2007/ph210/hall1/</ref>

The Magic Circle strategy takes advantage of this potential bias and the non-random location of the various bets on the roulette wheel.<ref>Golden, Les (2009). “Vodka Can Make You Tilt: How You Can Win At Roulette,” ''Bluff Europe'', November, p. 90-92</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2009). “With The Tips In This Article You’ll Become Wealthy Beyond Your Wildest Dreams!,” ''Bluff Europe'', December, p. 90-92</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2010). “Beginners in the Casino: Camouflaging Team Roulette,” ''Bluff Europe'', January, p. 90-91.</ref> Golden showed that, after influencing the croupier to direct the ball into certain sectors of the roulette wheel, a team of players can lay bets in strategic locations on the wheel to secure profitable play.

His paper on the subject<ref>digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/gaming_institute/2016/June9/11/</ref> was accepted for presentation at the 2016 triennial Gambling and Risk Taking Conference at the Mirage Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas.<ref>https://www.unlv.edu/sites/default/files/page_files/27/IGI-DraftConferenceSchedule.pdf</ref>

==Political Activity==

===National Animal Welfare Activity===
===Onion the dog===
Les Golden began the internationally-noted movement to save [[Onion the dog]] of Henderson, Nevada, from euthanasia. The dog was saved after Golden's attorney fought for his life at the Nevada Supreme Court. Animal welfare and animal control laws are being rewritten as a result.<ref>https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/07/les-golden-oak-park-dog-a_n_1497423.html</ref>

===Local===
====CARE Party====
[[File:EricZornLes.JPG|125px|thumb|Featured column on Les Golden in Chicago Tribune.]]
Golden began his political career with the non-partisan [[CARE Party of Oak Park|CARE Party]]. (Citizens Active for Respect for the Environment/Citizens Active for a Responsible Electorate) in Oak Park, [[Illinois]]. He later formed the [[TURF Party]] (Taxpayers United of River Forest) in the adjacent community. He was the president of UTOP (United Taxpayers of Oak Park) from 1991 through 2005.<ref>http://www.oakparkjournal.com/Stories2002/2003-national-taxpayers-protest-op-sept-25.html</ref> As CARE party president he has been responsible for slating more than 70 candidates for local political office, achieving the election of eight on tax-accountability and environmental issues.<ref>see, for example, (1989) CARE joins school board fray, Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest , July 31, page 1; (1989) CARE tries to seek new identity, Oak Leaves, October 11, page 7; (1990) CARE endorsements have defeat the "incumbent" goal, Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest , October 31, page 21; (1991) CARE challenges shake up village races, Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest, February 6, page 1;
(1991) CARE: a party in search of an image, Oak Leaves, August 14, page 8; Thomas, Sherry (1995) “Is Runningbear really ‘Cut the Taxes’?”, ''Oak Leaves'' (Oak Park, Illinois), August 23, p. 13; Linden, Eric (1995) “New OPRF ‘slate’ reads like a hoax,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 9, p. 7</ref> He has sponsored and moderated numerous taxpayer information forums.<ref>see, for example,(2006) “Oak Park tax gripes to be discussed”, September 26, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-09-26/news/0609260292_1_property-tax-property-owners-steep-hike; (1987) 200 turn out at CARE tax forum, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', October 7; CARE tax forum adds speakers, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', September 9, 9; http://www.oakparkjournal.com/Stories2002/2003-national-taxpayers-protest-op-sept-25.html</ref> His advocacy of tax-relief has led him to seek local elected office as “Cut the Taxes.”<ref>(2003) Golden, Les “Cut the Taxes” Golden, How to turn the Barrie negative into a positive,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', February 26</ref>

====Animal Welfare and Environmentalism====
A major influence on animal welfare and environmental protection efforts locally and in the State of Illinois, Golden has been a leader in water and materials conservation, recycling, tree protection, wildlife protection, pesticide bans, efforts to retard global warming, and numerous other initiatives, as well as childhood education in these efforts. He has achieved numerous reforms in this regard as president of the [[CARE Party of Oak Park|CARE Party]]. [[File: LesGoldenOakParkPesticideBan.jpg|thumb|left|175px|In 1991, Les Golden, as president of Citizens Active for Respect for the Environment, achieved a ban on pesticides in the parks and recreation centers of Oak Park, Illinois.]]

In 2012, Golden learned of the plan by the village of Oak Park to destroy all the pigeons who found shelter among the steel support beams under the train trestle at Marion Street. Some residents complained about the unsightly droppings. Golden discovered that a gel substance placed on the surfaces adjacent to roosting areas was unappealing to all birds who would walk through it, in particular pigeons, starlings, and sparrows. The village trustees opted for that solution, although destruction of the birds had been imminent, and the birds were saved.<ref>(2012) Golden, Les, “An alternative pigeon solution for Oak Park,” Wednesday Journal, June 5</ref>

At the last hour, in 2013, the Oak Park Park District announced that the expansive Ridgeland Common park area in the center of the village was going to be converted into an artificial turf soccer field. This required the bulldozing of the popular sledding hill, an attraction since 1965, the destruction of dozens of mature trees and bushes, and the termination of the modest dog park and the chip/mulch pile for use by residents. The sledding hill had been a popular year-round attraction for a multitude of exercise, picnicking, fireworks viewing, and nature-oriented activities, and the residence of mature shade-providing hackelberry trees. This occurred despite a sham public planning process that had been in place for several years <ref>http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/8-7-2012/Park-District-of-Oak-Park-tells-
architects-to-move-forward-with-Ridgeland-Common-plans/</ref> and which had focused on the renovation of the ice rink/swimming pool complex. In February, 2013, Golden, posing as “Richard Kullman” in order to gain access to the inner sanctum of the local park district while ensuring that the story being about the park and not himself, created what became known as the “Kullman Kaper” and began a media frenzy. He organized and held a rally, generated numerous letters to the local press and emergency government meetings, and stimulated the creation of an online petition.<ref>Manchir, Michelle (2013), “Oak Park residents oppose plan to remove sled hill and dog run”, Chicago Tribune, March 6, p. 5</ref> <ref>Manchir, Michelle (2013), “Plans to close dog park angers some pet owners,” Chicago Tribune, March 12, p. 7</ref> The feckless “Green Committee” had one such emergency meeting, to which it invited an artificial turf contractor make a predictable presentation. The new executive director caved in to the desires of the paid soccer officials sitting on the park board and the destruction of the park began in April.

Golden has long lobbied against the environmental disaster of campaign lawn signs.<ref>http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/4-3-2012/Ways-for-Oak-Park-residents-to-recycle-those-campaign-signs/</ref>

====Lobbying for Intergovernmental Cooperation====

Despite the self-serving claims by local elected officials of trying to work together,<ref>http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/12-10-2013/Intergovernmental-cooperation-is-a-reality-with-IGOV/</ref> intergovernmental cooperation to save the environment and to save taxpayer dollars has been an abysmal failure in Golden’s hometown of [[Oak Park]], Illinois. Golden has suggested numerous means of attaining such, with limited success against the entrenched bureaucracies rampant in [[Oak Park]].

For several decades, Golden has been trying to convince the local Oak Park governments to save costs and display environmentalism by using wood chips from the stumps of trees that were cut down as mulch for the parks. Despite one victory<ref>http://www.oakparkjournal.com/stories2004/2005-les-golden-mulch-nov.html</ref>, the park district continues to pay thousands of dollars annually for mulch that is free for the taking. Indeed, officials in nearby neighborhoods of Chicago routinely obtain the wood chips from Oak Park trees and tree stumps.

Dating back to the 1990’s, Golden has lobbied local officials, without any support from the local Green Party, Democratic Party, local political party, any government official, or any private resident, to bundle their newsletters to save paper and mailing costs. In all, about 30 newsletters are mailed to each home annually. These include quarterly self-congratulatory mailings from the township, monthly mailings from the village, quarterly mailings from the park district and two school districts, water quality reports from the village, periodic mailings from the Oak Park library, monthly senior citizen mailings from the township, and other mailings. In the late 1990’s, Golden’s solo effort began to have results, when the library began to bundle its mailing with the village monthly newsletter. In the 2010’s, the two school district started to bundle their mailings with that of the village and library. The township and park district continue to flaunt such efforts at cost savings and environmentalism.

Golden continually exhorts the park district to find alternate means of distributing its near-100 page activities brochure to 20,000 households quarterly at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars in postage. In fact, 90% of households simply discard the hefty brochure, an environmental disaster. Golden has suggested intergovernmental cooperation as a means to resolve both problems. Simply by distributing the brochure at each of the nine public schools, the three firehouses, the three libraries, the dozen parks, and the nearly dozen administration buildings of the local governments, no resident would be more than one or two blocks from a brochure drop-off location. Those residents who actually have enrolled in an activity in the previous two years would continue to receive the brochure. The brochure would, in addition, be available online.

Despite the logic of this suggestion, the park district continues to waste trees and taxpayer dollars. The self-congratulatory propaganda published in the brochure leads the park district to ensure that every household received the document.

In 2013, the authoritative peer-reviewed journal The Mathematical Scientist published Prof. Golden’s analysis of the role of intergovernmental cooperation in optimizing the use of limited resources such as tax revenues in governing.<ref>Golden, Leslie M. (2013), “The Optimal Allocation of Resources
Among Competing Units of Government”
''The Mathematical Scientist'', 38, 2, December</ref> Golden sent the paper to every elected official in Oak Park as well as the executive directors of every board in Oak Park, as well as the editors of the Chicago and Oak Park newspapers.

====Tax Relief, Commercial Development, and Candidate Sponsor====
Golden’s interest in tax relief has led to a leadership role in large-scale commercial development as principal of Holley Court Partners.<ref>http://www.oak-park.us/public/pdfs/Planning/Harlem_South/2006%20RFP%20Responses/09.26.06_Holley%20Court%20Partners.pdf</ref>

[[File: LesGoldenParksCandidacy.jpg|175px|thumb|left| As a candidate for the Oak Park Park District, Les “Cut the Taxes” Golden suggested an imaginative use for a local park among tax-saving measures.]]His notoriety as a sponsor of political candidates led to his namesake, "Moe Silver," Chairman of the "LOVE Party," being a lead character in the locally-drawn "Shrubtown" comic strip and theatrical play by the same name by artist and writer Marc Stopeck.<ref>see, for example, Stopeck, Marc (1991), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', July 24, p. 17; Stopeck, Marc (1991), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 14, p. 22; Stopeck, Marc (1991), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 21, p. 23; Stopeck, Marc (1991), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 28, p. 21; Stopeck, Marc (1992), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 12, p. 24; Stopeck, Marc (1993), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 11, p. 22</ref>

===Statewide and National===
====Nickname and Ballot Access====
[[File: LesGoldenTreeRally.JPG|150px|thumb|right|In 2007, Leslie M. Golden discovered the plan by the Oak Park Park District to destroy all the old growth trees in a local park. Within 48 hours, on the July 4th weekend, he organized a committee to hold a Sunday rally, wrote a flyer, had the flyer distributed throughout the community, obtained speakers, and notified the press. Over 200 people attended on the hottest day of the year.]]His political candidacies for U.S. Congress<ref>(1996) Kass, John, “Nothing dull about 7th race – U.S. House contest full of controversy,” ''Chicago Tribune'', March 8, Section 2, p. 1</ref> and State Representative<ref>(1992) Zorn, Eric, “But Yakov seems so, so . . . judicial,” ''Chicago Tribune'', March 10, Section 2, p. 1</ref><ref>(1996) Montgomery, Susan, “GOP slates Golden to run for state rep,” ''Oak Leaves'', July 3, p. 10</ref><ref>http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=16936&WhenStart=2011-08-06+12%3A51%3A32</ref><ref> (1996) “Cut taxing districts,” ''Berwyn Life'' October 9, p. 22 </ref> using the nickname "Cut the Taxes" have led to court actions,<ref>http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/773242/posts</ref><ref>(2002), Mission: Fool voters (editorial), ''Chicago Tribune'', January 18, p. 18 </ref><ref> http://anti-state.com/forum/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=1446</ref><ref>http://ddd-hph.dlconsulting.com/cgi-bin/newshph?a=d&d=HPH19980107.2.3&cl=&srpos=0&st=1&e=00-00-0000-99-99-9999--20--1----Sen.+Obama-all</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-09-18/news/0209180186_1_ballots-fractional-jagielski </ref><ref> http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/10-30-2002/Golden_wins_Cut-The-Taxes_suit,_sues_again_</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-10-16/news/0210160202_1_blagojevich-spokesman-doug-scofield-illinois-state-board </ref><ref>Zorn, Eric. (1995) This candidate is a Cut the Taxes above the rest, ''Chicago Tribune'' (Metrowest), October 3, p. 1; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-10-03/news/9510030038_1_wallace-gator-bradley-candidates-taxes </ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-10-23/news/0210230072_1_golden-ballot-orr </ref><ref>http://www.actuarialoutpost.com/actuarial_discussion_forum/showthread.php?p=136091</ref><ref>www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-1110F700ED5B9A50.html</ref><ref>http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2009/09/should-we-use-cheryle-robinson-jackson-or-stick-with-cheryle-jackson-.html</ref><ref> (1996) Hevrkejs, Judy and Conklin, Mike, “Cutting Les,” ''Chicago Tribune'', March 12, p. 2</ref><ref> (1996) “ ‘Cut the Taxes’ cut from GOP ballot,” ''West Suburban Post'', March 8, p. 5</ref><ref>http://forums.gunbroker.com/pop_printer_friendly.asp?TOPIC_ID=34426</ref> a re-writing of Illinois election law concerning allowable names on the ballot<ref>http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=001000050HArt%2E+16&ActID=170&ChapterID=3&SeqStart=56200000&SeqEnd=57400000; see 10 ILCS 5/16-3 (e); </ref><ref>10 ILCS 5/16-3 (e)</ref><ref>(2002) McLaughlin, Amy, “Candidates’ Stances Offer Clear Choices for Voters.” Chicago Daily Herald, November 1, page 4</ref><ref>(2002) Sneed, Michael, “Election Board Objects to Nixed Nicknames.” Chicago Sun-Times, October 13, page 6;
http://article.wn.com/view/2002/10/13/Election_Board_objects_to_nixed_nicknames/</ref><ref>(2002) “State’s Attorney Suing to Keep Slogans Off Ballot,” Chicago Sun-Times, October 16, page 80; http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1461211.html, "State's attorney suing to keep slogans off ballot”</ref><ref>http://www.upi.com/Suit-filed-to-keep-sloganeering-off-ballot/95431034782244/
</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-06-03/news/0306030127_1_orr-slogans-78th-district; (2003) Groark, Virginia, “Legislature cuts the slogans from names on ballot,” Chicago Tribune, June 3</ref><ref> Trainor, Ken (1997), “Who is Les Golden?”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 2, p. 29-37 </ref> propagated throughout the state of Illinois in election guides for candidates,<ref>www.champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/docs/2012/2012CanGuide.pdf</ref><ref>www.elections.il.gov/downloads/electioninformationcourth/pdf/2011canguide.pdf </ref> lengthy discussions in the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) handbook on election law<ref> www.iicle.com </ref> which is on display in courthouses in the state of Illinois, scholarly studies on election law and ballot access, <ref>http://www.umsl.edu/~kimballd/illinois.pdf</ref> and rewriting of election law in other states. <ref>law.onecle.com/texas/election/52.031.00.html</ref> In addition, in another part of the revised election law, the Golden Rule, for the first time in Illinois history, allows any election official whatsoever, state as well as local, to extend their previous ministerial powers beyond mere printing of the ballot to actually removing slogans from ballot names.<ref>10 ILCS 5/16-3 (f)</ref> These cases in election law and the revised Illinois election law statutes have been cited repeatedly in jurisdictions throughout the country.

====Taxation, Constitutional Convention, and Drug Legalization====
[[File: LesGoldenCutTaxingDistricts.jpg|thumb|left|175px| As the GOP candidate for the office of State Representative from the 8th Illinois district, Golden suggested means for funding education.]]In 2008, he was the statewide spokesman and one of three state-wide coordinators for the group seeking to convene an Illinois Constitutional Convention.<ref>(2008) Sweeney, Chuck, Constitutional convention? Here's a pro-con, Rockford Register Star, June 18; http://www.rrstar.com/opinions/x1713643550/Constitutional-convention-Heres-a-pro-con</ref><ref>(2008) Wilson, Doug, Business group says constitutional convention would be too costly, risky, Quincy Herald-Whig, July 15</ref><ref>www.chicagogop.com/home/blogger/drlesmgolden/</ref><ref>http://www.chicagogop.com/component/comprofiler/userprofile/drlesmgolden</ref> He wrote the field guide for campaign workers which was used in other states also seeking to convene constitutional conventions. He has consistently fought legislation removing property tax caps in Illinois.<ref> (1995) Schory, Brenda, “Loud protest trails quiet passage of tax cap bill,” Kane County Chronicle, July 7, p. 1</ref> He was selected to be a charter member of the board of the Illinois Taxpayer Education Foundation (ITEF) in 1994.

He has repeatedly written about the abuse of “life safety legislation” by the Illinois General Assembly.<ref>(2008) Golden, Les, “Schools' safety bonds are abused,” Chicago Sun-Times, December 2; http://www.taxpayereducation.org/2008/12/schools-safety-bonds-are-abused/</ref><ref>http://www.geocities.ws/les_golden/fiscalpolicy/index.html</ref>
<ref>Golden, Leslie and Tobin, James, Illinois Taxpayer Education Foundation, Report 37, 2001.</ref>
<ref>Wertheimer, Joanna and Golden, L.M., (1997) "Schools Play End Around Taxpayers," Grayslake Advisor, January 15, p. 14-18.</ref>

He has been recognized by the Media Awareness Project<ref>http://www.mapinc.org/</ref> as a key spokesman in the national movement to legalize drugs to combat an epidemic of crime and to generate government revenues.<ref>http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n523/a06.html</ref><ref>(2013) Legalize drugs, Chicago Tribune, October 28, p. 19; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-10-28/opinion/ct-vp-1028-voice-letters-20131028_1_drug-business-drug-trafficking-drug-crimes</ref>

===Recognition and Honors===
He is President of Citizens Active for Respect for the Environment/Citizens Active for a Responsible Electorate (CARE) in Oak Park, Suburban Coordinator of the Alliance of (Cook) County Taxpayers (ACT), and heads the National Taxpayers United of Oak Park.

Golden received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Taxpayers United of Illinois umbrella group in 1991 for his taxpayer advocacy efforts.

In 2013, the authoritative peer-reviewed journal The Mathematical Scientist published Prof. Golden’s analysis of the role of intergovernmental cooperation in optimizing the use of limited resources such as tax revenues in governing.<ref>Golden, Leslie M. (2013), “The Optimal Allocation of Resources
Among Competing Units of Government”
''The Mathematical Scientist'', 38, 2, December</ref>

==Quotes==
"The only famous (card) counters are the ex-counters."
“Human beings are the only species that derive joy from the misfortunes of others. The greater the misfortune, the greater the joy.”
“If you set mediocre goals, the most you will ever achieve is mediocrity.”
“We don’t own the Earth; we simply share it.”

==Published Books==
*''Basic Composer: An Analysis of Music Notation Software'', Music Education Incentives Publishers (1988)
*''Astronomy 101'', UIC Press (1994)
*''A Field Guide for Political Activists: How to Generate Support and Turn Out Your Voters'', Lee Brooke (2008)
*''Laboratory Experiments in Physics for Modern Astronomy: With Comprehensive Development of the Physical Principles'', Springer Science+Business (2012)<ref> http://www.springer.com/astronomy/astronomy,+observations+and+techniques/book/978-1-4614-3310-1</ref>
*''Never Split Tens'', Springer International Publishers/Copernicus (2017 release)
*''The Body Shapes of Extraterrestrials and Other Essays in Astronomy to Zoology'', World Scientific Publishing Company (2017 release)

==Discography==
*''Deuces Wild'', The Deuces

==Selected Theatrical, Film, Radio, Television, and Commercial Credits==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Title
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Director
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Role
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Co-stars
|-
|Kronenbourgh Beer
|Josef Sedelmaier
|Murray
|Bruce Jarchow
|-
|Tony’s Pizza
|Josef Sedelmaier
|Vito
|
|-
|Chicago Tribune
|Jim Wotring
|Jo-jo
|Marji Bank, Ernest Perry
|-
|K-Mart
|Jim Wotring
|Lester
|Tim Gamble
|-
|Eagle Foods
|Gerald Hagner
|Les
|Ken Anderson (athlete)
|-
|Motorola Cellular
|Ed Italo
|Miller
|Lee Trevino (athlete)
|-
|Buick
|Jim Parish
|Cal
|Don Majowski (athlete)
|-
|True Value Hardware
|Jim Lynch
|Professor Astroray
|(one-person show)
|-
|Cognex
|Stewart Talent
|Timothy McCoy
|Paula Scrofano
|-
|Illinois State Lottery
|Jeff Jones
|Big Brother
|
|-
|Heinz Ketchup
|Bob Shallcross
|Les Golden (stand-up comedian as himself)
|
|-
|Bubble Up
|Stan Cottle
|Murray
|Charlotte Ross
|-
|The Len Petrulis Show
|Len Petrulis
|Phillipe Maurice, Parisian fashion designer
|Kajon Mueller
|-
|Freeman Shoes
|Loren Ostir
|Wally Tucker
|
|-
|Thrift Drugs
|Clay Covert
|Mr. Eisen
|(one-person show)
|-
|Madison Gas and Electric
|Bob Wendt
|Bob
|(one-person show)
|-
|Ohio Edison
|Ken Ancell
|Mr. Heater
|(one-person show)
|-
|American Family Insurance
|John Alexson
|Mark
|Rick Plastina
|-
|Outtakes
|Jack Sell
|Harvey Knox
|Broderick Crawford
|-
|The Nightmare Trial of Billy Barnes
|Gerald Rogers
|Edward Keppel
|
|-
|The Roommate
|Nell Cox
|Mr. Chipbeef
|Barry Miller, Lance Guest
|-
|Welcome Home, Bobby
|Herbert Wise
|Coach Lazare
|Adam Baldwin
|-
|How I Became A Holy Mother
|Arnold Aprill
|Master
|Patti Shaughnessy
|-
|Taming of the Shrew
|Dale Calandra
|Gremio
|Ned Mochel, Susan Hart, and others
|-
|YMCA
|Jerold Haislmaier
|Michael Marks
|
|-
|Ten Little Indians
|Faith Dukor-Chaplick
|Dr. Armstrong
|June Atkinson, Russ Cady
|-
|Stage Struck
|James Carter
|Herman
|Jim Mullen
|-
|The Odd Couple
|Faith Baime
|Vinnie
|
|-
|What the Wine Sellers Buy
|Wanda Getsug
|George
|Lucy Evans
|-
|The Little Sister
|Ray Andrecheck
|Toad
|B.F. Helman
|-
|Taming of the Shrew
|David Darlow
|Vincentio
|Robert Petkoff, David Darlow, Kristine Thatcher, Greg Vinkler, Michael Halberstam, and others
|-
|The Inspector General
|Knowles Cooke
|Bobchinsky
|Stephen Straight, Barbara Tucker
|-
|Eddie Hubbard Show Live from Arnie’s
|Eddie Hubbard
|Jeffrey Clayton Maxwell
|Robert Goulet, and others
|-
|Unshackled!
|Jack O’Dell
|Richard Goldstein (and others)
|Judith Easton, David Mink, and others
|-
|Deadly Spygames
|Jack Sell
|General Vladimir Korchenko
|Tippi Hedren, Troy Donahue
|-
|Lady Blue
|Gary Nelson
|Davey Carlton
|Danny Aiello, Jamie Rose, Ron Dean
|}

==Writing Awards==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Competition
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Sponsor
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Award
|-
|Eric Hoffer and Lili Fabilli Laconic Essay Prize
|Eric Hoffer
|First Place Winner
|-
|Cornell Engineer Feature Article Competition
|Cornell University College of Engineering
|First Place Winner
|-
|Engineering College Magazines Association Awards
|Engineering College Magazines Association
|Best Editorial, Second Place Winner
|-
|Engineering College Magazines Association Awards
|Engineering College Magazines Association
|Best Editorial, All Issues, Second Place Winner
|-
|Griffith Observatory Science Writing Competition
|Griffith Observatory
|Honorable Mention Winner
|-
|International Compuserve Magazine Essay Competition
|Compuserve Magazine
|First Place Winner
|-
|Nicolaus Copernicus International Essay Competition
|American Council of Polish Cultural Clubs
|First Place Winner, Senior Division
|-
|Tau Beta Pi Essay Competition
|Tau Beta Pi Association
|Honorable Mention Winner
|-
|}

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:1; column-count:1;">
<references />
</div>

==Technical Publications==

===Probability and Statistics in Astronomy===
1. Golden, Leslie M. (1971). “Evolution of Quasar Optical and Radio Luminosity,” ''Nature'', '''234''', 103.

2. Golden, Leslie M. (1974). “Isotropy of Radio Source Populations from Comparison of Number - Flux Density Curves,” ''Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society'', '''166''', 383.

3. Golden, Leslie M. (1974). “Observational Selection in the Identification of Quasars and Claims for Anisotropy,” ''Observatory'', '''94''', 122.

4. Golden, Leslie M. (1979). “The Effect of Surface Roughness on the Transmission of Microwave Radiation Through a Planetary Surface,” ''Icarus'', '''38''', 451.

===Technical Articles on Gambling===

1. Golden, Les; Thompson-Hill, Jeremy; and Theobold, Rick (2008). “Has Online Gaming Reached Saturation Point?,” '' iGaming Business'', March/April, p. 16-17.

2 Golden, Les; Turner, Noah; and von Bar, Jens (2009). “The Death of the RNG,” '' iGaming Business'', July/August, p. 56-59.

3. Golden, Leslie M. (2011). “An Analysis of the Disadvantage to Players of Multiple Decks in the Game of 21.” ''The Mathematical Scientist'', ''' 32''', 2, p. 57-69.

===Peer-Reviewed Articles on Intergovernmental Cooperation===

1. Golden, Leslie M. (2013), “The Optimal Allocation of Resources Among Competing Units of Government,” ''The Mathematical Scientist'', 38, 2, December

==External links==
*[http://www.geocities.ws/les_golden] Home Page
*[http://www.illinoisauthors.org/authors/Leslie_Morris_Golden] Illinois Authors Listing
*[http://www.worldcat.org/title/laboratory-exercises-in-physics-for-modern-astronomy/oclc/773666079] World Catalog Listing
*[http://www.betterworldbooks.com/les-golden-id-6136849941.aspx] Collected Writings
*[http://www.librarything.com/profile/Les_Golden] Library Thing Listing
* [http://www.authorsden.com/lesgolden] Authors Den Listing
* [http://people.theiapolis.com/actor-B9C1/les-golden/sites/les-golden-actor-1000547.html] Theiapolis listing as actor
* [http://lambiek.com/artists/g/golden_les.htm] Cartoonist listing at Comiclopedia
* [http://www.creativehotlist.com/Individuals/details/198826] CreativeHotList
*[https://www.evi.com/q/actors_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Actor
*[https://www.evi.com/q/comedians_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Comedian
*[https://www.evi.com/q/musicians_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Musician
*[https://www.evi.com/q/writers_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Writer
*[https://www.evi.com/q/activists_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Animal Welfare and Environmental Activist
*[https://www.evi.com/q/astronomers_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Astronomer
*[https://www.evi.com/q/playwrights_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Playwright
*[https://www.evi.com/q/scientists_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Scientist
*[https://www.evi.com/q/professors_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Academic

==Categories==
{{DEFAULTSORT:Golden,Les}}
[[Category:Academia]]
[[Category:Actors]]
[[Category:Theatre]]
[[Category:American academics]]
[[Category:American actor-politicians]]
[[Category:American environmentalists]]
[[Category:American essayists]]
[[Category:Comics characters]]
[[Category:Betting systems]]
[[Category:Research]]
[[Category:Film theorists]]
[[Category:American film actors]]
[[Category:American stand-up comedians]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:Gambling]]
[[Category:Gambling games]]
[[Category:Gambling terminology]]
[[Category:American comedians]]
[[Category:American musicians]]
[[Category:American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:American sports announcers]]
[[Category:College basketball announcers]]
[[Category:American writers]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Political slogans]]
[[Category:Probability theory]]
[[Category:Jewish actors]]
[[Category:Jewish comedians]]
[[Category:Jewish writers]]
[[Category:Jewish environmentalists]]
[[Category:Jewish writers]]
[[Category:Jewish animal welfare advocates]]
[[Category:Jewish academics]]
[[Category:Jewish cartoonists]]
[[Category:Jewish politicians]]
[[Category:Jewish musicians]]
[[Category:Jewish gambling writers]]
[[Category:Jewish playwrights]]
[[Category:Jewish bandleaders]]
[[Category:Jewish astronomers]]
[[Category:Notable residents of Oak Park Illinois]]
[[Category:Notable residents of Illinois]]
[[Category:Gambling writers]]
[[Category:Acting]]
[[Category:Activism]]
[[Category:American astronomers]]
[[Category:American columnists]]
[[Category:American computer programmers]]
[[Category:American entertainers]]
[[Category:American film actors]]
[[Category:American jazz trumpeters]]
[[Category:American people of Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Polish-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American political writers]]
[[Category:American scientists]]
[[Category:American screenwriters]]
[[Category:American stage actors]]
[[Category:American voice actors]]
[[Category:Animal Welfare]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Blackjack]]
[[Category:Celebrities]]
[[Category:Celebrity Interviews]]
[[Category:Jewish American writers]]
[[Category:Jewish scientists]]
[[Category:Illinois Republicans]]
[[Category:Illinois politicians]]
[[Category:Scientists from Illinois]]
[[Category:Cornell University alumni]]
[[Category:Astrophysicists]]
[[Category:University of California Berkeley alumni]]
[[Category:Film production companies of the United States]]

Topic:Vc1xs6ok2d91cwch

2019-11-30T20:14:43Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) hid a post on "Google Ads: How To Get First Ad Position In Google Search With The Lowest CPC!" (spam)

Blackjack

2019-11-29T14:00:54Z

RandomUser34:

{{Infobox card game
| title = Blackjack
| subtitle =
| image_link = [[File:BlackJack6.jpg|250px]]
| image_caption = A blackjack
| alt_names = Twenty-One
| type = Comparing
| players = 2+, usually 2–7
| play = Clockwise
| ages =
| num_cards = 52 to 416
| deck = [[French playing cards|French]]
| origin =
| related =
| playing_time =
| random_chance = High
| skills = Probability
| footnotes =
}}

'''Blackjack''' is the American variant of a globally popular [[banking game]] known as [[Twenty-One (card game)|Twenty-One]], whose relatives include [[Pontoon (card game)|Pontoon]] and [[Vingt-et-Un]].<ref>Parlett, David (1990). ''A History of Card Games'', OUP, Oxford, p. 78. {{ISBN|0-19-282905-X}}</ref> It is a comparing [[card game]] between one or more players and a dealer, where each player in turn competes against the dealer. Players do not compete against each other. It is played with one or more [[Playing card|decks]] of 52 cards, and is the most widely played [[casino game|casino]] banking game in the world.<ref name="Scarne">{{cite book |last1=Scarne |first1=John |title=Scarne's new complete guide to gambling |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=978-0671630638 |edition=Fully rev., expanded , updated|year=1986 }}</ref>{{rp|342}} The objective of the game is to beat the dealer in one of the following ways:

* Get 21 points on the player's first two cards (called a "blackjack" or "[[natural (gambling)|natural]]"), without a dealer blackjack;
* Reach a final score higher than the dealer without exceeding 21; or
* Let the dealer draw additional cards until their hand exceeds 21 ("busted").

Players are each dealt two cards, face up or down depending on the casino and the table at which they sit. In the U.S., the dealer is also dealt two cards, normally one up (exposed) and one down
(hidden). In most other countries, the dealer receives one card face up. The value of cards two through ten is their pip value (2 through 10). Face cards (Jack, Queen, and King) are all worth ten. Aces can be worth one or eleven. A hand's value is the sum of the card values. Players are allowed to draw additional cards to improve their hands. A hand with an ace valued as 11 is called "soft", meaning that the hand will not bust by taking an additional card; the value of the ace will become one to prevent the hand from exceeding 21. Otherwise, the hand is "hard".

Once all the players have completed their hands, it is the dealer’s turn. The dealer hand will not be completed if all players have either busted or received blackjacks. The dealer then reveals the hidden card and must hit until the cards total 17 or more points. (At most tables the dealer also hits on a "soft" 17, i.e. a hand containing an ace and one or more other cards totaling six.) Players win by not busting and having a total higher than the dealer, or not busting and having the dealer bust, or getting a blackjack without the dealer getting a blackjack. If the player and dealer have the same total (not counting blackjacks), this is called a "push", and the player typically does not win or lose money on that hand. Otherwise, the dealer wins.

Blackjack has many rule variations. Since the 1960s, blackjack has been a high-profile target of [[Advantage gambling|advantage players]], particularly [[card counting|card counters]], who track the profile of cards that have been dealt and adapt their wagers and playing strategies accordingly.

Blackjack has inspired other casino games, including [[Spanish 21]] and [[Pontoon (card game)|pontoon]].

==History==
Blackjack's precursor was ''twenty-one'', a game of unknown origin. The first written reference is found in a book by the Spanish author [[Miguel de Cervantes]], most famous for writing ''[[Don Quixote]]''. Cervantes was a [[gambler]], and the main characters of his tale "[[Rinconete y Cortadillo]]", from ''[[Novelas Ejemplares]]'', are a couple of cheats working in [[Seville]]. They are proficient at cheating at ''veintiuna'' (Spanish for twenty-one), and state that the object of the game is to reach 21 points without going over and that the [[ace]] values 1 or 11. The game is played with the Spanish ''[[Spanish playing cards|baraja]]'' deck. This short story was written between 1601 and 1602, implying that ''ventiuna'' was played in [[Kingdom of Castile|Castile]] since the beginning of the 17th century or earlier. Later references to this game are found in France and Spain.<ref>{{cite book | last = Fontbona | first = Marc | title = Historia del Juego en España. De la Hispania romana a nuestros días | isbn = 978-84-96495-30-2 | url = https://www.casadellibro.com/libro-historia-del-juego-en-espana-de-la-hispania-romana-a-nuestros-di-as/9788496495302/1226464 | year = 2008 | publisher = Flor del Viento Ediciones | location = Barcelona | page = 89}}</ref>

When twenty-one was introduced in the United States, gambling houses offered bonus payouts to stimulate players' interest. One such bonus was a ten-to-one payout if the player's hand consisted of the [[ace of spades]] and a black [[jack (playing card)|jack]] (either the [[jack of clubs]] or the [[jack of spades]]). This hand was called a "blackjack", and the name stuck to the game even though the ten-to-one bonus was soon withdrawn. In the modern game, a ''blackjack'' refers to any hand of an ace plus a ten or face card regardless of suits or colors.<ref name="Scarne" />{{rp|350}}

The first scientific and mathematically sound attempt to devise an optimal blackjack playing strategy was revealed in September 1956. Roger Baldwin, Wilbert Cantey, Herbert Maisel and James McDermott published a paper titled ''The Optimum Strategy in Blackjack'' in the Journal of the American Statistical Association. This paper would become the foundation of all future sound efforts to beat the game of blackjack. [[Ed Thorp]] would use Baldwin’s hand calculations to verify the basic strategy and later publish (in 1963) his famous book ''Beat the Dealer''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Blackjack History and Events|url=https://www.blackjackreview.com/wp/historical-events/|publisher=blackjackreview.com|accessdate=21 May 2017}}</ref>

==Rules of play at casinos==
{{multiple image
| align = right
| direction = vertical
| header = Blackjack example game
| header_align = center
| header_background =
| footer =
| footer_align =
| footer_background =
| width =
| image1 = Blackjack game 1.JPG
| width1 = 250
| caption1 = Initial deal
| image2 = Blackjack game 2.JPG
| width2 = 250
| caption2 = Player action
| image3 = Blackjack game 3.JPG
| width3 = 250
| caption3 = Dealer's hand revealed
| image4 = Blackjack game 4.JPG
| width4 = 250
| caption4 = Bets settled
}}
At a casino blackjack table, the dealer faces five to seven playing positions from behind a semicircular table. Between one and eight [[standard 52-card deck]]s are [[shuffling|shuffled]] together. At the beginning of each round, up to three players can place their bets in the "betting box" at each position in play. That is, there could be up to three players at each position at a table in jurisdictions that allow back betting. The player whose bet is at the front of the betting box is deemed to have control over the position, and the dealer will consult the controlling player for playing decisions regarding the hand; the other players of that box are said to "play behind". Any player is usually allowed to control or bet in as many boxes as desired at a single table, but it is prohibited for an individual to play on more than one table at a time or to place multiple bets within a single box. In many U.S. casinos, however, players are limited to playing two or three positions at a table and often only one person is allowed to bet on each position.

The dealer deals cards from his/her left (the position on the dealer's far left is often referred to as "first base") to his/her far right ("third base"). Each box is dealt an initial hand of two cards visible to the people playing on it, and often to any other players. The dealer's hand receives its first card face up, and in "hole card" games immediately receives its second card face down (the hole card), which the dealer peeks at but does not reveal unless it makes the dealer's hand a blackjack. Hole card games are sometimes played on tables with a small mirror or electronic sensor that is used to peek securely at the hole card. In European casinos, "no hole card" games are prevalent; the dealer's second card is neither drawn nor consulted until the players have all played their hands.

Cards are dealt either from one or two handheld decks, from a [[shoe (cards)|dealer's shoe]], or from a [[shuffling machine]]. Single cards are dealt to each wagered-on position clockwise from the dealer's left, followed by a single card to the dealer, followed by an additional card to each of the positions in play. The players' initial cards may be dealt face up or face down (more common in single-deck games).

The players' object is to win money by creating card totals that turn out to be higher than the dealer's hand but do not exceed 21 ("busting"/"breaking"), or alternatively by allowing the dealer to take additional cards until he/she busts. On their turn, players must choose whether to "hit" (take a card), "stand" (end their turn), "double" (double wager, take a single card and finish), "split" (if the two cards have the same value, separate them to make two hands) or "surrender" (give up a half-bet and retire from the game). Number cards count as their natural value; the jack, queen, and king (also known as "face cards" or "pictures") count as 10; aces are valued as either 1 or 11 according to the player's choice. If the hand value exceeds 21 points, it busts, and all bets on it are immediately forfeit. After all boxes have finished playing, the dealer's hand is resolved by drawing cards until the hand busts or achieves a value of 17 or higher (a dealer total of 17 including an ace valued as 11, also known as a "soft 17", must be drawn to in some games and must stand in others). The dealer never doubles, splits, or surrenders. If the dealer busts, all remaining player hands win. If the dealer does not bust, each remaining bet wins if its hand is higher than the dealer's, and loses if it is lower. If a player receives 21 on the 1st and 2nd card it is considered a "natural" or "blackjack" and the player is paid out immediately unless dealer also has a natural, in which case the hand ties. In the case of a tied score, known as "push" or "standoff", bets are normally returned without adjustment; however, a blackjack beats any hand that is not a blackjack, even one with a value of 21. Wins are paid out at 1:1, or equal to the wager, except for player blackjacks which are traditionally paid at 3:2 (meaning the player receives three dollars for every two bet) or one-and-a-half times the wager. Many casinos today pay blackjacks at less than 3:2 at some tables; for instance, single-deck blackjack tables often pay 6:5 for a blackjack instead of 3:2.<ref name=LVSun20031113/>

Blackjack games almost always provide a [[side bet]] called insurance, which may be played when dealer's upcard is an ace. Additional side bets, such as "Dealer Match" which pays when the player's cards match the dealer's up card, are sometimes available.

===Player decisions===
{{anchor|doubledown}}
{{redirect|Doubling Down|the South Park episode|Doubling Down (South Park)}}
After receiving an initial two cards, the player has up to four standard options: "hit", "stand", "double down", or "split". Each option has a corresponding hand signal. Some games give the player a fifth option, "surrender".
* '''Hit:''' Take another card from the dealer.
: ''Signal'': Scrape cards against table (in handheld games); tap the table with finger or wave hand toward body (in games dealt face up).
* '''Stand:''' Take no more cards, also known as "stand pat", "stick", or "stay".
: ''Signal'': Slide cards under chips (in handheld games); wave hand horizontally (in games dealt face up).
* '''Double down:''' The player is allowed to increase the initial bet by up to 100% in exchange for committing to stand after receiving exactly one more card. The additional bet is placed in the betting box next to the original bet. Some games do not permit the player to increase the bet by amounts other than 100%. Non-controlling players may double their wager or decline to do so, but they are bound by the controlling player's decision to take only one card.
: ''Signal'': Place additional chips beside the original bet outside the betting box, and point with one finger.
* '''Split''': If the first two cards of a hand have the same value, the player can split them into two hands, by moving a second bet equal to the first into an area outside the betting box. The dealer separates the two cards and draws an additional card on each, placing one bet with each hand. The player then plays out the two separate hands in turn; except for a few restrictions, the hands are treated as independent new hands, with the player winning or losing their wager separately for each hand. Occasionally, in the case of ten-valued cards, some casinos allow splitting only when the cards have the identical ranks; for instance, a hand of 10-10 may be split, but not one of 10-king. However, usually all 10-value cards are treated the same. Doubling and further splitting of post-split hands may be restricted, and an ace and ten value card after a split are counted as a non-blackjack 21. Hitting split aces is usually not allowed. Non-controlling players may follow the controlling player by putting down an additional bet or decline to do so, instead associating their existing wager with one of the two post-split hands. In that case they must choose which hand to play behind before the second cards are drawn. Some casinos do not give non-controlling players this option, and require that the wager of a player not electing to split remains with the first of the two post-split hands.
: ''Signal'': Place additional chips next to the original bet outside the betting box; point with two fingers spread into a V formation.
* '''Surrender''' (only available as first decision of a hand): Some games offer the option to "surrender" directly after the dealer has checked for blackjack (see below for variations). When the player surrenders, the house takes half the player's bet and returns the other half to the player; this terminates the player's interest in the hand.
: ''Signal'': The request to surrender is made verbally, there being no standard hand signal.

Hand signals are used to assist the "[[eye in the sky (camera)|eye in the sky]]", a person or [[video camera]] located above the table and sometimes concealed behind [[one-way glass]]. The eye in the sky usually makes a video recording of the table, which helps in resolving disputes and identifying dealer mistakes, and is also used to protect the casino against dealers who steal chips or players who cheat. The recording can further be used to identify [[advantage players]] whose activities, while legal, make them undesirable customers. In the event of a disagreement between a player's hand signals and their words, the hand signal takes precedence.
Each hand may normally "hit" as many times as desired so long as the total is not above hard 20. On reaching 21 (including soft 21), the hand is normally required to stand; busting is an irrevocable loss and the players' wagers are immediately forfeited to the house. After a bust or a stand, play proceeds to the next hand clockwise around the table. When the last hand has finished being played, the dealer reveals the hole card, and stands or draws further cards according to the rules of the game for dealer drawing. When the outcome of the dealer's hand is established, any hands with bets remaining on the table are resolved (usually in [[counterclockwise]] order): bets on losing hands are forfeited, the bet on a push is left on the table, and winners are paid out.

===Insurance===
If the dealer's upcard is an ace, the player is offered the option of taking "insurance" before the dealer checks the hole card.

Insurance is a side bet that the dealer has blackjack and is treated independently of the main wager. It pays 2:1 (meaning that the player receives two dollars for every dollar bet) and is available when the dealer's exposed card is an ace. The idea is that the dealer's second card has a fairly high probability (nearly one-third) to be ten-valued, giving the dealer blackjack and disappointment for the player. It is attractive (although not necessarily wise) for the player to insure against the possibility of a dealer blackjack by making a maximum "insurance" bet, in which case the "insurance proceeds" will make up for the concomitant loss on the original bet. The player may add up to half the value of their original bet to the insurance and these extra chips are placed on a portion of the table usually marked "Insurance pays 2 to 1".

Players with a blackjack may also take insurance, and in taking maximum insurance they commit themselves to winning an amount exactly equal to their main wager, regardless of the dealer's outcome. Fully insuring a blackjack against blackjack is thus referred to as "taking even money", and paid out immediately, before the dealer's hand is resolved; the players do not need to place more chips for the insurance wager.

Insurance bets are expected to lose money in the long run, because the dealer is likely to have blackjack less than one-third of the time. However the insurance outcome is strongly [[correlation|anti-correlated]] with that of the main wager, and if the player's priority is to reduce [[variance|variation]], they might choose to pay for this.

Furthermore, the insurance bet is susceptible to advantage play. It is advantageous to make an insurance bet whenever the hole card has more than a chance of one in three of being a ten. Advantage play techniques can sometimes identify such situations. In a multi-hand, face-up, single deck game, it is possible to establish whether insurance is a good bet simply by observing the other cards on the table after the deal; even if there are just 2 player hands exposed, and neither of their two initial cards is a ten, then 16 in 47 of the remaining cards are tens, which is larger than 1 in 3, so insurance is a profitable bet. This is an elementary example of the family of advantage play techniques known as card counting.

Bets to insure against blackjack are slightly less likely to be advantageous than insurance bets in general, since the ten in the player's blackjack makes it less likely that the dealer has blackjack too.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beatingbonuses.com/insurance.htm|title=Blackjack Insurance Exceptions|website=www.beatingbonuses.com}}</ref>

==Rule variations and effects on house edge==
''Note: where changes in the house edge due to changes in the rules are stated in percentage terms, the difference is usually stated here in [[percentage point]]s, not percentage; strictly speaking if, say, an edge of 10% is reduced to 9%, the amount is reduced by ten percent, or by one percentage point.''
[[File:Double down.JPG|thumb|right|Doubling down. The third card is placed at right angles to signify that the player cannot receive any more cards.]]
The rules of casino blackjack are generally determined by law or regulation, which establishes certain rule variations allowed at the discretion of the casino. The rules of any particular game are generally posted on or near the table, failing which there is an expectation that casino staff will provide them on request. Over 100 variations of blackjack have been documented.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.qfit.com/blackjack-rules.htm|title=Blackjack Rules - 113 variations|website=www.qfit.com}}</ref>

As with all casino games, blackjack incorporates a "house edge", a statistical advantage for the casino that is built into the game. The advantage of the dealer's position in blackjack relative to the player comes from the fact that if the player busts, the player loses, regardless of whether the dealer subsequently busts. Nonetheless, blackjack players using basic strategy will lose less than 1% of their total wagered amount with strictly average luck; this is very favorable to the player compared to other casino games. The loss rate of players who deviate from basic strategy through ignorance is generally expected to be greater.

*'''Dealer hits soft 17'''
[[File:Soft17.jpg|thumb|right|A "soft 17" in blackjack. An ace and any combination of 6.]]
:Each game has a rule about whether the dealer must hit or stand on soft 17, which is generally printed on the table surface. The variation where the dealer must hit soft 17 is abbreviated "H17" in blackjack literature, with "S17" used for the stand-on-soft-17 variation. Substituting an "H17" rule with an "S17" rule in a game benefits the player, decreasing the house edge by about 0.2%.

*'''Number of decks'''
:All things being equal, using fewer decks decreases the house edge. This mainly reflects an increased likelihood of player blackjack, since if the players draws a ten on their first card, the subsequent probability of drawing an ace is higher with fewer decks. It also reflects a decreased likelihood of blackjack-blackjack push in a game with fewer decks.

:Casinos generally compensate by tightening other rules in games with fewer decks, in order to preserve the house edge or discourage play altogether. When offering single deck blackjack games, casinos are more likely to disallow doubling on soft hands or after splitting, to restrict resplitting, require higher minimum bets, and to pay the player less than 3:2 for a winning blackjack.

:The following table illustrates the mathematical effect on the house edge of the number of decks, by considering games with various deck counts under the following ruleset: double after split allowed, resplit to four hands allowed, no hitting split aces, no surrender, double on any two cards, original bets only lost on dealer blackjack, dealer hits soft 17, and cut-card used. The increase in house edge per unit increase in the number of decks is most dramatic when comparing the single deck game to the two-deck game, and becomes progressively smaller as more decks are added.

{| class="wikitable"
! Number of decks !! House advantage
|-
| Single deck || 0.17%
|-
| Double deck || 0.46%
|-
| Four decks || 0.60%
|-
| Six decks || 0.64%
|-
| Eight decks || 0.65%
|}

;Late/early surrender:

Surrender, for those games that allow it, is usually not permitted against a dealer blackjack; if the dealer's first card is an ace or ten, the hole card is checked to make sure there is no blackjack before surrender is offered. This rule protocol is consequently known as "late" surrender. The alternative, "early" surrender, gives player the option to surrender ''before'' the dealer checks for blackjack, or in a no-hole-card game. Early surrender is much more favorable to the player than late surrender. Most medium-strength hands should be surrendered against a dealer Ace if the hole card has not been checked.

For late surrender, however, while it is tempting to opt for surrender on any hand which will probably lose, the correct strategy is to only surrender on the very worst hands, because having even a one in four chance of winning the full bet is better than losing half the bet and pushing the other half, as entailed by surrendering.

;Resplitting: If the cards of a post-split hand have the same value, most games allow the player to split again, or "resplit". The player places a further wager and the dealer separates the new pair dealing a further card to each as before. Some games allow unlimited resplitting, while others may limit it to a certain number of hands, such as four hands (for example, "resplit to 4").
;Hit/resplit split aces: After splitting aces, the common rule is that only one card will be dealt to each ace; the player cannot split, double, or take another hit on either hand. Rule variants include allowing resplitting aces or allowing the player to hit split aces. Games allowing aces to be resplit are not uncommon, but those allowing the player to hit split aces are extremely rare. Allowing the player to hit hands resulting from split aces reduces the house edge by about 0.13%; allowing resplitting of aces reduces house edge by about 0.03%. Note that a ten-value card dealt on a split ace (or vice versa) is a "soft 21" and not a "natural".
;No double after split: After a split, most games allow doubling down on the new two-card hands. Disallowing doubling after a split increases the house edge by about 0.12%.
;Double on 9/10/11 or 10/11 only: Under the "[[Reno, Nevada|Reno]] rule", double down is only permitted on hard totals of 9, 10, or 11 (under a similar European rule, only 10 or 11). Basic strategy would otherwise call for some doubling down with hard 9 and soft 13–18, and advanced players can identify situations where doubling on soft 19–20 and hard 8, 7 and even 6 is advantageous. The Reno rule prevents the player from taking advantage of double down in these situations and thereby increases the player's expected loss. The Reno rule increases the house edge by around 1 in 1,000, and its European version by around 1 in 500.
;No hole card and OBO:

In most non-U.S. casinos, a 'no hole card' game is played, meaning that the dealer does not draw nor consult his or her second card until after all players have finished making decisions. With no hole card, it is almost never correct basic strategy to double or split against a dealer ten or ace, since a dealer blackjack will result in the loss of the split and double bets; the only exception is with a pair of aces against a dealer 10, where it is still correct to split. In all other cases, a stand, hit or surrender is called for. For instance, holding 11 against a dealer 10, the correct strategy is to double in a hole card game (where the player knows the dealer's second card is not an ace), but to hit in a no hole card game. The no hole card rule adds approximately 0.11% to the house edge.

The "original bets only" rule variation appearing in certain no hole card games states that if the player's hand loses to a dealer blackjack, only the mandatory initial bet ("original") is forfeited, and all optional bets, meaning doubles and splits, are pushed. "Original bets only" is also known by the acronym OBO; it has the same effect on basic strategy and house edge as reverting to a hole card game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.qfit.com/book/ModernBlackjackPage39.htm|title=Modern Blackjack|website=www.qfit.com}}</ref>

;Altered payout for a winning blackjack: In many casinos, a blackjack pays only 6:5 or even 1:1 instead of the usual 3:2. This is most common at tables with lower [[Table limit|table minimums]]. Although this payoff was originally limited to single-deck games, it has spread to double-deck and shoe games. Among common rule variations in the U.S., these altered payouts for blackjack are the most damaging to the player, causing the greatest increase in house edge. Since blackjack occurs in approximately 4.8% of hands, the 1:1 game increases the house edge by 2.3%, while the 6:5 game adds 1.4% to the house edge. Video blackjack machines generally pay 1:1 payout for a blackjack.<ref name=LVSun20031113>[http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2003/nov/13/taking-a-hit-new-blackjack-odds-further-tilt-advan/ ''Taking a hit: New blackjack odds further tilt advantage toward the house''] by Jeff Haney, [[Las Vegas Sun]], November 13, 2003.</ref>
;Dealer wins ties: The rule that bets on tied hands are lost rather than pushed is catastrophic to the player. Though rarely used in standard blackjack, it is sometimes seen in "blackjack-like" games such as in some charity casinos.

==Blackjack strategy==

===Basic strategy===
Each blackjack game has a ''basic strategy'', which prescribes the optimal method of playing any hand against any dealer up-card so that the long-term [[house advantage]] (the expected loss of the player) is minimized.

An example of a basic strategy is shown in the table below, which applies to a game with the following specifications:<ref name="wizardofodds.com">{{cite web|title=4-Deck to 8-Deck Blackjack Strategy - Wizard of Odds|url=http://wizardofodds.com/games/blackjack/strategy/4-decks/|publisher=Wizard of Odds Consulting, Inc|accessdate=30 April 2014}}</ref>
* Four to eight decks
* The dealer hits on a soft 17
* A double is allowed after a split
* Only original bets are lost on dealer blackjack

<center>
{| border="1" class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Player hand
! colspan="10" | Dealer's face-up card
|-
| 2
| 3
| 4
| 5
| 6
| 7
| 8
| 9
| 10
| A
|-
! colspan="11" | Hard totals (excluding pairs)
|-
! 18–21
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
|-
! 17
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:white; color:black" | Us
|-
! 16
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:white; color:black" | Uh
| style="background:white; color:black" | Uh
| style="background:white; color:black" | Uh
|-
! 15
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:white; color:black" | Uh
| style="background:white; color:black" | Uh
|-
! 13–14
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
|-

! 12
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
|-
! 11
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
|-
! 10
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
|-
! 9
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
|-
! 5–8
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
|-
! colspan="11" | Soft totals
|-
|
| 2
| 3
| 4
| 5
| 6
| 7
| 8
| 9
| 10
| A
|-
! A,9
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
|-
! A,8
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Ds
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
|-
! A,7
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Ds
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Ds
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Ds
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Ds
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Ds
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
|-
! A,6
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
|-
! A,4–A,5
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
|-
! A,2–A,3
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
|-
! colspan="11" | Pairs
|-
|
| 2
| 3
| 4
| 5
| 6
| 7
| 8
| 9
| 10
| A
|-
! A,A
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
|-
! 10,10
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
|-
! 9,9
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
| style="background:red; color:black" | S
|-
! 8,8
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:white; color:black" | Usp
|-
! 7,7
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
|-
! 6,6
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
|-
! 5,5
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:cyan; color:black" | Dh
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
|-
! 4,4
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
|-
! 2,2–3,3
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:yellow; color:black" | SP
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
| style="background:lime; color:black" | H
|}
</center>

Key:
:'''S''' = Stand
:'''H''' = Hit
:'''Dh''' = Double (if not allowed, then hit)
:'''Ds''' = Double (if not allowed, then stand)
:'''SP''' = Split
:'''Uh''' = Surrender (if not allowed, then hit)
:'''Us''' = Surrender (if not allowed, then stand)
:'''Usp''' = Surrender (if not allowed, then split)

The bulk of basic strategy is common to all blackjack games, with most rule variations calling for changes in only a few situations. For example, to use the table above on a game with the stand on soft 17 rule (which favors the player, and is typically found only at higher-limit tables today) only 6 cells would need to be changed: hit on 11 ''vs.'' A, hit on 15 ''vs.'' A, stand on 17 ''vs.'' A, stand on A,7 ''vs.'' 2, stand on A,8 ''vs.'' 6, and split on 8,8 ''vs.'' A. Regardless of the specific rule variations, taking insurance or "even money" is never the correct play under basic strategy. <ref name="wizardofodds.com"/>

Estimates of the house edge for blackjack games quoted by casinos and gaming regulators are generally based on the assumption that the players follow basic strategy and do not systematically change their bet size.

Most blackjack games have a house edge of between 0.5% and 1%, placing blackjack among the cheapest casino table games from the perspective of the player. Casino promotions such as complimentary match play vouchers or 2:1 blackjack payouts allow the player to acquire an advantage without deviating from basic strategy.

===Composition-dependent strategy===
Basic strategy is based upon a player's point total and the dealer's visible card. Players may be able to improve on this decision by considering the precise composition of their hand, not just the point total. For example, players should ordinarily stand when holding 12 against a dealer 4. However, in a single deck game, players should hit if their 12 consists of a 10 and a 2. The presence of a 10 in the player's hand has two consequences:<ref name= wizard>{{cite web | url= http://wizardofodds.com/blackjack/appendix3c.html | title= The Wizard of Odds | work= Fine points of basic strategy in single-deck blackjack |accessdate=December 8, 2006}}</ref>
* It makes the player's 12 a worse hand to stand on (since the only way to avoid losing is for the dealer to go bust, which is less likely if there are fewer 10s left in the shoe).
* It makes hitting safer, since the only way of going bust is to draw a 10, and this is less likely with a 10 already in the hand.

However, even when basic and composition-dependent strategy lead to different actions, the difference in expected reward is small, and it becomes even smaller with more decks. Using a composition-dependent strategy rather than basic strategy in a single deck game reduces the house edge by 4 in 10,000, which falls to 3 in 100,000 for a six-deck game.<ref name= wizard2>{{cite web | url= http://wizardofodds.com/blackjack/appendix15.html | title= The Wizard of Odds | work= Total Dependent and Composition Dependent Basic Strategy in Blackjack |accessdate=December 19, 2006}}</ref>

===Advantage play===
{{Main|Advantage player}}
Blackjack has been a high-profile target for advantage players since the 1960s. Advantage play is the attempt to win more using skills such as memory, computation, and observation. These techniques, while generally legal, can be powerful enough to give the player a long-term edge in the game, making them an undesirable customer for the casino and potentially leading to ejection or [[blacklist]]ing if they are detected. The main techniques of advantage play in blackjack are as follows:

====Card counting====
{{Main|Card counting}}

During the course of a blackjack shoe, the dealer exposes the dealt cards. Careful accounting of the exposed cards allows a player to make inferences about the cards which remain to be dealt. These inferences can be used in the following ways:
* Players can make larger bets when they have an advantage. For example, the players can increase the starting bet if there are many aces and tens left in the deck, in the hope of hitting a blackjack.
* Players can deviate from basic strategy according to the composition of their undealt cards. For example, with many tens left in the deck, players might double down in more situations since there is a better chance of getting a good hand.

A card counting system assigns a point score to each rank of card (e.g., 1 point for 2–6, 0 points for 7–9 and −1 point for 10–A). When a card is exposed, a counter adds the score of that card to a running total, the 'count'. A card counter uses this count to make betting and playing decisions according to a table which they have learned. The count starts at 0 for a freshly shuffled deck for "balanced" counting systems. Unbalanced counts are often started at a value which depends on the number of decks used in the game.

Blackjack's house edge is usually between 0.5%–1% when players use basic strategy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beatingbonuses.com/blackjack.htm#table|title=Blackjack - Beating Bonuses|website=www.beatingbonuses.com}}</ref> Card counting can give the player an edge of up to 2% over the house.<ref name="TOB">{{cite book |last1=Griffin |first1=Peter |title=The theory of blackjack : the compleat card counter's guide to the casino game of 21 |date=March 1, 1999 |publisher=Huntington Press |isbn=978-0929712130 |edition=6th}}</ref>{{rp|5}}

Card counting is most rewarding near the end of a complete shoe when as few as possible cards remain. Single-deck games are therefore particularly advantageous to the card counting player. As a result, casinos are more likely to insist that players do not reveal their cards to one another in single-deck games. In games with more decks of cards, casinos limit penetration by ending the shoe and reshuffling when one or more decks remain undealt. Casinos also sometimes use a shuffling machine to reintroduce the exhausted cards every time a deck has been played.

Card counting is legal and is not considered cheating as long as the counter is not using an external device,<ref name="TOB" />{{rp|6-7}} but if a casino realizes a player is counting, the casino might inform them that they are no longer welcome to play blackjack. Sometimes a casino might ban a card counter from the property.<ref>[[Edward O. Thorp|Thorp, Edward O.]] (1966) ''Beat The Dealer'', Vintage Books, a Division of Random House, {{ISBN|978-0-394-70310-7}}, pp 132–136</ref>

The use of external devices to help counting cards is illegal in all US states that license blackjack card games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gambling-law-us.com/State-Laws/|title=State Gambling Laws|website=www.gambling-law-us.com|access-date=October 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007151916/http://www.gambling-law-us.com/State-Laws/|archive-date=October 7, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Shuffle tracking====
{{main|Shuffle tracking}}
Techniques other than card counting can swing the advantage of casino blackjack toward the player. All such techniques are based on the value of the cards to the player and the casino as originally conceived by [[Edward O. Thorp]].<ref>Edward Thorp: ''A Favorable Strategy for Twenty-One'', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 47, No. 1, 1961, pp. 110–112, [https://www.jstor.org/pss/70615 JSTOR], [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC285252/pdf/pnas00217-0125.pdf archive of PNAS].</ref> One technique, mainly applicable in multi-deck games, involves tracking groups of cards (also known as slugs, clumps, or packs) during the play of the shoe, following them through the shuffle, and then playing and betting accordingly when those cards come into play from the new shoe. Shuffle tracking requires excellent eyesight and powers of visual estimation but is more difficult to detect since the player's actions are largely unrelated to the composition of the cards in the shoe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blackjackincolor.com/Shuffletracking2.htm|title=Blackjack in Color|work=Shuffle Tracking Counts}}</ref>

Arnold Snyder's articles in ''[[Blackjack Forum]]'' magazine brought shuffle tracking to the general public. His book, ''The Shuffle Tracker's Cookbook,'' mathematically analyzed the player edge available from shuffle tracking based on the actual size of the tracked slug. [[Jerry L. Patterson]] also developed and published a shuffle-tracking method for tracking favorable clumps of cards and cutting them into play and tracking unfavorable clumps of cards and cutting them out of play.<ref>''The Gambling Times Guide to Blackjack''; Gambling Times Incorporated, Hollywood, CA; 1984; Page 110; {{ISBN|0-89746-015-4}} Shuffle-Tracking An Easy Way to Start</ref><ref>''Break the Dealer''; by Jerry L. Patterson and Eddie Olsen; Perigee Books; A Division of Penguin Putnam; 1986; {{ISBN|0-399-51233-0}} Shuffle-Tracking; Chapter 6, Page 83</ref><ref>''Blackjack: A Winner's Handbook''; by Jerry L. Patterson; Perigee Books; A Division of Penguin Putnam; © 1990; {{ISBN|0-399-51598-4}} Shuffle-Tracking; Chapter 4, Page 51</ref>

====Identifying concealed cards====
The player can also gain an advantage by identifying cards from distinctive wear markings on their backs, or by [[hole carding]] (observing during the dealing process the front of a card dealt face down). These methods are generally legal although their status in particular jurisdictions may vary.

==Side bets==
Many blackjack tables offer a side bet on various outcomes including:<ref>{{cite web|title=The Wizard of Odds|work=Blackjack Side Bets|url=http://wizardofodds.com/blackjack/appendix8.html}}</ref>
*Player hand and dealer's up card sum to 19, 20, or 21 ("Lucky Lucky")
*Player initial hand is a pair ("Perfect pairs")
*Player initial hand is suited, suited and connected, or a suited K-Q ("Royal match")
*Player initial hand plus dealer's card makes a flush, straight, or three-of-a-kind [[three card poker|poker]] hand ("21+3")
*Player initial hand totals 20 ("Lucky Ladies")
*Dealer upcard is in between the value of the players two cards ("In Bet")
*First card drawn to the dealer will result in a dealer bust ("Bust It!")
*One or both of the players cards is the same as the dealers card ("Match the Dealer")

The side wager is typically placed in a designated area next to the box for the main wager. A player wishing to wager on a side bet is usually required to place a wager on blackjack. Some games require that the blackjack wager should equal or exceed any side bet wager. A non-controlling player of a blackjack hand is usually permitted to place a side bet regardless of whether the controlling player does so.

The house edge for side bets is generally far higher than for the blackjack game itself. Nonetheless side bets can be susceptible to card counting. A side count, designed specifically for a particular side bet, can improve the player edge. Only a few side bets, like "Lucky Ladies", offer a sufficient win rate to justify the effort of advantage play.

In team play it is common for team members to be dedicated toward counting only a sidebet using a specialized count.

==Blackjack tournaments==
Blackjack can be played in tournament form. Players start with an equal numbers of chips; the goal is to finish among the top chip-holders. Depending on the number of competitors, tournaments may be held over several rounds, with one or two players qualifying from each table after a set number of deals to meet the qualifiers from the other tables in the next round. Another tournament format, [[Elimination Blackjack]], drops the lowest-stacked player from the table at pre-determined points in the tournament. Good strategy for blackjack tournaments can differ from non-tournament strategy because of the added dimension of choosing the amount to be wagered. As in poker tournaments, players pay the casino an initial entry fee to participate in a tournament, and re-buys are sometimes permitted.

==Video blackjack==
[[Image:Video Blackjack Machine at Seven Feathers.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A video Blackjack machine at [[Seven Feathers Casino Resort|Seven Feathers Casino]].]]
Some casinos, as well as general betting outlets, provide blackjack among a selection of casino-style games at electronic consoles. Video blackjack game rules are generally more favorable to the house; e.g., paying out only even money for winning blackjacks. Video and online blackjack games generally deal each round from a fresh shoe, rendering card counting ineffective in most situations.

==Variants of the game==
Blackjack is a member of a large family of traditional card games played recreationally all around the world. Most of these games have not been adapted for casino play. Furthermore, the casino game development industry is very active in producing blackjack variants, most of which are ultimately not adopted for widespread use in casinos. The following are the prominent twenty-one themed comparing card games which have been adapted or invented for use in casinos and have become established in the gambling industry.

*'''[[Spanish 21]]''' provides players with many liberal blackjack rules, such as doubling down any number of cards (with the option to ''rescue'', or surrender only one wager to the house), payout bonuses for five or more card 21s, 6–7–8 21s, 7–7–7 21s, late surrender, and player blackjacks always winning and player 21s always winning, at the cost of having no 10 cards in the deck (though there are jacks, queens, and kings). An unlicensed version of Spanish 21 played without a hole card is found in Australian casinos under the name [[Pontoon (card game)|"Pontoon"]] (presumably borrowed from the British recreational blackjack-like game "Pontoon" which has substantially different rules).
*'''21st-Century Blackjack''' (also known as "Vegas Style" Blackjack) is found in California card rooms. In this form of the game, a player bust does not always result in an automatic loss; depending on the casino, the player can still push if the dealer busts as well, although the dealer typically has to bust with a higher total.
*'''[[Double Exposure Blackjack]]''' deals the first two cards of the dealer's hand face up. Blackjacks pay [[even money]], and players lose on ties; also, they can neither buy insurance nor can they surrender their hand (as both dealer's cards are exposed at the outset).
*'''[[Double Attack Blackjack]]''' has very liberal blackjack rules and the option of increasing one's wager after seeing the dealer's up card. This game is dealt from a Spanish shoe, and blackjacks only pay even money.
*'''[[Blackjack Switch]]''' is played over two hands whose second cards the player is allowed to interchange. For example, if the player is dealt 10–6 and 5–10, then the player can switch two cards to make hands of 10–10 and 6–5. Natural blackjacks are paid 1:1 instead of the standard 3:2, and a dealer 22 is a push.
*'''[[Super Fun 21]]''' allows a player to split a hand up to four times. If the player has six cards totaling 20, he automatically wins. Wins are paid 1:1.

Examples of the many local traditional and recreational blackjack-like games include '''French/German Blackjack''', called ''Vingt-et-un'' (French: Twenty-one) or "Siebzehn und Vier" (German: Seventeen and Four). The French/German game does not allow splitting. An ace can only count as eleven, but two aces count as a blackjack. It is mostly played in private circles and barracks. A British variation is called "Pontoon", the name being probably a corruption of "Vingt-et-un".

===TV show variations===
Blackjack is also featured in various television shows. Here are a few shows inspired by the game.

*'''''[[Gambit (game show)|Gambit]]''''' was a game show with [[Wink Martindale]] where couples answer questions to collect cards that could add up to 21.
*'''''[[Catch 21]]''''' is a game show with [[Alfonso Ribeiro]] from ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]''. On this show, three players answer questions to earn cards in order to win cash and ties are not allowed.
*From 1980 to 2006, there was a blackjack-based [[List of The Price is Right pricing games|pricing game]] on ''[[The Price is Right (U.S. game show)|The Price is Right]]'', called '''Hit Me'''. In this game, six grocery products were used, and five of those products' prices were multiplied by various numbers from 2 to 10, but with the one remaining product having the exact price. In order to win a large prize, the contestant had to achieve a score of 21 (which was usually done by picking a product whose price was multiplied by ten and the one that was correctly priced), or beat the house with any score that did not exceed 21.

==Blackjack Hall of Fame==
{{Main|Blackjack Hall of Fame}}

In 2002, professional gamblers around the world were invited to nominate great blackjack players for admission into the [[Blackjack Hall of Fame]]. Seven members were inducted in 2002, with new people inducted every year after. The Hall of Fame is at the [[Barona Casino]] in [[San Diego]]. Members include [[Edward O. Thorp]], author of the 1960s book ''Beat the Dealer'' which proved that the game could be beaten with a combination of basic strategy and [[card counting]]; [[Ken Uston]], who popularized the concept of team play; [[Arnold Snyder]], author and editor of the ''[[Blackjack Forum]]'' trade journal; [[Stanford Wong]], author and popularizer of the "Wonging" technique of only playing at a positive count, and several others.

== Blackjack in the arts ==
Novels have been written around blackjack and the possibility of winning games via some kind of method. Among these were ''The Blackjack Hijack'' (Charles Einstein, 1976), later produced as the TV movie [[Nowhere to Run (1978 film)|''Nowhere to Run'']], and [[Bringing Down the House (book)|''Bringing Down the House'']] (Ben Mezrich), also filmed as [[21 (2008 film)|''21'']]. An almost identical theme was shown in the 2004 Canadian film ''[[The Last Casino]]''.

In ''The Hangover'', an American comedy, four friends try to count cards to win back enough money to secure the release of their friend from the clutches of a notorious criminal they stole from the previous night while blacked out. A central part of the plot of ''[[Rain Man]]'' is that Raymond ([[Dustin Hoffman]]), an autistic [[savant syndrome|savant]], is able to win at blackjack by counting cards. In the 2014 film ''[[The Gambler (2014 film)|The Gambler]]'' we see Jim Bennett ([[Mark Wahlberg]]) playing high stakes Blackjack in order to win large sums of money. This movie displays different blackjack lingo and risky moves that have high rewards.

==See also==
* [[The Gambler (film series)]]
* [[Glossary of blackjack terms]]
* [[MIT Blackjack Team]]

==Blackjack literature==
* ''Beat the Dealer : A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One'', [[Edward O. Thorp]], 1966, {{ISBN|978-0-394-70310-7}}
* ''Blackbelt in Blackjack'', [[Arnold Snyder]], 1998 (1980), {{ISBN|978-0-910575-05-8}}
* ''Blackjack and the Law'', [[I. Nelson Rose]] and Robert A. Loeb, 1998, {{ISBN|0-910575-08-8}}
* ''Blackjack: A Winner's Handbook'', [[Jerry L. Patterson]], 2001, (1978), {{ISBN|978-0-399-52683-1}}
* ''Encyclopedia of Casino Twenty-One'', [[Michael Dalton (gambler)|Michael Dalton]], 2016, (1993), {{ISBN|1-879712-02-4}}
* ''Ken Uston on Blackjack'', [[Ken Uston]], 1986, {{ISBN|978-0-8184-0411-5}}
* ''Knock-Out Blackjack'', Olaf Vancura and Ken Fuchs, 1998, {{ISBN|978-0-929712-31-4}}
* ''Luck, Logic, and White Lies: The Mathematics of Games'', [[Jörg Bewersdorff]], 2004, {{ISBN|978-1-56881-210-6}}, 121–134, supplement: [http://bewersdorff-online.de/black-jack/ ''Blackjack calculator'' (JavaScript)]
* ''Million Dollar Blackjack'', [[Ken Uston]], 1994 (1981), {{ISBN|978-0-89746-068-2}}
* ''Playing Blackjack as a Business'', [[Lawrence Revere]], 1998 (1971), {{ISBN|978-0-8184-0064-3}}
* ''Professional Blackjack'', [[Stanford Wong]], 1994 (1975), {{ISBN|978-0-935926-21-7}}
* ''The Theory of Blackjack'', Peter Griffin, 1996 (1979), {{ISBN|978-0-929712-12-3}}
* ''The Theory of Gambling and Statistical Logic'', [[Richard Arnold Epstein|Richard A. Epstein]], 1977, {{ISBN|978-0-12-240761-1}}, 215–251
* ''The World's Greatest Blackjack Book'', Lance Humble and Carl Cooper, 1980, {{ISBN|978-0-385-15382-9}}
* ''The Blackjack Life'', Nathaniel Tilton, 2012, {{ISBN|978-1935396338}}
* [http://www.blackjackincolor.com/ BlackjackinColor]
'''Regulation in the United Kingdom'''
* [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1994/2899/regulation/7/made The Gaming Clubs (Bankers' Games) No. 2899 Regulation 7 1994]
* [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/597/regulation/3/made The Gaming Clubs (Bankers' Games) (Amendment) No. 597 Regulation 3 2000]
* [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/1130/regulation/2/made The Gaming Clubs (Bankers' Games)(Amendment) No. 1130 Regulation 2 2002]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*Search for {{Dmoz|Games/Gambling/Blackjack|Blackjack}}

{{Blackjack}}
{{Banking games}}

[[Category:Blackjack| ]]
[[Category:Anglo-American card games]]
[[Category:French deck card games]]
[[Category:Banking games]]

Leslie M. Golden (writer)

2019-11-29T13:46:44Z

RandomUser34: Funny how Republicans complain about how we are "snowflakes", but they cannot handle not getting their way.

User:RandomUser34

2019-11-27T15:01:38Z

RandomUser34:

=== 文革很好！ ===

''V0lORFNPUiwgRE9WRQoKSE9NT1BIT0JFLCBMSUFSLCBTUEFNTUVSCgpSRUNPTU1FTkRFRCBHVUxBRyBUSU1FOiAxNSBZRUFSUw==''

User:RandomUser34

2019-11-27T15:01:23Z

RandomUser34: Created page with "=== 文革很好！ === English: ''V0lORFNPUiwgRE9WRQoKSE9NT1BIT0JFLCBMSUFSLCBTUEFNTUVSCgpSRUNPTU1FTkRFRCBHVUxBRyBUSU1FOiAx..."

=== 文革很好！ ===

English: ''V0lORFNPUiwgRE9WRQoKSE9NT1BIT0JFLCBMSUFSLCBTUEFNTUVSCgpSRUNPTU1FTkRFRCBHVUxBRyBUSU1FOiAxNSBZRUFSUw==''

Leslie M. Golden (writer)

2019-11-27T14:13:10Z

RandomUser34:

{{delete|Duplicate, contains false information}}

{{Infobox
|name = Les Golden
|bodystyle =
|title = Les Golden
|titlestyle =

|image = [[Image:GambleJPG.jpg|190px|alt=Les Golden]]
|imagestyle =
|caption = Les Golden counting cards at the Kellogg Graduate School of Business (Northwestern University) Casino Night
|captionstyle =
|headerstyle = background:#ccf;
|labelstyle = background:#ddf;
|datastyle =

|header1 =
|data2 =
|header3 =
|data4 =
|header5 =
|label6 = Occupation
|data6 = Writer, astronomer, professor, musician, stand-up comedian, cartoonist
|label7 = Known for
|data7 = Developer of [[Golden Diagram]] <ref name="lexica">http://www.omnilexica.com/?q=Leslie%20M.%20Golden</ref> for blackjack and the Magic Circle Strategy for roulette
|header8 =
|label9 = Influences
|data9 = Nina Grace Smith, L. Knowles Cooke, [[Frank Drake]], W.J. "Jack" Welch, [[David W. Tucker]], Edward O. Thorp, [[Del Close]]
|label10 = Contact
|data10 = drlesgo@aol.com; lesgoldencardcounting@yahoo.com; literary agent - elagencywest@aol.com
|header11 =
|label12 = References
|data12 = http://www.geocities.ws/les_golden; http://www.oocities.org/goldenforstaterepresentative; cell 773-837-3146
}}

'''Les Golden''' is an astronomer as well as an internationally known gambling writer, actor, and political, environmental, and animal welfare activist. He lives in Oak Park, [[Illinois]].<ref> http://www.illinoisauthors.org/authors/Leslie_Morris_Golden</ref><ref>http://www.librarything.com/profile/Les_Golden</ref><ref> http://www.librarything.com/author/goldenlesliem</ref><ref>http://www.authorsden.com/lesgolden</ref> He has written for gambling.com, iGamingBusiness, gamblingonline, [[Bluff Magazine|Bluff Europe]], and Jackpots Review print magazines. He became aware of card counting systems and became a card counter at the popular casino game of [[blackjack]] while a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, by reading the 1966 revised edition of Beat the Dealer,<ref>Thorp, E. O. (1966) ''Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One'', Random House, New York</ref> the seminal work of mathematician Edward O. Thorp, who was aided in his computer simulations by programmers Julian Braun and Harvey Dubner.<ref>Thorp, E. O. (1966),''Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One'', Random House, New York, pp. 93-94</ref> As a graduate student in astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley, Golden made monthly trips to [[Reno]], [[Nevada]] and played blackjack using Thorp’s systems. He is the developer of the [[Golden Diagram]] <ref name="lexica"/> technique for countering casino countermeasures at blackjack and the Magic Circle system for winning at biased roulette wheels. Dr. Golden was named an [[International Gaming Institute Scholar]] (IGI) (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) for 2016. He currently resides in Oak Park, [[Illinois]], and [[Reno]], [[Nevada]].

==Background==
===Education and Research===
[[File: LesGoldenCollectedWritings.JPG|thumb|right|125px| The noted author and biographer Jordan Naoum has published collected writings of Golden in his 2011 book, Les Golden]] Leslie Morris Golden (''Eliezer Moshe ben Reuven Motl y Chanah Kaileh'', ''Lazar Masche'') was born in Chicago, an identical twin,<ref>His parents are Irving R. (b. 1907) and Anne K. Golden (b. 1909; maiden name, Eisenberg). Anne had twin brothers, Irving and Sam (b. 1905), and twin uncles on her mother’s side, Michel and Kivah Gerstein (b.1876), making the Golden twins the third successive generation of male twins on the maternal side. The birth of the Golden twins was one of a record number of twin births at Wesley Memorial Hospital, a part of Northwestern Hospital in Chicago, in early December.</ref><ref>(1943), “Twins Tend Record Twin Crop,” ''Chicago Herald-American'', December 4, p. II-3</ref><ref>Petlicki, Myrna (1997), “Golden memories,” ''Oak Leaves'' (Oak Park, Illinois), July 2, p. B3-6</ref> the son of Anne K. (née Eisenberg; March 7, 1909 – November 19, 1999), a legal stenographer and homemaker, and Irving R. Golden (March 15, 1907 – June 22, 2005), an attorney and co-owner with his father Max Goldstein, an immigrant finish carpenter from Belarus, Russia, of a store fixture and bar manufacturing firm,<ref>Kogan, Rick (2005), “Lawyer also designed, built bars,” ''Chicago Tribune'', July 24, p. IV-7</ref> and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, where he attended Horace Mann grammar school and Oak Park-River Forest High School.

[[File: LesGoldenSemesteratSea.jpg|thumb|left|175px| Professor Golden was the first University of Illinois professor chosen to be a professor on Semester at Sea. He taught courses on astronomer and the possibility of extraterrestrial life.]]He holds the B.A. (with Distinction) and Masters of Engineering Physics from Cornell University,<ref name="Cornell">http://www.cornell65.com/interest/golden.html</ref> where he was both a Cornell McMullen Scholar and a Fellow of the Interfoundation Committee of the American Institute for Economic Research (Great Barrington, Mass.). The Cornell website notes him as one of its distinguished alumni writers.<ref>www.collegegrid.com/grid/index.php/Cornell_University</ref> He received the M.A. and Ph.D in astronomy from the University of California, Berkeley,<ref> http://badgrads.berkeley.edu/doku.php?id=alumni:old</ref><ref>http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/2006ASPC..356...87F, page 90</ref> under Professor William J. “Jack” Welch,<ref>http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Faculty/Homepages/welch.html</ref> the Watson and Marilyn Alberts Chair emeritus in Extraterrestrial Intelligence. His dissertation was “A Microwave Interferometric Study of the Subsurface of the Planet Mercury.”<ref>http://books.google.com/books/about/A_Microwave_Interferometric_Study_of_the.html?id=vJK_HgAACAAJ</ref><ref>http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=Microwave%20Interferometric%20Study%20Subsurface%20Planet%20Mercury&index=books</ref><ref>(2012) Rivers, Eric, The Solar System, April 25; http://www.amazon.com/The-Solar-System-Eric-Rivers/dp/1475228791/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1338396178&sr=1-1</ref>

At Cornell, he was the award-winning feature editor and then editor-in-chief of the [[Cornell Engineer magazine|Cornell Engineer magazine]]<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=b6TAAAAYAAJ </ref><ref>https://books?id=zqUkAQAAMAAJ</ref> <ref>https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924058075700;view=1up;seq=11</ref> and a member of the Engineering Student Council. Some of his early research in astronomy appeared in a book by Stephen Hawking.<ref> (1979) Hawking, S. W. & Israel, W. General relativity: an Einstein centenary survey. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-22285-0. “A much cited centennial survey”;
books.google.com/books?isbn=0521222850 </ref> He performed research at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, as a National Research Council Resident Research Associate<ref>http://nrc58.nas.edu/aodir/gen_page.asp?mode=detail&sql=idnumber='760817'</ref> and the Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, California. He is the director of the [[Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project]] (N.E.A.R.),<ref>http://www.astronomy.com/sitecore/content/Magazine%20Issues/1994/April%201994.aspx , page 22</ref> which he founded as a University of Illinois at Chicago professor in 1994. He has been elected to both [[Phi Beta Kappa]] (arts and sciences) and [[Tau Beta Pi]] (engineering)<ref>https://www.tbp.org/memb/MemberLookup.cfm
</ref> as well as [[Pi Delta Epsilon]] (journalism). He is listed in [[Marquis Who's Who]] in Science and Technology and [[Marquis Who's Who]] in the World.

In addition to the many citations to his scholarly research in astronomy and the history of science, Golden’s writings and work has been cited in numerous books.<ref>see, for example, The Complete Guide to the Illinois Software Industry, Chicago Software Association;[[Cornell Engineer magazine|Cornell Engineer]],[[Cornell University College of Engineering]]; Mix Hypermedia, Mix Publications; The Griffith Observer, Griffith Observatory; http://books.google.com/books?id=99oqAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Leslie+M.+Golden%22&dq=%22Leslie+M.+Golden%22&hl=en</ref>

The noted author and biographer Jordan Naoum has published collected writings of Golden in his 2011 book, Les Golden (Duc Publishing, ISBN 978-6-1368-4994-2)<ref>www.renotransmission.com/installation.html</ref><ref>www.oakparkjournal.com/2012/2012-Book-announced-Golden-bio.html </ref><ref>www.topix.com/forum/games/blackjack/TM5R2SK854B8812DS</ref><ref>www.publishingheadlines.com/biography-of-les-golden-published-by-duc-publishing/</ref><ref>http://www.topix.com/city/oak-park-il/2013/08/oak-park-renaissance-man-les-golden-has-been-written-by-biographer?fromrss=1</ref> which is available worldwide.<ref>See, for example, www.barnesandnoble.com/w/les-golden-jordan-naoum/1104425304; http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Jordan-Naoum/dp/6136849941/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327941857&sr=1-1; http://www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndSearch/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=9786136849942; http://www.betterworldbooks.com/les-golden-id-6136849941.aspx </ref>

===Performing===
[[File: LesGoldenNotEasyBeingGreen.JPG|thumb|left|175px| One of the leading environmentalist spokesmen and activists in Illinois, Les Golden as President of the CARE party in Oak Park, Illinois, secured the election of a majority on the Park Board which on their first day in office banned pesticides in the parks and recreation centers.]]Golden is a nationally-referenced animal welfare advocate and environmental activist,<ref>http://www.elephantinformation.com/CEMENT%20FLOORING%20or%20HARD%20DIRT%20GROUND.htm </ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-11-24/news/0411240206_1_new-trees-oak-park-district-mulberry-trees</ref><ref>Dwyer, Bill (2007), “Tree Fury at Field,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', July 10, p. 1; http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/07-10-2007/Tree_fury_at_Field</ref><ref>Noel, Josh (2007), “Oak Park tree-removal plan heads for debate,” ''Chicago Tribune'', July 12, p. 7; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2007-07-19/news/0707181717_1_trees-park-renovation-plan</ref><ref>Golden, Leslie M. (2005), “Elephant deaths are a matter of physics,” ''Chicago Sun-Times'', January 28, p. 24</ref><ref>(2000) “Trailside needs a champion,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'' (editorial), November 1, p. 32</ref><ref>Vincent, Ed (2002), “The Lost Chukar,” http://www.suburbanjournals.com/Stories2002/Lost-Chukar-Returned-Home-2002.html, August 10</ref><ref>see, in addition, for example, Golden, Les (2002), “All it would take is a fence to keep critters alive,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', June 12, p. 41; Golden, Les (2000), “Les ‘Cut the Roadkill’ Golden says, Slow Down!”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 19, p. 25; Golden, Les (2000), “Hey, Sylvestri, save our furry and feathered friends,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', October 25, p. 34; Little, Rebecca and Trainor, Ken (2000) “Silvestri responds to Golden, Trailside,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', November 1, p. 2; Golden, Les “Let’s Save the Dogs” Golden (2002), “Ask politicians to make dog fighting a felony,” May 22, p. 32; (2008), “Inside Report: Les ‘Cut the coyotes a break’ Golden,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', January 23, p. 5; Linden, Eric (1991), “’Dandelion Dig’ idea blooming,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', May 29, p. 7; (2001) Golden, Les, “It’s not easy being green, but here are some ideas”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 11, p. 40</ref><ref>(2004) http://www.oakparkjournal.com/2007/2007-Field-Park-ralley-July-8th-2pm.html</ref><ref>“Oak Park Environmentalist Persuades School to Save Taxpayer Dollars, Intergovernmental Cooperation the Key to Recycling Dutch Elm Mulch,” www.oakparkjournal.com/stories2004/2005-les-golden-mulch-nov.html</ref><ref>http://oakpark.suntimes.com/people/voices/ltr_golden-OAK-08012013:article; (2013) Golden, Les, “Inoculation can save ash trees,” Oak Leaves, July 29.</ref> a professional trumpet player, jazz vocalist, and band leader,<ref>http://villageofoakpark.com/Stories2002/2003-Les-Golden-comments-July4th-music.html</ref><ref>https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-110EB48B37554C68.html</ref> and a professional actor with more than 100 stage, film, radio, television, and commercial credits,<ref> http://www.creativehotlist.com/Individuals/details/198826</ref><ref> (1994), “A film career far (but not removed) from Tinseltown,”
Compuserve magazine, August, p. 55 </ref><ref>(1982) “Improvising Your Way to Success,” ''Spring'',1, 6, p. 34 </ref><ref> (1984) “The boss is never wrong,” ''Screen magazine'', October 1, p. 19</ref><ref>www.imdb.com/title/tt0097170/</ref><ref>www.locatetv.com/person/les-golden/118760</ref><ref>http://www.reelz.com/person/146084/les-golden/movie-friends/</ref><ref>Petrulis, Len (1982), “Golden TV ‘Spoof’ on Reality,” ''Berwyn Life'', May 19, p. 14</ref> including multiple principle Shakespearean roles with [[Oak Park Festival Theatre]], an Equity-contract theatre.[[File:WhoisLesGolden.JPG|thumb|200px|Les Golden Renaissance Man feature article]] As a model, he has appeared on the covers of numerous magazines including ''Burpee Seeds'', ''Heathkit'', ''Amway Magazine'', and ''Money Magazine.''

In 1966 Golden provided the stimulus for the formation of the [[University of California Jazz Ensembles]] by placing an ad calling for student jazz musicians in the [[Daily Californian]]. With the arrival of Dr. [[David W. Tucker]] to the Cal campus in 1969, the organization became the most prominent musical organization on the Berkeley campus. Golden was a trumpet player, soloist, and vocalist with the elite Wednesday Night big band. For seven years he was the emcee for the program, appearing at dozens of performances annually at concerts and jazz festivals throughout California.<ref>http://ucjazz.berkeley.edu/ </ref>[[File:DailyCalArticlebyLesGoldenUCJazz1968.JPG‎|thumb|left|175px|Article by Les Golden in the Daily Californian announcing the first concert of the University of California Jazz Ensembles]]

Golden is an award-winning developer of sophisticated music notation software.<ref>Nolan, Herb (1989), “An Astronomer Tackles the Music Software Marketplace,” ''Upbeat'', November, p. 45-46</ref><ref>(1989), “100 Great Products for Under $100,” ''Electronic Musician'', December, '''5''', 12, p. 46</ref><ref>Mahin, Bruce P. (1989), “Choosing Music Notation Software,” ''The Instrumentalist'', '''43''', 11, p. 26-31</ref><ref>(1989), “Basic Composer,” ''Music Educators Journal'', April, p. 20</ref><ref>Kuzmich, John (1990), “Scoring With Computers,” ''Jazz Educators Journal'', '''23''', 3, p. 52</ref><ref>King, Patricia (1990),” “Basic Composer,” ''The Music and Computer Educator'', '''1''', 10, p. 26</ref><ref>(1991), “Basic Composer 4.3,” ''Compute'', '''13''', 2, p.90</ref><ref>Lynch, Dennis, (1990), “Unlock your creativity via computers,” Chicago Tribune, February 23, Section 3, p. 3, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-02-23/entertainment/9001160136_1_computers-apple-iigs-steve-jobs</ref>

He is a published jazz critic.<ref>Golden, Les (1994), “Ravinia places Chicago on map for jazz fans,” ''Northwest Leader'', August 3, p. 6</ref>

He has appeared numerous times as an actor<ref>http://people.theiapolis.com/actor-B9C1/les-golden/sites/les-golden-actor-1000547.html</ref> on the live-broadcast productions of "[[Unshackled]]!" He was a featured regular on the [[Eddie Hubbard]] Show radio program as the character Jeffrey Clayton Maxwell from Bhutan. He was one of the stable of gifted Chicago character actors cast in numerous national and regional television commercials by renowned director [[Josef Sedelmaier]] of “Where’s the Beef?” fame. He is a member of both the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). He was a charter member of Chicago's Porchlight Theatre Ensemble. He has appeared in featured roles with [[Broderick Crawford]], [[Tippi Hedren]], [[Troy Donahue]], [[Charlotte Ross]], Susan Hart, [[Robert Petkoff]], [[David Darlow]], [[Bruce Jarchow]], [[Paula Scrofano]], and others.[[File:LesGoldenKreyHotDogsActor.JPG|thumb|175px|Les Golden possesses a "great character face." Shown here as model for Krey Hot Dogs.]]

His [[Bacon number]] (the number of motion picture role links between a given actor and prolific actor [[Kevin Bacon]] - Les Golden, Deadly Spygames with [[Tippi Hedren]], who was in [[Jayne Mansfield|Jayne Mansfield’s]] Car with Kevin Bacon) is 2<ref>http://oracleofbacon.org/</ref> (closer value than 82% of all credited motion picture actors).

He has authored stage and screen plays, including “The Skull Caper,” based on the bequeathal of the skull of his mentor [[Del Close]] to the [[Goodman Theatre]] in [[Chicago]], a full-length murder mystery comedy, [[Murder by Mistletoe]], and a screenplay, [[Never Split Tens]], based on the life of the mathematician who developed the card counting system for the casino game of blackjack.<ref> http://www.creativehotlist.com/Individuals/details/198826</ref>

As "Flash Golden," he was the play-by-play announcer for the California Golden Bears basketball radio broadcasts and hosted Flash's Jazz Patio on [[KALX]]-FM. As a stand-up comedian, he has performed at San Francisco's Holy City Zoo and Mustard Seed, the Comedy Store and other clubs in Los Angeles, the Comedy Cottage in Chicago, as well as on the college circuit, Playboy Club, and other clubs from Puerta Vallarta to Boston. He appears both as himself, [[Les Golden]], and as [[Subrahmanyan Berkowitz]] from Bhutan. He is a published editorial cartoonist.[[File:FlashGoldenatOaklandColiseum.JPG|thumb|250px|Flash Golden at halftime at Oakland Coliseum for Cal-UCLA showdown. He wears his signature gold jacket and blue and gold tie. To his right is color man George Skofis. To his left, standing, is Larry Heavey, baritone sax player with the UC Jazz Ensembles.]]

As an editorial and comic cartoonist, Les Golden has been widely published. He is listed in [[Comiclopedia]]<ref>http://lambiek.com/artists/g/golden_les.htm</ref>. His subjects are taken from his interest in politics and other careers as a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, musician, environmentalist, animal welfare advocate, astronomer, and professor. He may be best known for his strip "Captain Industry" from the 1980's. His content ranges from politically controversial to school-boy silliness, with a clean line-art artistic style. His textbook, Laboratory Exercises in Physics for Modern Astronomy (Springer-Verlag, 2012), includes numerous of his comic illustrations, including those of possible extraterrestrials. He credits Betty Edwards, author of Drawing On the Right Side of the Brain, as his major artistic influence. [[File:LesGoldenCartoona.JPG|thumb|left|225px|As a cartoonist, Les Golden is widely published. Among other venues, he contributes cartoons to various gambling magazines. Copyright 2012 Les Golden. All rights reserved.]]

===Organized Athletics===
In athletics he was a two-sport letterman at Oak Park and River Forest High School and was the manager and third baseman of the "Goldenrods" at Cornell and manager and third baseman of the "Foul Balls" in the fast-pitch summer league at U.C. Berkeley. At JPL, he was the third baseman on the champion JPL fast-pitch team in the Glendale City League.

===Astronomy Publications and Presentations===
[[File: LesGoldenNEAR.JPG|thumb|right|150px| Les Golden, astronomer, founded the [[Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project]] while a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.]]Golden has published several peer-reviewed refereed articles on applications of probability and statistics to astronomy,<ref>Golden, Leslie M. (1971). “Evolution of Quasar Optical and Radio Luminosity,” ''Nature'', '''234''', 103; http://www.nature.com/nature-physci/journal/v234/n49/abs/physci234103a0.html</ref><ref>Golden, Leslie M. (1974). “Isotropy of Radio Source Populations from Comparison of Number - Flux Density Curves,” ''Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society'', '''166''', 383; http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1974MNRAS.166..383G </ref><ref>Golden, Leslie M. (1974). “Observational Selection in the Identification of Quasars and Claims for Anisotropy,” ''Observatory'', '''94''', 122; http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1974Obs....94..122G </ref><ref>Golden, Leslie M. (1979). “The Effect of Surface Roughness on the Transmission of Microwave Radiation Through a Planetary Surface,” ''Icarus'', '''38''', 451; http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0019103579901994 </ref> and has taught probability and statistics as an Adjunct Professor of Management Science in the Heller Graduate School of Business at Roosevelt University in Chicago in addition to being an astronomy professor in the physics department and the Honors College of the University of Illinois at Chicago.<ref> http://www.springer.com/astronomy/astronomy,+observations+and+techniques/book/978-1-4614-3310-1?detailsPage=authorsAndEditors</ref>

[[File:TsunamiLecture.JPG‎|thumb|left|250px| Professor Leslie M. Golden lectures in 2005 on how the East Indian Ocean [[tsunami]]-generating earthquake led to a shortening of the length of the day.]]He lectures to adult and student audiences on the possibility of extraterrestrial life and the hypothetical shapes of their bodies. A frequent cruise ship lecturer, he was selected by Royal Cruise Lines to be their shipboard lecturer on the high seas during the 1986 apparition of Halley's Comet, and was the first University of Illinois professor selected to be a professor on the Institute of Shipboard Education's (ISE) Semester at Sea program,<ref>(1997), “Physics sails the world,” ''UIC News'' (University of Illinois at Chicago), April 30, p. 2; http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/uicnews/articledetail.cgi?id=4005</ref> teaching courses on astronomy and the possibility of extraterrestrial life in the fall semester of 1996. [[File: PhysicsEducationReview.gif|thumb|left|150px|The review of Les Golden’s "Laboratory Experiments in Physics for Modern Astronomy" by Michael Vollmer, published in Physics Education Journal, July 2013, volume 48, number 4, pages 534-535.]]Among his popular writings on astronomy<ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-01-20/news/0401200115_1_communication-satellites-mars-initiative-astronomy</ref><ref>http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?30437-Benefits-Of-A-Mission-To-Mars</ref><ref> articles.chicagotribune.com/keyword/astronomy/recent/4</ref> and public presentations,<ref>(2005) Anderson, Holly, “Day shortened by quake, astronomer calculates,” http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-110D9F0B0030ACF0.html, January 5</ref><ref>http://blog.chicagoweathercenter.com/2004/12/27/aftermath_of_the_earthquake_sh/</ref><ref>(2013), Jobs in the sky, Chicago Tribune, February 16, p. 13; http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-vp-0216voicelettersbriefs-20130216,0,5802913.story</ref> he presented a series of lectures to the renowned Field Museum of Natural History on the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligent life, has been the featured speaker at the meeting of the Great Lakes Planetarium Association, and was the keynote speaker for Chicago's Adler Planetarium on the occasion of the dedication of their new wing.

His textbook, Laboratory Exercises in Physics for Modern Astronomy (Springer-Verlag, 2012)<ref>http://www.springer.com/astronomy/astronomy,+observations+and+techniques/book/978-1-4614-3310-1</ref> has been enthusiastically reviewed.<ref>http://www.amazon.com/Laboratory-Experiments-Physics-Modern-Astronomy/dp/146143310X</ref><ref>(2013) Vollmer, Michael, “Physics and astronomy meet in book of experiments,” Physics Education, v. 48, no. 4, p. 534-535; http://iopscience.iop.org/0031-9120/48/4/M03;jsessionid=6530B374440A8BBC9B63245D60D284DF.c1; http://iopscience.iop.org/0031-9120/48/4/M03/pdf/0031-9120_48_4_M03.pdf</ref>

==Biosphere 2 Candidate==

Prof. [[Les Golden]] was a finalist for the second crew of [[Biosphere 2]]. From Biosphere, Golden hoped to direct the [[Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project]], created by Golden in 1994 when he was a professor in the physics department at the [[University of Illinois at Chicago]].<ref>(1997), “Physics sails the world,” ''UIC News'' (University of Illinois at Chicago), April 30, p. 2</ref><ref>(1994), “Near Earth Asteroid Project,” ''Astronomy'', April, p. 22</ref> N.E.A.R. is a world-wide network of amateur astronomers and space scientists involved in the discovery and determination of the orbits of near-earth asteroids or more generally near-earth objects with possible earth-crossing orbits.

==Renaissance Man Description==
Les Golden is a Renaissance Man, a true polymath. [[File: LesGoldenAlkaSeltzer.jpg |thumb|250px| Principal actor for Alka Seltzer national campaign. This photo appeared in every National Basketball Association program for every team during its season.]]He has been so described in numerous newspapers and magazine. "Let's say there was a local character who has a B.S. and M.S. in engineering physics from Cornell University; earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of California in Berkeley; is a professional actor; a former stand-up comedian in San Francisco and L.A. and an improv performer with Chicago's Second City, is a freelance jazz and theater critic and playwright; is president of his own software development company; gives lectures on UFOs and the possibility of extraterrestrial life; was listed in the Marquis "Who's Who in Science and Engineering;" and every July 4 either he or his twin brother lead the band that precedes the fireworks at the local high school. You'd accuse us of making him up, right? Wait, it gets better. Let's say all of that is not enough. Let's say this guy wants to make his mark in politics . . . only he insists on filing under a nickname which usually gets him tossed off the ballot . . . " <ref>(1997) Trainor, Ken, "Who is Les Golden?", ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 2, p. 29-37</ref>[[File: LesGoldenJazzOaklandMuseum.jpg |thumb|left|250px|Members of the University of California Jazz Ensembles in a publicity photo prior to a performance at the Oakland Museum. From top, Gary Maas, drummer, now an optometrist, Les Golden, trumpet, vocalist, and announcer, and Larry Heavey, baritone sax, now a radiologist.]]

"Where to start in introducing the complete one-off individual that is Les Golden? Actor, stand-up comedian, humorist UFO lecturer, singer, astronomer, cartoonist, playwright, trumpet player, voiceover artist, political activist . . . we could go on. You can probably tell that Les is a bit of a character. Luckily for readers, he's also a great blackjack player,"<ref>(2009) Lines, Chris, "A Word From the Editor," ''Gambling Online'', August, p. 8.</ref>

"It would be an unusual man who really went by the name 'Cut the Taxes,' but Golden, of Oak Park, is an unusual man. He is an actor and educational software developer with a Ph.D. in astronomy; he is a trumpet player, writer and physics professor who devotes much of his free time to taxpayers rights issues."<ref>(1995) Zorn, Eric, "This Candidate Is A `Cut The Taxes' Above The Rest," ''Chicago Tribune'', October 3; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-10-03/news/9510030038_1_wallace-gator-bradley-candidates-taxes. See also, (1994), "A film career far (but not removed) from Tinseltown," ''Compuserve magazine'', August, p. 55; Krapf, Paula (1995) "Silence not Golden: aspiring local politico a man of many names, Faces," ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', September 20, p. 4</ref>

“His interests form a list so long as to stagger the imagination. He is a stand-up comic who has performed all over the United States and Mexico, a professional actor in more than 100 plays, films and commercials; and he is the author of Basic Composer, PC-compatible software that is used to compose, play back, and print music and lyrics. (As an astronomer), in 1986 he went on a Halley’s Comet cruise, following the comet from Acapulco to Greece and transmitting reports to the Syndicated Writers’ Group.”<ref>(1991) “CB as a Channel for Discovery,” ''Compuserve Magazine'', December, p. 18</ref>

[[File:LesGoldenNameGame.jpg|thumb|right|175px| Les Golden is a true polymath, a Renaissance Man. His numerous activities have provided him with many names. Play the Les Golden Name Game! ]]Unlike many in society who were influenced and aided by family members in achieving success in given fields, Golden is entirely a self-made man. No one in either his maternal or paternal extended families have matriculated at an Ivy League college, earned a Ph.D, nor have had professional careers as an actor, stand-up comedian, playwright, political cartoonist, magazine editor, non-fiction writer, software developer, scientist, or professor. His identical twin brother and he are the only professional musicians in the extended families.<ref>Petlicki, Myrna (1997), “Golden memories,” ''Oak Leaves'' (Oak Park, Illinois), July 2, p. B3-6</ref><ref>http://villageofoakpark.com/Stories2002/2003-Les-Golden-comments-July4th-music.html</ref><ref>Lynch, Dennis, (1990), “Unlock your creativity via computers,” Chicago Tribune, February 23, Section 3, p. 3, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-02-23/entertainment/9001160136_1_computers-apple-iigs-steve-jobs</ref>

Les Golden has featured listings at the non-vanity websites Library Thing,<ref>http://www.librarything.com/profile/Les_Golden</ref> Illinois Authors, <ref>http://www.illinoisauthors.org/authors/Leslie_Morris_Golden</ref> Authors Den,<ref>http://www.authorsden.com/lesgolden</ref> Comiclopedia,<ref>http://lambiek.com/artists/g/golden_les.htm</ref> and Theiapolis.<ref>http://people.theiapolis.com/actor-B9C1/les-golden/sites/les-golden-actor-1000547.html</ref>

In addition to these, he is listed at a remarkable multiplicity of amazon.com websites marking notability: 
https://www.evi.com/q/actors_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/comedians_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/musicians_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/writers_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/activists_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/astronomers_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/playwrights_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/scientists_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/professors_from_oak_park,_illinois.

==Writings==
Les Golden has had books published by reputable publishers in fiction and non-fiction. His biographical novel based on the life of gambling theorist [[Edward O. Thorp]] received stellar endorsements.

“I found the story tremendously entertaining, with a pantheon of compelling characters such as gambler Ed Thorp and bookie Manny Kimmel taking us from the casinos of Nevada to those of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Les Golden’s novel is a triumph begging for adaptation to the screen.”

LANA WOOD
Television and film producer
Actress (“Diamonds Are Forever”)
Best-selling author, Natalie, a Memoir

“Les Golden has an ever-increasing influence and burgeoning popularity. A significant name in the industry, the ‘go to’ man for strategy and anecdotal literary dexterity. I cannot acclaim his star highly enough.”

JAMES MCKEOWN
Editor, iGaming Business Magazine
Editor, Gambling.com Magazine

“Les Golden is a comedy genius. It really is as simple as that. An expert in the field, he makes getting educated not only painless but actually funny.”

DAVE BLAND
Editor, Flush Magazine
British television pundit

“I learn more about strategy through Les’ writings than I do through many failed trips to Vegas. Always concise, easy-to-read, and intelligent.”

JON YOUNG
Editor WPT (World Poker Tour) Magazine

“Les Golden makes numbers hilarious. He's simply the funniest gaming strategy writer there is. His writing is ‘rakish’ and ‘bond-esque.’ ”

PHILIP CONNELLER
Editor, Bluff Europe Magazine

“The dialog crackles and the fictional elements brilliantly illuminate how cool Ed Thorp is. And there’s just the right amount of blackjack and math. I love it.”

AARON BROWN
Professional gambler, Wall Street risk manager
Author, The Poker Face of Wall Street

==Gambling Writings==
===Introduction to Card Counting===
[[File: LesGoldenUnitedAirlines.JPG|thumb|left|125px| International poster-boy for United Airlines. These brochures were available at every UAL ticket office and airport terminal in the world. An accompanying poster was on the wall in every UAL ticket office and airport terminal in the world as well as being printed in every major American newspaper (and perhaps foreign as well).]]In the months before the premier Wednesday Night Band of the [[University of California Jazz Ensembles]], under the direction of Dr. [[David W. Tucker]], went in 1972 to Reno, Nevada, to compete in its first [[Reno]] Jazz Festival,<ref>www.unr.edu/rjf/</ref> Golden, a trumpet player and vocalist with the band and its announcer, purchased Beat the Dealer at the legendary Moe’s Bookstore in Berkeley, California, and studied Thorp’s complete point count system. In the next five years at Berkeley, Golden made monthly trips to Reno, with additional trips to Lake Tahoe and Virginia City, Nevada. In 1977 he moved to Los Angeles to perform research at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a National Research Council Resident Research Associate post-doctoral fellow in astronomy,<ref>http://nrc58.nas.edu/aodir/gen_page.asp?mode=detail&sql=idnumber='760817'</ref> and his gambling excursions were to [[Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]]. He continued to perform stand-up comedy at various venues including The Comedy Store and The Improv.
[[File:CountonLesLogojpg.JPG‎|thumb|240px|Logo for Les Golden's popular "Count on Les" columns for gambling.com print magazine]]

===Writings===
He has written for ''Gambling.com'',<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20111003095727/http://www.professional-poker.com/news/2006/nov/764-gamblingcom-poker-content.htm
http://www.professional-poker.com/news/2006/nov/764-gamblingcom-poker-content.htm.</ref><ref>http://www.gambling.com/Blackjack/tips-strategies/194/the-blackjack-breakdown</ref> ''Gambling Online'',<ref>www.gamblingonlinemagazine.com/casinos.php</ref> ''iGaming Business'',<ref> http://www.igamingbusiness.com/content/shannon-elizabeth-heats-gamblingcom-magazine</ref>, ''Bluff Europe''<ref>http://www.sbg-globalblackjack.com/p/blackjack-news-headlines-for-september-02-2011</ref><ref>en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluff_Magazine</ref><ref>www.bluffeurope.com/</ref>, and ''Jackpots Review'' magazines, and as a newspaper columnist as a casino advocate.<ref>Golden, Les (1992). “Pleasant Home: Here's a Worthwhile Gamble,” ''Oak Leaves'' (Oak Park, Illinois), July 31, p. 21</ref> His writing reflects his Renaissance man<ref name=''tinsel''>(1994), “A film career far (but not removed) from Tinseltown,” ''Compuserve magazine'',
August, p. 55</ref><ref>(1995) Krapf, Paula, “Silence not Golden: aspiring local politico a man of many names, Faces,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', September 20, p. 4</ref><ref>Trainor, Ken (1997), “Who is Les Golden?”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 2, p. 29-37</ref><ref>(1998) Silver, Moe (name adopted by writer Ken Trainor for purpose of article), “The Clone Ranger divides again”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 1, p. 52</ref><ref name="Shrewish">Trainor, Ken (2001) “Funny, he doesn’t look shrewish,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 1, p. 2</ref><ref name="Cornell"/><ref>http://www.trueknowledge.com/q/facts_about__les_golden_28</ref> multiple knowledge bases. With a technical background, many of his articles deal with probability issues in casino games, focusing on roulette, craps, and blackjack, and discussing such topics as the central limit theorem, the [[normal curve]], and Gambler's ruin, and often employing [[Monte Carlo]] simulations and references to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, an area to which he had been introduced at Cornell University by his mentor Frank Drake and which is one of his research and public lecture areas as an astronomer.<ref>(1983). “People Focuses on Fellow Who Makes ETs His Specialty,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', November 16</ref><ref>(1983), “Rosary prof makes stars come to life for ‘ET’ class,” ''Suburban Sun-Times'' (West), July 1, p. 14</ref><ref>(1984). ”Halley's Comet, Alien Life Highlight Astronomer's Talk,” ''Harlem-Irving Times'', March 2, p 3</ref> [[File:LesGoldenasDrArmstrong.jpg‎|thumb|150px|Les Golden had the part of Dr. Armstrong in Agatha Christie’s "Ten Little Indians." Golden is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists]]With his stand-up comedian background, his style has been described by one of his editors, “You can probably tell that Les is a bit of a character. Luckily for readers, he’s also a great blackjack player,”<ref>Lines, Chris (2009), “A Word From the Editor,” ''Gambling Online'', August, p. 8.</ref> and by Dave Bland, the editor of ''Flush Magazine'', "Les Golden is a comedy genius. I could write more but it really is as simple as that.”<ref>http://triblocal.com/oak-park-river-forest/community/stories/2010/06/cut-the-taxes-golden-is-now-cut-the-cards/</ref><ref>http://triblocal.com/members/dianenichols/mentions/</ref> A professional actor with a Kevin Bacon number of 3 who has studied with Ann Woodworth of [[Northwestern University]] and [[Del Close]] of Chicago’s [[The Second City]] improvisational nightclub, Golden periodically writes about applying acting techniques to camouflage both being a card counter and also being a member of roulette and blackjack teams.<ref>Golden, Les (2010), “So, Do You Feel Lucky, Punk. Well, Do ‘Ya? ,” ''Bluff Europe'', October, p. 88-89</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2010), “Yonder Lies the Castle of my Fodder,” ''Bluff Europe'', November, p. 90-91</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2010), “The Rain in Spain Falls Mainly on the Plain”: Camouflage by Status,” ''Bluff Europe'', December, p. 90-91</ref>

[[File: LesGoldenAsteroidDiscovery.jpg|thumb|left|175px|The beginnings of the [[Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project]] was the subject of an article in Compuserve Magazine, which also discussed his being a writer for the Syndicated Writers’ Group reporting as a Halley’s Comet lecturer on the high seas.]]Golden has won multiple awards for his writing,<ref> http://www.creativehotlist.com/Individuals/details/198826</ref> including the prestigious Eric Hoffer and Lili Fabilli Laconic Essay Prize,<ref>http://financialaid.berkeley.edu/prizes-and-honors-lili-fabilli-and-eric-hoffer-essay-prize</ref><ref> http://students.berkeley.edu/finaid/undergraduates/hofferprize.htm </ref>, the Griffith Observatory Science Writing Competition,<ref> (1974), Griffith Observer, number 6 </ref>, the International Compuserve Magazine Essay Contest,<ref>(1991) “CB as a Channel for Discovery,” ''Compuserve Magazine'', December, p. 18</ref> and the First Prize in the [[Nicolaus Copernicus]] International Essay Competition (American Council of Polish Cultural Clubs). Gambling.com's website refers to Golden as “gambling.com magazine’s resident blackjack genius.”<ref>http://www.gambling.com/blackjack/tips-strategies/194/the-blackjack-breakdown</ref> His research into the gambling game of 21 has been published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal.<ref> http://www.appliedprobability.org/content.aspx?Group=tms&Page=tmsabstracts36_1#eight </ref>

===Golden Diagram===
After the publication of Beat the Dealer, gambling casinos reacted to the advantage that a card counter gains over the house by adopting counter strategies. These included employing multiple decks rather than the single hand-held deck. Two-deck games and games employing four and six decks dealt from a so-called shoe became commonplace.

[[File: LesGoldenBiologyET.jpg|thumb|left|175px| Dr. Les Golden, a popular UIC professor of physics and director of the Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project, delivers a colloquium on the subject of Extraterrestrial Life to the University of Illinois at Chicago Biology Colloquium. ]]Players soon realized intuitively that both these changes in the game reduced their probabilities of winning. In games with a multiple deck, compared to single-deck or double-deck games, players experience frequency, magnitude, and depth (the fraction of the deck which has been dealt in playing previous hands) effects: 1) The deck becomes favorable less frequently at all depths, 2) when the deck does becomes favorable, the magnitude of the advantage is not as great, 3) all decks are favorable infrequently until a significant portion of the deck has been dealt and this occurs at greater depths into the deck in games using multiple decks.

[[File: DrLeslieMGoldenBlackjackArticle.jpg|thumb|right|125px| The June, 2011, paper in The Mathematical Scientist, a peer-reviewed British scholarly journal, established Prof. Les Golden as a recognized expert in the probability and statistics as well as strategy of the casino game of blackjack. ]]Golden, based on a Monte Carlo simulation and theoretical arguments, calculated the magnitude of these effects. The results of his analysis are displayed as [[Golden Diagram|Golden diagrams]]. <ref name="lexica"/><ref>Golden, Les (2010). “Countering the Casino Countering of Counters: The Golden Diagram to the Rescue,” ''Bluff Europe'', June, p. 84-85</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2011). “Trust Me: An Undetectable Winning System For Blackjack! ,” ''Bluff Europe'', March, p. 94-95</ref> He also suggested a stepwise betting strategy to reduce the effects.<ref>Golden, Leslie M. (2011). “An Analysis of the Disadvantage to Players of Multiple Decks in the Game of 21.” ''The Mathematical Scientist'', '''32''', 2, p. 57-69</ref><ref>http://www.appliedprobability.org/content.aspx?Group=tms&Page=tmsabstracts</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2011). “Stepping Out With My Baby: The Stepwise Betting Strategy,” ''Bluff Europe'', April, p. 92-93</ref>

His paper on the subject<ref>digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/gaming_institute/2016/June9/10/</ref> was accepted for presentation at the 2016 triennial Gambling and Risk Taking Conference at the Mirage Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas.<ref>https://www.unlv.edu/sites/default/files/page_files/27/IGI-DraftConferenceSchedule.pdf</ref>

===Magic Circle strategy===
[[File: DrLeslieMGoldenBook.jpg|thumb|right|200px| The bookseller flyer for Laboratory Experiments in Physics for Modern Astronomy.]]The game of roulette, being a game of Simple random sample|statistics without replacement, is not amenable to systems such as card counting, which rely on the non-randomness of the particular game. If, however, the roulette wheel is not perfectly level, laboratory studies, most notably at the British National Weights and Measures Laboratory, and theoretical studies have shown that a skillful croupier can by virtue of muscle memory release the roulette ball with a speed and at a location on the table to bias the bin in which it comes to rest.<ref>Dixon, P. (2005). “Roulette Wheel Testing,” ''Report on Stage 3.1 of NWML/GBGB Project Proposal''</ref><ref>http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2007/ph210/hall1/</ref>

The Magic Circle strategy takes advantage of this potential bias and the non-random location of the various bets on the roulette wheel.<ref>Golden, Les (2009). “Vodka Can Make You Tilt: How You Can Win At Roulette,” ''Bluff Europe'', November, p. 90-92</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2009). “With The Tips In This Article You’ll Become Wealthy Beyond Your Wildest Dreams!,” ''Bluff Europe'', December, p. 90-92</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2010). “Beginners in the Casino: Camouflaging Team Roulette,” ''Bluff Europe'', January, p. 90-91.</ref> Golden showed that, after influencing the croupier to direct the ball into certain sectors of the roulette wheel, a team of players can lay bets in strategic locations on the wheel to secure profitable play.

His paper on the subject<ref>digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/gaming_institute/2016/June9/11/</ref> was accepted for presentation at the 2016 triennial Gambling and Risk Taking Conference at the Mirage Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas.<ref>https://www.unlv.edu/sites/default/files/page_files/27/IGI-DraftConferenceSchedule.pdf</ref>

==Political Activity==

===National Animal Welfare Activity===
===Onion the dog===
Les Golden began the internationally-noted movement to save [[Onion the dog]] of Henderson, Nevada, from euthanasia. The dog was saved after Golden's attorney fought for his life at the Nevada Supreme Court. Animal welfare and animal control laws are being rewritten as a result.<ref>https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/07/les-golden-oak-park-dog-a_n_1497423.html</ref>[[File:WGNInterview.JPG|thumb|350px| Les Golden being interviewed in front of his Oak Park, Illinois, home on nationwide television feed from WGN-TV in Chicago in May, 2012. Golden began the campaign to save Onion the dog from euthanasia after a tragic family event in Henderson, Nevada. The eventually successful campaign to save Onion’s life, using pro bono attorneys with legal fees paid by Golden and his animal welfare group, reached the Nevada Supreme Court, took nearly two years, and gained international attention.]]

===Local===
====CARE Party====
[[File:EricZornLes.JPG|125px|thumb|Featured column on Les Golden in Chicago Tribune.]]
Golden began his political career with the non-partisan [[CARE Party of Oak Park|CARE Party]]. (Citizens Active for Respect for the Environment/Citizens Active for a Responsible Electorate) in Oak Park, [[Illinois]]. He later formed the [[TURF Party]] (Taxpayers United of River Forest) in the adjacent community. He was the president of UTOP (United Taxpayers of Oak Park) from 1991 through 2005.<ref>http://www.oakparkjournal.com/Stories2002/2003-national-taxpayers-protest-op-sept-25.html</ref> As CARE party president he has been responsible for slating more than 70 candidates for local political office, achieving the election of eight on tax-accountability and environmental issues.<ref>see, for example, (1989) CARE joins school board fray, Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest , July 31, page 1; (1989) CARE tries to seek new identity, Oak Leaves, October 11, page 7; (1990) CARE endorsements have defeat the "incumbent" goal, Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest , October 31, page 21; (1991) CARE challenges shake up village races, Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest, February 6, page 1;
(1991) CARE: a party in search of an image, Oak Leaves, August 14, page 8; Thomas, Sherry (1995) “Is Runningbear really ‘Cut the Taxes’?”, ''Oak Leaves'' (Oak Park, Illinois), August 23, p. 13; Linden, Eric (1995) “New OPRF ‘slate’ reads like a hoax,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 9, p. 7</ref> He has sponsored and moderated numerous taxpayer information forums.<ref>see, for example,(2006) “Oak Park tax gripes to be discussed”, September 26, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-09-26/news/0609260292_1_property-tax-property-owners-steep-hike; (1987) 200 turn out at CARE tax forum, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', October 7; CARE tax forum adds speakers, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', September 9, 9; http://www.oakparkjournal.com/Stories2002/2003-national-taxpayers-protest-op-sept-25.html</ref> His advocacy of tax-relief has led him to seek local elected office as “Cut the Taxes.”<ref>(2003) Golden, Les “Cut the Taxes” Golden, How to turn the Barrie negative into a positive,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', February 26</ref>

====Animal Welfare and Environmentalism====
A major influence on animal welfare and environmental protection efforts locally and in the State of Illinois, Golden has been a leader in water and materials conservation, recycling, tree protection, wildlife protection, pesticide bans, efforts to retard global warming, and numerous other initiatives, as well as childhood education in these efforts. He has achieved numerous reforms in this regard as president of the [[CARE Party of Oak Park|CARE Party]]. [[File: LesGoldenOakParkPesticideBan.jpg|thumb|left|175px|In 1991, Les Golden, as president of Citizens Active for Respect for the Environment, achieved a ban on pesticides in the parks and recreation centers of Oak Park, Illinois.]]

In 2012, Golden learned of the plan by the village of Oak Park to destroy all the pigeons who found shelter among the steel support beams under the train trestle at Marion Street. Some residents complained about the unsightly droppings. Golden discovered that a gel substance placed on the surfaces adjacent to roosting areas was unappealing to all birds who would walk through it, in particular pigeons, starlings, and sparrows. The village trustees opted for that solution, although destruction of the birds had been imminent, and the birds were saved.<ref>(2012) Golden, Les, “An alternative pigeon solution for Oak Park,” Wednesday Journal, June 5</ref>

At the last hour, in 2013, the Oak Park Park District announced that the expansive Ridgeland Common park area in the center of the village was going to be converted into an artificial turf soccer field. This required the bulldozing of the popular sledding hill, an attraction since 1965, the destruction of dozens of mature trees and bushes, and the termination of the modest dog park and the chip/mulch pile for use by residents. The sledding hill had been a popular year-round attraction for a multitude of exercise, picnicking, fireworks viewing, and nature-oriented activities, and the residence of mature shade-providing hackelberry trees. This occurred despite a sham public planning process that had been in place for several years <ref>http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/8-7-2012/Park-District-of-Oak-Park-tells-
architects-to-move-forward-with-Ridgeland-Common-plans/</ref> and which had focused on the renovation of the ice rink/swimming pool complex. In February, 2013, Golden, posing as “Richard Kullman” in order to gain access to the inner sanctum of the local park district while ensuring that the story being about the park and not himself, created what became known as the “Kullman Kaper” and began a media frenzy. He organized and held a rally, generated numerous letters to the local press and emergency government meetings, and stimulated the creation of an online petition.<ref>Manchir, Michelle (2013), “Oak Park residents oppose plan to remove sled hill and dog run”, Chicago Tribune, March 6, p. 5</ref> <ref>Manchir, Michelle (2013), “Plans to close dog park angers some pet owners,” Chicago Tribune, March 12, p. 7</ref> The feckless “Green Committee” had one such emergency meeting, to which it invited an artificial turf contractor make a predictable presentation. The new executive director caved in to the desires of the paid soccer officials sitting on the park board and the destruction of the park began in April.

Golden has long lobbied against the environmental disaster of campaign lawn signs.<ref>http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/4-3-2012/Ways-for-Oak-Park-residents-to-recycle-those-campaign-signs/</ref>

====Lobbying for Intergovernmental Cooperation====

Despite the self-serving claims by local elected officials of trying to work together,<ref>http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/12-10-2013/Intergovernmental-cooperation-is-a-reality-with-IGOV/</ref> intergovernmental cooperation to save the environment and to save taxpayer dollars has been an abysmal failure in Golden’s hometown of [[Oak Park]], Illinois. Golden has suggested numerous means of attaining such, with limited success against the entrenched bureaucracies rampant in [[Oak Park]].

For several decades, Golden has been trying to convince the local Oak Park governments to save costs and display environmentalism by using wood chips from the stumps of trees that were cut down as mulch for the parks. Despite one victory<ref>http://www.oakparkjournal.com/stories2004/2005-les-golden-mulch-nov.html</ref>, the park district continues to pay thousands of dollars annually for mulch that is free for the taking. Indeed, officials in nearby neighborhoods of Chicago routinely obtain the wood chips from Oak Park trees and tree stumps.

Dating back to the 1990’s, Golden has lobbied local officials, without any support from the local Green Party, Democratic Party, local political party, any government official, or any private resident, to bundle their newsletters to save paper and mailing costs. In all, about 30 newsletters are mailed to each home annually. These include quarterly self-congratulatory mailings from the township, monthly mailings from the village, quarterly mailings from the park district and two school districts, water quality reports from the village, periodic mailings from the Oak Park library, monthly senior citizen mailings from the township, and other mailings. In the late 1990’s, Golden’s solo effort began to have results, when the library began to bundle its mailing with the village monthly newsletter. In the 2010’s, the two school district started to bundle their mailings with that of the village and library. The township and park district continue to flaunt such efforts at cost savings and environmentalism.

Golden continually exhorts the park district to find alternate means of distributing its near-100 page activities brochure to 20,000 households quarterly at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars in postage. In fact, 90% of households simply discard the hefty brochure, an environmental disaster. Golden has suggested intergovernmental cooperation as a means to resolve both problems. Simply by distributing the brochure at each of the nine public schools, the three firehouses, the three libraries, the dozen parks, and the nearly dozen administration buildings of the local governments, no resident would be more than one or two blocks from a brochure drop-off location. Those residents who actually have enrolled in an activity in the previous two years would continue to receive the brochure. The brochure would, in addition, be available online.

Despite the logic of this suggestion, the park district continues to waste trees and taxpayer dollars. The self-congratulatory propaganda published in the brochure leads the park district to ensure that every household received the document.

In 2013, the authoritative peer-reviewed journal The Mathematical Scientist published Prof. Golden’s analysis of the role of intergovernmental cooperation in optimizing the use of limited resources such as tax revenues in governing.<ref>Golden, Leslie M. (2013), “The Optimal Allocation of Resources
Among Competing Units of Government”
''The Mathematical Scientist'', 38, 2, December</ref> Golden sent the paper to every elected official in Oak Park as well as the executive directors of every board in Oak Park, as well as the editors of the Chicago and Oak Park newspapers.

====Tax Relief, Commercial Development, and Candidate Sponsor====
Golden’s interest in tax relief has led to a leadership role in large-scale commercial development as principal of Holley Court Partners.<ref>http://www.oak-park.us/public/pdfs/Planning/Harlem_South/2006%20RFP%20Responses/09.26.06_Holley%20Court%20Partners.pdf</ref>

[[File: LesGoldenParksCandidacy.jpg|175px|thumb|left| As a candidate for the Oak Park Park District, Les “Cut the Taxes” Golden suggested an imaginative use for a local park among tax-saving measures.]]His notoriety as a sponsor of political candidates led to his namesake, "Moe Silver," Chairman of the "LOVE Party," being a lead character in the locally-drawn "Shrubtown" comic strip and theatrical play by the same name by artist and writer Marc Stopeck.<ref>see, for example, Stopeck, Marc (1991), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', July 24, p. 17; Stopeck, Marc (1991), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 14, p. 22; Stopeck, Marc (1991), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 21, p. 23; Stopeck, Marc (1991), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 28, p. 21; Stopeck, Marc (1992), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 12, p. 24; Stopeck, Marc (1993), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 11, p. 22</ref>

===Statewide and National===
====Nickname and Ballot Access====
[[File: LesGoldenTreeRally.JPG|150px|thumb|right|In 2007, Leslie M. Golden discovered the plan by the Oak Park Park District to destroy all the old growth trees in a local park. Within 48 hours, on the July 4th weekend, he organized a committee to hold a Sunday rally, wrote a flyer, had the flyer distributed throughout the community, obtained speakers, and notified the press. Over 200 people attended on the hottest day of the year.]]His political candidacies for U.S. Congress<ref>(1996) Kass, John, “Nothing dull about 7th race – U.S. House contest full of controversy,” ''Chicago Tribune'', March 8, Section 2, p. 1</ref> and State Representative<ref>(1992) Zorn, Eric, “But Yakov seems so, so . . . judicial,” ''Chicago Tribune'', March 10, Section 2, p. 1</ref><ref>(1996) Montgomery, Susan, “GOP slates Golden to run for state rep,” ''Oak Leaves'', July 3, p. 10</ref><ref>http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=16936&WhenStart=2011-08-06+12%3A51%3A32</ref><ref> (1996) “Cut taxing districts,” ''Berwyn Life'' October 9, p. 22 </ref> using the nickname "Cut the Taxes" have led to court actions,<ref>http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/773242/posts</ref><ref>(2002), Mission: Fool voters (editorial), ''Chicago Tribune'', January 18, p. 18 </ref><ref> http://anti-state.com/forum/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=1446</ref><ref>http://ddd-hph.dlconsulting.com/cgi-bin/newshph?a=d&d=HPH19980107.2.3&cl=&srpos=0&st=1&e=00-00-0000-99-99-9999--20--1----Sen.+Obama-all</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-09-18/news/0209180186_1_ballots-fractional-jagielski </ref><ref> http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/10-30-2002/Golden_wins_Cut-The-Taxes_suit,_sues_again_</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-10-16/news/0210160202_1_blagojevich-spokesman-doug-scofield-illinois-state-board </ref><ref>Zorn, Eric. (1995) This candidate is a Cut the Taxes above the rest, ''Chicago Tribune'' (Metrowest), October 3, p. 1; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-10-03/news/9510030038_1_wallace-gator-bradley-candidates-taxes </ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-10-23/news/0210230072_1_golden-ballot-orr </ref><ref>http://www.actuarialoutpost.com/actuarial_discussion_forum/showthread.php?p=136091</ref><ref>www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-1110F700ED5B9A50.html</ref><ref>http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2009/09/should-we-use-cheryle-robinson-jackson-or-stick-with-cheryle-jackson-.html</ref><ref> (1996) Hevrkejs, Judy and Conklin, Mike, “Cutting Les,” ''Chicago Tribune'', March 12, p. 2</ref><ref> (1996) “ ‘Cut the Taxes’ cut from GOP ballot,” ''West Suburban Post'', March 8, p. 5</ref><ref>http://forums.gunbroker.com/pop_printer_friendly.asp?TOPIC_ID=34426</ref> a re-writing of Illinois election law concerning allowable names on the ballot<ref>http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=001000050HArt%2E+16&ActID=170&ChapterID=3&SeqStart=56200000&SeqEnd=57400000; see 10 ILCS 5/16-3 (e); </ref><ref>10 ILCS 5/16-3 (e)</ref><ref>(2002) McLaughlin, Amy, “Candidates’ Stances Offer Clear Choices for Voters.” Chicago Daily Herald, November 1, page 4</ref><ref>(2002) Sneed, Michael, “Election Board Objects to Nixed Nicknames.” Chicago Sun-Times, October 13, page 6;
http://article.wn.com/view/2002/10/13/Election_Board_objects_to_nixed_nicknames/</ref><ref>(2002) “State’s Attorney Suing to Keep Slogans Off Ballot,” Chicago Sun-Times, October 16, page 80; http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1461211.html, "State's attorney suing to keep slogans off ballot”</ref><ref>http://www.upi.com/Suit-filed-to-keep-sloganeering-off-ballot/95431034782244/
</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-06-03/news/0306030127_1_orr-slogans-78th-district; (2003) Groark, Virginia, “Legislature cuts the slogans from names on ballot,” Chicago Tribune, June 3</ref><ref> Trainor, Ken (1997), “Who is Les Golden?”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 2, p. 29-37 </ref> propagated throughout the state of Illinois in election guides for candidates,<ref>www.champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/docs/2012/2012CanGuide.pdf</ref><ref>www.elections.il.gov/downloads/electioninformationcourth/pdf/2011canguide.pdf </ref> lengthy discussions in the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) handbook on election law<ref> www.iicle.com </ref> which is on display in courthouses in the state of Illinois, scholarly studies on election law and ballot access, <ref>http://www.umsl.edu/~kimballd/illinois.pdf</ref> and rewriting of election law in other states. <ref>law.onecle.com/texas/election/52.031.00.html</ref> In addition, in another part of the revised election law, the Golden Rule, for the first time in Illinois history, allows any election official whatsoever, state as well as local, to extend their previous ministerial powers beyond mere printing of the ballot to actually removing slogans from ballot names.<ref>10 ILCS 5/16-3 (f)</ref> These cases in election law and the revised Illinois election law statutes have been cited repeatedly in jurisdictions throughout the country.

====Taxation, Constitutional Convention, and Drug Legalization====
[[File: LesGoldenCutTaxingDistricts.jpg|thumb|left|175px| As the GOP candidate for the office of State Representative from the 8th Illinois district, Golden suggested means for funding education.]]In 2008, he was the statewide spokesman and one of three state-wide coordinators for the group seeking to convene an Illinois Constitutional Convention.<ref>(2008) Sweeney, Chuck, Constitutional convention? Here's a pro-con, Rockford Register Star, June 18; http://www.rrstar.com/opinions/x1713643550/Constitutional-convention-Heres-a-pro-con; https://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/x415942049/Chuck-Sweeny-Pros-and-cons-of-Constitutional-convention; https://www.norwichbulletin.com/x415942049/Chuck-Sweeny-Pros-and-cons-of-Constitutional-convention</ref><ref>(2008) Wilson, Doug, Business group says constitutional convention would be too costly, risky, Quincy Herald-Whig, July 15</ref><ref>www.chicagogop.com/home/blogger/drlesmgolden/</ref><ref>http://www.chicagogop.com/component/comprofiler/userprofile/drlesmgolden</ref> He wrote the field guide for campaign workers which was used in other states also seeking to convene constitutional conventions. He has consistently fought legislation removing property tax caps in Illinois.<ref> (1995) Schory, Brenda, “Loud protest trails quiet passage of tax cap bill,” Kane County Chronicle, July 7, p. 1</ref> He was selected to be a charter member of the board of the Illinois Taxpayer Education Foundation (ITEF) in 1994.

He has repeatedly written about the abuse of “life safety legislation” by the Illinois General Assembly.<ref>(2008) Golden, Les, “Schools' safety bonds are abused,” Chicago Sun-Times, December 2; http://www.taxpayereducation.org/2008/12/schools-safety-bonds-are-abused/</ref><ref>http://www.geocities.ws/les_golden/fiscalpolicy/index.html</ref>
<ref>Golden, Leslie and Tobin, James, Illinois Taxpayer Education Foundation, Report 37, 2001.</ref>
<ref>Wertheimer, Joanna and Golden, L.M., (1997) "Schools Play End Around Taxpayers," Grayslake Advisor, January 15, p. 14-18.</ref>

He has been recognized by the Media Awareness Project<ref>http://www.mapinc.org/</ref> as a key spokesman in the national movement to legalize drugs to combat an epidemic of crime and to generate government revenues.<ref>http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n523/a06.html</ref><ref>(2013) Legalize drugs, Chicago Tribune, October 28, p. 19; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-10-28/opinion/ct-vp-1028-voice-letters-20131028_1_drug-business-drug-trafficking-drug-crimes</ref>

===Recognition and Honors===
He is President of Citizens Active for Respect for the Environment/Citizens Active for a Responsible Electorate (CARE) in Oak Park, Suburban Coordinator of the Alliance of (Cook) County Taxpayers (ACT), and heads the National Taxpayers United of Oak Park.

Golden received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Taxpayers United of Illinois umbrella group in 1991 for his taxpayer advocacy efforts.

In 2013, the authoritative peer-reviewed journal The Mathematical Scientist published Prof. Golden’s analysis of the role of intergovernmental cooperation in optimizing the use of limited resources such as tax revenues in governing.<ref>Golden, Leslie M. (2013), “The Optimal Allocation of Resources
Among Competing Units of Government”
''The Mathematical Scientist'', 38, 2, December</ref>

==Quotes==
"The only famous (card) counters are the ex-counters."
“Human beings are the only species that derive joy from the misfortunes of others. The greater the misfortune, the greater the joy.”
“If you set mediocre goals, the most you will ever achieve is mediocrity.”
“We don’t own the Earth; we simply share it.”

==Published Books==
*''Basic Composer: An Analysis of Music Notation Software'', Music Education Incentives Publishers (1988)
*''Astronomy 101'', UIC Press (1994)
*''A Field Guide for Political Activists: How to Generate Support and Turn Out Your Voters'', Lee Brooke (2008)
*''Laboratory Experiments in Physics for Modern Astronomy: With Comprehensive Development of the Physical Principles'', Springer Science+Business (2012)<ref> http://www.springer.com/astronomy/astronomy,+observations+and+techniques/book/978-1-4614-3310-1</ref>
*''Never Split Tens'', Springer International Publishers/Copernicus (2017 release)
*''The Body Shapes of Extraterrestrials and Other Essays in Astronomy to Zoology'', World Scientific Publishing Company (2017 release)

==Discography==
*''Deuces Wild'', The Deuces

==Selected Theatrical, Film, Radio, Television, and Commercial Credits==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Title
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Director
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Role
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Co-stars
|-
|Kronenbourgh Beer
|Josef Sedelmaier
|Murray
|Bruce Jarchow
|-
|Tony’s Pizza
|Josef Sedelmaier
|Vito
|
|-
|Chicago Tribune
|Jim Wotring
|Jo-jo
|Marji Bank, Ernest Perry
|-
|K-Mart
|Jim Wotring
|Lester
|Tim Gamble
|-
|Eagle Foods
|Gerald Hagner
|Les
|Ken Anderson (athlete)
|-
|Motorola Cellular
|Ed Italo
|Miller
|Lee Trevino (athlete)
|-
|Buick
|Jim Parish
|Cal
|Don Majowski (athlete)
|-
|True Value Hardware
|Jim Lynch
|Professor Astroray
|(one-person show)
|-
|Cognex
|Stewart Talent
|Timothy McCoy
|Paula Scrofano
|-
|Illinois State Lottery
|Jeff Jones
|Big Brother
|
|-
|Heinz Ketchup
|Bob Shallcross
|Les Golden (stand-up comedian as himself)
|
|-
|Bubble Up
|Stan Cottle
|Murray
|Charlotte Ross
|-
|The Len Petrulis Show
|Len Petrulis
|Phillipe Maurice, Parisian fashion designer
|Kajon Mueller
|-
|Freeman Shoes
|Loren Ostir
|Wally Tucker
|
|-
|Thrift Drugs
|Clay Covert
|Mr. Eisen
|(one-person show)
|-
|Madison Gas and Electric
|Bob Wendt
|Bob
|(one-person show)
|-
|Ohio Edison
|Ken Ancell
|Mr. Heater
|(one-person show)
|-
|American Family Insurance
|John Alexson
|Mark
|Rick Plastina
|-
|Outtakes
|Jack Sell
|Harvey Knox
|Broderick Crawford
|-
|The Nightmare Trial of Billy Barnes
|Gerald Rogers
|Edward Keppel
|
|-
|The Roommate
|Nell Cox
|Mr. Chipbeef
|Barry Miller, Lance Guest
|-
|Welcome Home, Bobby
|Herbert Wise
|Coach Lazare
|Adam Baldwin
|-
|How I Became A Holy Mother
|Arnold Aprill
|Master
|Patti Shaughnessy
|-
|Taming of the Shrew
|Dale Calandra
|Gremio
|Ned Mochel, Susan Hart, and others
|-
|YMCA
|Jerold Haislmaier
|Michael Marks
|
|-
|Ten Little Indians
|Faith Dukor-Chaplick
|Dr. Armstrong
|June Atkinson, Russ Cady
|-
|Stage Struck
|James Carter
|Herman
|Jim Mullen
|-
|The Odd Couple
|Faith Baime
|Vinnie
|
|-
|What the Wine Sellers Buy
|Wanda Getsug
|George
|Lucy Evans
|-
|The Little Sister
|Ray Andrecheck
|Toad
|B.F. Helman
|-
|Taming of the Shrew
|David Darlow
|Vincentio
|Robert Petkoff, David Darlow, Kristine Thatcher, Greg Vinkler, Michael Halberstam, and others
|-
|The Inspector General
|Knowles Cooke
|Bobchinsky
|Stephen Straight, Barbara Tucker
|-
|Eddie Hubbard Show Live from Arnie’s
|Eddie Hubbard
|Jeffrey Clayton Maxwell
|Robert Goulet, and others
|-
|Unshackled!
|Jack O’Dell
|Richard Goldstein (and others)
|Judith Easton, David Mink, and others
|-
|Deadly Spygames
|Jack Sell
|General Vladimir Korchenko
|Tippi Hedren, Troy Donahue
|-
|Lady Blue
|Gary Nelson
|Davey Carlton
|Danny Aiello, Jamie Rose, Ron Dean
|}

==Writing Awards==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Competition
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Sponsor
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Award
|-
|Eric Hoffer and Lili Fabilli Laconic Essay Prize
|Eric Hoffer
|First Place Winner
|-
|Cornell Engineer Feature Article Competition
|Cornell University College of Engineering
|First Place Winner
|-
|Engineering College Magazines Association Awards
|Engineering College Magazines Association
|Best Editorial, Second Place Winner
|-
|Engineering College Magazines Association Awards
|Engineering College Magazines Association
|Best Editorial, All Issues, Second Place Winner
|-
|Griffith Observatory Science Writing Competition
|Griffith Observatory
|Honorable Mention Winner
|-
|International Compuserve Magazine Essay Competition
|Compuserve Magazine
|First Place Winner
|-
|Nicolaus Copernicus International Essay Competition
|American Council of Polish Cultural Clubs
|First Place Winner, Senior Division
|-
|Tau Beta Pi Essay Competition
|Tau Beta Pi Association
|Honorable Mention Winner
|-
|}

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:1; column-count:1;">
<references />
</div>

==Technical Publications==

===Probability and Statistics in Astronomy===
1. Golden, Leslie M. (1971). “Evolution of Quasar Optical and Radio Luminosity,” ''Nature'', '''234''', 103.

2. Golden, Leslie M. (1974). “Isotropy of Radio Source Populations from Comparison of Number - Flux Density Curves,” ''Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society'', '''166''', 383.

3. Golden, Leslie M. (1974). “Observational Selection in the Identification of Quasars and Claims for Anisotropy,” ''Observatory'', '''94''', 122.

4. Golden, Leslie M. (1979). “The Effect of Surface Roughness on the Transmission of Microwave Radiation Through a Planetary Surface,” ''Icarus'', '''38''', 451.

===Technical Articles on Gambling===

1. Golden, Les; Thompson-Hill, Jeremy; and Theobold, Rick (2008). “Has Online Gaming Reached Saturation Point?,” '' iGaming Business'', March/April, p. 16-17.

2 Golden, Les; Turner, Noah; and von Bar, Jens (2009). “The Death of the RNG,” '' iGaming Business'', July/August, p. 56-59.

3. Golden, Leslie M. (2011). “An Analysis of the Disadvantage to Players of Multiple Decks in the Game of 21.” ''The Mathematical Scientist'', ''' 32''', 2, p. 57-69.

===Peer-Reviewed Articles on Intergovernmental Cooperation===

1. Golden, Leslie M. (2013), “The Optimal Allocation of Resources Among Competing Units of Government,” ''The Mathematical Scientist'', 38, 2, December

==External links==
*[http://www.geocities.ws/les_golden] Home Page
*[http://www.illinoisauthors.org/authors/Leslie_Morris_Golden] Illinois Authors Listing
*[http://www.worldcat.org/title/laboratory-exercises-in-physics-for-modern-astronomy/oclc/773666079] World Catalog Listing
*[http://www.betterworldbooks.com/les-golden-id-6136849941.aspx] Collected Writings
*[http://www.librarything.com/profile/Les_Golden] Library Thing Listing
* [http://www.authorsden.com/lesgolden] Authors Den Listing
* [http://people.theiapolis.com/actor-B9C1/les-golden/sites/les-golden-actor-1000547.html] Theiapolis listing as actor
* [http://lambiek.com/artists/g/golden_les.htm] Cartoonist listing at Comiclopedia
* [http://www.creativehotlist.com/Individuals/details/198826] CreativeHotList
*[https://www.evi.com/q/actors_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Actor
*[https://www.evi.com/q/comedians_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Comedian
*[https://www.evi.com/q/musicians_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Musician
*[https://www.evi.com/q/writers_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Writer
*[https://www.evi.com/q/activists_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Animal Welfare and Environmental Activist
*[https://www.evi.com/q/astronomers_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Astronomer
*[https://www.evi.com/q/playwrights_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Playwright
*[https://www.evi.com/q/scientists_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Scientist
*[https://www.evi.com/q/professors_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Academic

==Categories==
{{DEFAULTSORT:Golden,Les}}
[[Category:Academia]]
[[Category:Actors]]
[[Category:Theatre]]
[[Category:American academics]]
[[Category:American actor-politicians]]
[[Category:American environmentalists]]
[[Category:American essayists]]
[[Category:Comics characters]]
[[Category:Betting systems]]
[[Category:Research]]
[[Category:Film theorists]]
[[Category:American film actors]]
[[Category:American stand-up comedians]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:Gambling]]
[[Category:Gambling games]]
[[Category:Gambling terminology]]
[[Category:American comedians]]
[[Category:American musicians]]
[[Category:American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:American sports announcers]]
[[Category:College basketball announcers]]
[[Category:American writers]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Political slogans]]
[[Category:Probability theory]]
[[Category:Jewish actors]]
[[Category:Jewish comedians]]
[[Category:Jewish writers]]
[[Category:Jewish environmentalists]]
[[Category:Jewish writers]]
[[Category:Jewish animal welfare advocates]]
[[Category:Jewish academics]]
[[Category:Jewish cartoonists]]
[[Category:Jewish politicians]]
[[Category:Jewish musicians]]
[[Category:Jewish gambling writers]]
[[Category:Jewish playwrights]]
[[Category:Jewish bandleaders]]
[[Category:Jewish astronomers]]
[[Category:Notable residents of Oak Park Illinois]]
[[Category:Notable residents of Illinois]]
[[Category:Gambling writers]]
[[Category:Acting]]
[[Category:Activism]]
[[Category:American astronomers]]
[[Category:American columnists]]
[[Category:American computer programmers]]
[[Category:American entertainers]]
[[Category:American film actors]]
[[Category:American jazz trumpeters]]
[[Category:American people of Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Polish-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American political writers]]
[[Category:American scientists]]
[[Category:American screenwriters]]
[[Category:American stage actors]]
[[Category:American voice actors]]
[[Category:Animal Welfare]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Blackjack]]
[[Category:Celebrities]]
[[Category:Celebrity Interviews]]
[[Category:Jewish American writers]]
[[Category:Jewish scientists]]
[[Category:Illinois Republicans]]
[[Category:Illinois politicians]]
[[Category:Scientists from Illinois]]
[[Category:Cornell University alumni]]
[[Category:Astrophysicists]]
[[Category:University of California Berkeley alumni]]
[[Category:Film production companies of the United States]]

----------==

this is what RandomUser34 changed it to on 5/4/19

Leslie Morris "Les" Golden is an award-winning<ref>http://financialaid.berkeley.edu/prizes-and-honors-lili-fabilli-and-eric-hoffer-essay-prize</ref> writer<ref>(2013) Vollmer, Michael, Physics Education Journal, volume 48, number 4, pages 534-535</ref><ref>(2018) Olszewski, Peter, Never Split Tens!, https://www.maa.org/press/maa-reviews/never-split-tens</ref>, who as a gambling writer and mathematician was named a 2016 Scholar by the International Gaming Institute of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, animal welfare advocate<ref>https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/07/les-golden-oak-park-dog-a_n_1497423.html</ref><ref>(2012) Haynes, Brian, “Group hopes to save dog”, Las Vegas Review-Journal, May 5, page 1A</ref><ref>http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-chicago-man-leads-push-to-save-dog-that-killed-child-in-nevada-20120505,0,3026660.story?track=rss</ref><ref> http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/nevada-baby-mauled-death-pet-dog-birthday-celebration-article-1.1069796</ref><ref> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2545414/Dog-mauled-death-1-year-old-boy-life-spared-Nevada-judge-finds-new-home-nearly-two-years-fatal-attack.html</ref>, actor<ref> (1994), “A film career far (but not removed) from Tinseltown,”
Compuserve magazine, August, p. 55 </ref><ref>(1982) “Improvising Your Way to Success,” ''Spring'',1, 6, p. 34 </ref><ref> (1984) “The boss is never wrong,” ''Screen magazine'', October 1, p. 19</ref>, musician and band leader<ref>https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-110EB48B37554C68.html</ref>, software developer<ref>Nolan, Herb (1989), “An Astronomer Tackles the Music Software Marketplace,” ''Upbeat'', November, p. 45-46</ref><ref>Lynch, Dennis, (1990), “Unlock your creativity via computers,” Chicago Tribune, February 23, Section 3, p. 3, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-02-23/entertainment/9001160136_1_computers-apple-iigs-steve-jobs</ref>, political reformer<ref>(1995) Zorn, Eric, "This Candidate Is A `Cut The Taxes' Above The Rest," ''Chicago Tribune'', October 3; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-10-03/news/9510030038_1_wallace-gator-bradley-candidates-taxes; https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/167750348/</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-10-23/news/0210230072_1_golden-ballot-orr</ref><ref>(2008) Sweeney, Chuck, Constitutional convention? Here's a pro-con, Rockford Register Star, June 18; http://www.rrstar.com/opinions/x1713643550/Constitutional-convention-Heres-a-pro-con</ref>, and astronomer<ref>(1991) “CB as a Channel for Discovery,” ''Compuserve Magazine'', December, p. 18</ref><ref>(2005) Anderson, Holly, “Day shortened by quake, astronomer calculates,” http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-110D9F0B0030ACF0.html, January 5</ref><ref>http://blog.chicagoweathercenter.com/2004/12/27/aftermath_of_the_earthquake_sh/ </ref> living in Oak Park, Illinois.[[File:WGNInterview.JPG|thumb|350px| Les Golden being interviewed in front of his Oak Park, Illinois, home on nationwide television feed from WGN-TV in Chicago in May, 2012. Golden began the campaign to save Onion the dog from euthanasia after a tragic family event in Henderson, Nevada. The eventually successful campaign to save Onion’s life, using pro bono attorneys with legal fees paid by Golden and his animal welfare group, reached the Nevada Supreme Court, took nearly two years, and gained international attention.]]

See also [[Les Golden]].

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:1; column-count:1;">
<references />
</div>

-----------=

this is what I changed Lesle Morris Golden to
were dupes of lives in Oak Park and Reno; kept the opening paragraph after he edited

Leslie Morris "Les" Golden is an award-winning<ref>http://financialaid.berkeley.edu/prizes-and-honors-lili-fabilli-and-eric-hoffer-essay-prize</ref> writer<ref>(2013) Vollmer, Michael, Physics Education Journal, volume 48, number 4, pages 534-535</ref><ref>(2018) Olszewski, Peter, Never Split Tens!, https://www.maa.org/press/maa-reviews/never-split-tens</ref>, who as a gambling writer and mathematician was named a 2016 Scholar by the International Gaming Institute of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, animal welfare advocate<ref>https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/07/les-golden-oak-park-dog-a_n_1497423.html</ref><ref>(2012) Haynes, Brian, “Group hopes to save dog”, Las Vegas Review-Journal, May 5, page 1A</ref><ref>http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-chicago-man-leads-push-to-save-dog-that-killed-child-in-nevada-20120505,0,3026660.story?track=rss</ref><ref> http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/nevada-baby-mauled-death-pet-dog-birthday-celebration-article-1.1069796</ref><ref> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2545414/Dog-mauled-death-1-year-old-boy-life-spared-Nevada-judge-finds-new-home-nearly-two-years-fatal-attack.html</ref>, actor<ref> (1994), “A film career far (but not removed) from Tinseltown,”
Compuserve magazine, August, p. 55 </ref><ref>(1982) “Improvising Your Way to Success,” ''Spring'',1, 6, p. 34 </ref><ref> (1984) “The boss is never wrong,” ''Screen magazine'', October 1, p. 19</ref>, musician and band leader<ref>https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-110EB48B37554C68.html</ref>, software developer<ref>Nolan, Herb (1989), “An Astronomer Tackles the Music Software Marketplace,” ''Upbeat'', November, p. 45-46</ref><ref>Lynch, Dennis, (1990), “Unlock your creativity via computers,” Chicago Tribune, February 23, Section 3, p. 3, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-02-23/entertainment/9001160136_1_computers-apple-iigs-steve-jobs</ref>, political reformer<ref>(1995) Zorn, Eric, "This Candidate Is A `Cut The Taxes' Above The Rest," ''Chicago Tribune'', October 3; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-10-03/news/9510030038_1_wallace-gator-bradley-candidates-taxes; https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/167750348/</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-10-23/news/0210230072_1_golden-ballot-orr</ref><ref>(2008) Sweeney, Chuck, Constitutional convention? Here's a pro-con, Rockford Register Star, June 18; http://www.rrstar.com/opinions/x1713643550/Constitutional-convention-Heres-a-pro-con</ref>, and astronomer<ref>(1991) “CB as a Channel for Discovery,” ''Compuserve Magazine'', December, p. 18</ref><ref>(2005) Anderson, Holly, “Day shortened by quake, astronomer calculates,” http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-110D9F0B0030ACF0.html, January 5</ref><ref>http://blog.chicagoweathercenter.com/2004/12/27/aftermath_of_the_earthquake_sh/ </ref> living in Oak Park, Illinois.[[File:WGNInterview.JPG|thumb|350px| Les Golden being interviewed in front of his Oak Park, Illinois, home on nationwide television feed from WGN-TV in Chicago in May, 2012. Golden began the campaign to save Onion the dog from euthanasia after a tragic family event in Henderson, Nevada. The eventually successful campaign to save Onion’s life, using pro bono attorneys with legal fees paid by Golden and his animal welfare group, reached the Nevada Supreme Court, took nearly two years, and gained international attention.]]

{{Infobox
|name = Les Golden
|bodystyle =
|title = Les Golden
|titlestyle =

|image = [[Image:GambleJPG.jpg|190px|alt=Les Golden]]
|imagestyle =
|caption = Les Golden counting cards at the Kellogg Graduate School of Business (Northwestern University) Casino Night
|captionstyle =
|headerstyle = background:#ccf;
|labelstyle = background:#ddf;
|datastyle =

|header1 =
|data2 =
|header3 =
|data4 =
|header5 =
|label6 = Occupation
|data6 = Writer, astronomer, professor, musician, stand-up comedian, cartoonist
|label7 = Known for
|data7 = Developer of [[Golden Diagram]] <ref name="lexica">http://www.omnilexica.com/?q=Leslie%20M.%20Golden</ref> for blackjack and the Magic Circle Strategy for roulette
|header8 =
|label9 = Influences
|data9 = Nina Grace Smith, L. Knowles Cooke, [[Frank Drake]], W.J. "Jack" Welch, [[David W. Tucker]], Edward O. Thorp, [[Del Close]]
|label10 = Contact
|data10 = drlesgo@aol.com; lesgoldencardcounting@yahoo.com; literary agent - elagencywest@aol.com
|header11 =
|label12 = References
|data12 = http://www.geocities.ws/les_golden; http://www.oocities.org/goldenforstaterepresentative; cell 773-837-3146
}}

He is an astronomer as well as an internationally known gambling writer, actor, and political, environmental, and animal welfare activist. <ref> http://www.illinoisauthors.org/authors/Leslie_Morris_Golden</ref><ref>http://www.librarything.com/profile/Les_Golden</ref><ref> http://www.librarything.com/author/goldenlesliem</ref><ref>http://www.authorsden.com/lesgolden</ref> He has written for gambling.com, iGamingBusiness, gamblingonline, [[Bluff Magazine|Bluff Europe]], and Jackpots Review print magazines. He became aware of card counting systems and became a card counter at the popular casino game of [[blackjack]] while a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, by reading the 1966 revised edition of Beat the Dealer,<ref>Thorp, E. O. (1966) ''Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One'', Random House, New York</ref> the seminal work of mathematician Edward O. Thorp, who was aided in his computer simulations by programmers Julian Braun and Harvey Dubner.<ref>Thorp, E. O. (1966),''Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One'', Random House, New York, pp. 93-94</ref> As a graduate student in astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley, Golden made monthly trips to [[Reno]], [[Nevada]] and played blackjack using Thorp’s systems. He is the developer of the [[Golden Diagram]] <ref name="lexica"/> technique for countering casino countermeasures at blackjack and the Magic Circle system for winning at biased roulette wheels. Dr. Golden was named an [[International Gaming Institute Scholar]] (IGI) (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) for 2016. He currently resides in Oak Park, [[Illinois]], and [[Reno]], [[Nevada]].

==Background==
===Education and Research===
[[File: LesGoldenCollectedWritings.JPG|thumb|right|125px| The noted author and biographer Jordan Naoum has published collected writings of Golden in his 2011 book, Les Golden]] Leslie Morris Golden (''Eliezer Moshe ben Reuven Motl y Chanah Kaileh'', ''Lazar Masche'') was born in Chicago, an identical twin,<ref>His parents are Irving R. (b. 1907) and Anne K. Golden (b. 1909; maiden name, Eisenberg). Anne had twin brothers, Irving and Sam (b. 1905), and twin uncles on her mother’s side, Michel and Kivah Gerstein (b.1876), making the Golden twins the third successive generation of male twins on the maternal side. The birth of the Golden twins was one of a record number of twin births at Wesley Memorial Hospital, a part of Northwestern Hospital in Chicago, in early December.</ref><ref>(1943), “Twins Tend Record Twin Crop,” ''Chicago Herald-American'', December 4, p. II-3</ref><ref>Petlicki, Myrna (1997), “Golden memories,” ''Oak Leaves'' (Oak Park, Illinois), July 2, p. B3-6</ref> the son of Anne K. (née Eisenberg; March 7, 1909 – November 19, 1999), a legal stenographer and homemaker, and Irving R. Golden (March 15, 1907 – June 22, 2005), an attorney and co-owner with his father Max Goldstein, an immigrant finish carpenter from Belarus, Russia, of a store fixture and bar manufacturing firm,<ref>Kogan, Rick (2005), “Lawyer also designed, built bars,” ''Chicago Tribune'', July 24, p. IV-7</ref> and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, where he attended Horace Mann grammar school and Oak Park-River Forest High School.

[[File: LesGoldenSemesteratSea.jpg|thumb|left|175px| Professor Golden was the first University of Illinois professor chosen to be a professor on Semester at Sea. He taught courses on astronomer and the possibility of extraterrestrial life.]]He holds the B.A. (with Distinction) and Masters of Engineering Physics from Cornell University,<ref name="Cornell">http://www.cornell65.com/interest/golden.html</ref> where he was both a Cornell McMullen Scholar and a Fellow of the Interfoundation Committee of the American Institute for Economic Research (Great Barrington, Mass.). The Cornell website notes him as one of its distinguished alumni writers.<ref>www.collegegrid.com/grid/index.php/Cornell_University</ref> He received the M.A. and Ph.D in astronomy from the University of California, Berkeley,<ref> http://badgrads.berkeley.edu/doku.php?id=alumni:old</ref><ref>http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/2006ASPC..356...87F, page 90</ref> under Professor William J. “Jack” Welch,<ref>http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Faculty/Homepages/welch.html</ref> the Watson and Marilyn Alberts Chair emeritus in Extraterrestrial Intelligence. His dissertation was “A Microwave Interferometric Study of the Subsurface of the Planet Mercury.”<ref>http://books.google.com/books/about/A_Microwave_Interferometric_Study_of_the.html?id=vJK_HgAACAAJ</ref><ref>http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=Microwave%20Interferometric%20Study%20Subsurface%20Planet%20Mercury&index=books</ref><ref>(2012) Rivers, Eric, The Solar System, April 25; http://www.amazon.com/The-Solar-System-Eric-Rivers/dp/1475228791/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1338396178&sr=1-1</ref>

At Cornell, he was the award-winning feature editor and then editor-in-chief of the [[Cornell Engineer magazine|Cornell Engineer magazine]]<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=b6TAAAAYAAJ </ref><ref>https://books?id=zqUkAQAAMAAJ</ref> <ref>https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924058075700;view=1up;seq=11</ref> and a member of the Engineering Student Council. Some of his early research in astronomy appeared in a book by Stephen Hawking.<ref> (1979) Hawking, S. W. & Israel, W. General relativity: an Einstein centenary survey. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-22285-0. “A much cited centennial survey”;
books.google.com/books?isbn=0521222850 </ref> He performed research at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, as a National Research Council Resident Research Associate<ref>http://nrc58.nas.edu/aodir/gen_page.asp?mode=detail&sql=idnumber='760817'</ref> and the Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, California. He is the director of the [[Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project]] (N.E.A.R.),<ref>http://www.astronomy.com/sitecore/content/Magazine%20Issues/1994/April%201994.aspx , page 22</ref> which he founded as a University of Illinois at Chicago professor in 1994. He has been elected to both [[Phi Beta Kappa]] (arts and sciences) and [[Tau Beta Pi]] (engineering)<ref>https://www.tbp.org/memb/MemberLookup.cfm
</ref> as well as [[Pi Delta Epsilon]] (journalism). He is listed in [[Marquis Who's Who]] in Science and Technology and [[Marquis Who's Who]] in the World.

In addition to the many citations to his scholarly research in astronomy and the history of science, Golden’s writings and work has been cited in numerous books.<ref>see, for example, The Complete Guide to the Illinois Software Industry, Chicago Software Association;[[Cornell Engineer magazine|Cornell Engineer]],[[Cornell University College of Engineering]]; Mix Hypermedia, Mix Publications; The Griffith Observer, Griffith Observatory; http://books.google.com/books?id=99oqAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Leslie+M.+Golden%22&dq=%22Leslie+M.+Golden%22&hl=en</ref>

The noted author and biographer Jordan Naoum has published collected writings of Golden in his 2011 book, Les Golden (Duc Publishing, ISBN 978-6-1368-4994-2)<ref>www.renotransmission.com/installation.html</ref><ref>www.oakparkjournal.com/2012/2012-Book-announced-Golden-bio.html </ref><ref>www.topix.com/forum/games/blackjack/TM5R2SK854B8812DS</ref><ref>www.publishingheadlines.com/biography-of-les-golden-published-by-duc-publishing/</ref><ref>http://www.topix.com/city/oak-park-il/2013/08/oak-park-renaissance-man-les-golden-has-been-written-by-biographer?fromrss=1</ref> which is available worldwide.<ref>See, for example, www.barnesandnoble.com/w/les-golden-jordan-naoum/1104425304; http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Jordan-Naoum/dp/6136849941/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327941857&sr=1-1; http://www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndSearch/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=9786136849942; http://www.betterworldbooks.com/les-golden-id-6136849941.aspx </ref>

===Performing===
[[File: LesGoldenNotEasyBeingGreen.JPG|thumb|left|175px| One of the leading environmentalist spokesmen and activists in Illinois, Les Golden as President of the CARE party in Oak Park, Illinois, secured the election of a majority on the Park Board which on their first day in office banned pesticides in the parks and recreation centers.]]Golden is a nationally-referenced animal welfare advocate and environmental activist,<ref>http://www.elephantinformation.com/CEMENT%20FLOORING%20or%20HARD%20DIRT%20GROUND.htm </ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-11-24/news/0411240206_1_new-trees-oak-park-district-mulberry-trees</ref><ref>Dwyer, Bill (2007), “Tree Fury at Field,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', July 10, p. 1; http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/07-10-2007/Tree_fury_at_Field</ref><ref>Noel, Josh (2007), “Oak Park tree-removal plan heads for debate,” ''Chicago Tribune'', July 12, p. 7; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2007-07-19/news/0707181717_1_trees-park-renovation-plan</ref><ref>Golden, Leslie M. (2005), “Elephant deaths are a matter of physics,” ''Chicago Sun-Times'', January 28, p. 24</ref><ref>(2000) “Trailside needs a champion,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'' (editorial), November 1, p. 32</ref><ref>Vincent, Ed (2002), “The Lost Chukar,” http://www.suburbanjournals.com/Stories2002/Lost-Chukar-Returned-Home-2002.html, August 10</ref><ref>see, in addition, for example, Golden, Les (2002), “All it would take is a fence to keep critters alive,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', June 12, p. 41; Golden, Les (2000), “Les ‘Cut the Roadkill’ Golden says, Slow Down!”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 19, p. 25; Golden, Les (2000), “Hey, Sylvestri, save our furry and feathered friends,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', October 25, p. 34; Little, Rebecca and Trainor, Ken (2000) “Silvestri responds to Golden, Trailside,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', November 1, p. 2; Golden, Les “Let’s Save the Dogs” Golden (2002), “Ask politicians to make dog fighting a felony,” May 22, p. 32; (2008), “Inside Report: Les ‘Cut the coyotes a break’ Golden,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', January 23, p. 5; Linden, Eric (1991), “’Dandelion Dig’ idea blooming,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', May 29, p. 7; (2001) Golden, Les, “It’s not easy being green, but here are some ideas”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 11, p. 40</ref><ref>(2004) http://www.oakparkjournal.com/2007/2007-Field-Park-ralley-July-8th-2pm.html</ref><ref>“Oak Park Environmentalist Persuades School to Save Taxpayer Dollars, Intergovernmental Cooperation the Key to Recycling Dutch Elm Mulch,” www.oakparkjournal.com/stories2004/2005-les-golden-mulch-nov.html</ref><ref>http://oakpark.suntimes.com/people/voices/ltr_golden-OAK-08012013:article; (2013) Golden, Les, “Inoculation can save ash trees,” Oak Leaves, July 29.</ref> a professional trumpet player, jazz vocalist, and band leader,<ref>http://villageofoakpark.com/Stories2002/2003-Les-Golden-comments-July4th-music.html</ref><ref>https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-110EB48B37554C68.html</ref> and a professional actor with more than 100 stage, film, radio, television, and commercial credits,<ref> http://www.creativehotlist.com/Individuals/details/198826</ref><ref> (1994), “A film career far (but not removed) from Tinseltown,”
Compuserve magazine, August, p. 55 </ref><ref>(1982) “Improvising Your Way to Success,” ''Spring'',1, 6, p. 34 </ref><ref> (1984) “The boss is never wrong,” ''Screen magazine'', October 1, p. 19</ref><ref>www.imdb.com/title/tt0097170/</ref><ref>www.locatetv.com/person/les-golden/118760</ref><ref>http://www.reelz.com/person/146084/les-golden/movie-friends/</ref><ref>Petrulis, Len (1982), “Golden TV ‘Spoof’ on Reality,” ''Berwyn Life'', May 19, p. 14</ref> including multiple principle Shakespearean roles with [[Oak Park Festival Theatre]], an Equity-contract theatre.[[File:WhoisLesGolden.JPG|thumb|200px|Les Golden Renaissance Man feature article]] As a model, he has appeared on the covers of numerous magazines including ''Burpee Seeds'', ''Heathkit'', ''Amway Magazine'', and ''Money Magazine.''

In 1966 Golden provided the stimulus for the formation of the [[University of California Jazz Ensembles]] by placing an ad calling for student jazz musicians in the [[Daily Californian]]. With the arrival of Dr. [[David W. Tucker]] to the Cal campus in 1969, the organization became the most prominent musical organization on the Berkeley campus. Golden was a trumpet player, soloist, and vocalist with the elite Wednesday Night big band. For seven years he was the emcee for the program, appearing at dozens of performances annually at concerts and jazz festivals throughout California.<ref>http://ucjazz.berkeley.edu/ </ref>[[File:DailyCalArticlebyLesGoldenUCJazz1968.JPG‎|thumb|left|175px|Article by Les Golden in the Daily Californian announcing the first concert of the University of California Jazz Ensembles]]

Golden is an award-winning developer of sophisticated music notation software.<ref>Nolan, Herb (1989), “An Astronomer Tackles the Music Software Marketplace,” ''Upbeat'', November, p. 45-46</ref><ref>(1989), “100 Great Products for Under $100,” ''Electronic Musician'', December, '''5''', 12, p. 46</ref><ref>Mahin, Bruce P. (1989), “Choosing Music Notation Software,” ''The Instrumentalist'', '''43''', 11, p. 26-31</ref><ref>(1989), “Basic Composer,” ''Music Educators Journal'', April, p. 20</ref><ref>Kuzmich, John (1990), “Scoring With Computers,” ''Jazz Educators Journal'', '''23''', 3, p. 52</ref><ref>King, Patricia (1990),” “Basic Composer,” ''The Music and Computer Educator'', '''1''', 10, p. 26</ref><ref>(1991), “Basic Composer 4.3,” ''Compute'', '''13''', 2, p.90</ref><ref>Lynch, Dennis, (1990), “Unlock your creativity via computers,” Chicago Tribune, February 23, Section 3, p. 3, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-02-23/entertainment/9001160136_1_computers-apple-iigs-steve-jobs</ref>

He is a published jazz critic.<ref>Golden, Les (1994), “Ravinia places Chicago on map for jazz fans,” ''Northwest Leader'', August 3, p. 6</ref>

He has appeared numerous times as an actor<ref>http://people.theiapolis.com/actor-B9C1/les-golden/sites/les-golden-actor-1000547.html</ref> on the live-broadcast productions of "[[Unshackled]]!" He was a featured regular on the [[Eddie Hubbard]] Show radio program as the character Jeffrey Clayton Maxwell from Bhutan. He was one of the stable of gifted Chicago character actors cast in numerous national and regional television commercials by renowned director [[Josef Sedelmaier]] of “Where’s the Beef?” fame. He is a member of both the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). He was a charter member of Chicago's Porchlight Theatre Ensemble. He has appeared in featured roles with [[Broderick Crawford]], [[Tippi Hedren]], [[Troy Donahue]], [[Charlotte Ross]], Susan Hart, [[Robert Petkoff]], [[David Darlow]], [[Bruce Jarchow]], [[Paula Scrofano]], and others.[[File:LesGoldenKreyHotDogsActor.JPG|thumb|175px|Les Golden possesses a "great character face." Shown here as model for Krey Hot Dogs.]]

His [[Bacon number]] (the number of motion picture role links between a given actor and prolific actor [[Kevin Bacon]] - Les Golden, Deadly Spygames with [[Tippi Hedren]], who was in [[Jayne Mansfield|Jayne Mansfield’s]] Car with Kevin Bacon) is 2<ref>http://oracleofbacon.org/</ref> (closer value than 82% of all credited motion picture actors).

He has authored stage and screen plays, including “The Skull Caper,” based on the bequeathal of the skull of his mentor [[Del Close]] to the [[Goodman Theatre]] in [[Chicago]], a full-length murder mystery comedy, [[Murder by Mistletoe]], and a screenplay, [[Never Split Tens]], based on the life of the mathematician who developed the card counting system for the casino game of blackjack.<ref> http://www.creativehotlist.com/Individuals/details/198826</ref>

As "Flash Golden," he was the play-by-play announcer for the California Golden Bears basketball radio broadcasts and hosted Flash's Jazz Patio on [[KALX]]-FM. As a stand-up comedian, he has performed at San Francisco's Holy City Zoo and Mustard Seed, the Comedy Store and other clubs in Los Angeles, the Comedy Cottage in Chicago, as well as on the college circuit, Playboy Club, and other clubs from Puerta Vallarta to Boston. He appears both as himself, [[Les Golden]], and as [[Subrahmanyan Berkowitz]] from Bhutan. He is a published editorial cartoonist.[[File:FlashGoldenatOaklandColiseum.JPG|thumb|250px|Flash Golden at halftime at Oakland Coliseum for Cal-UCLA showdown. He wears his signature gold jacket and blue and gold tie. To his right is color man George Skofis. To his left, standing, is Larry Heavey, baritone sax player with the UC Jazz Ensembles.]]

As an editorial and comic cartoonist, Les Golden has been widely published. He is listed in [[Comiclopedia]]<ref>http://lambiek.com/artists/g/golden_les.htm</ref>. His subjects are taken from his interest in politics and other careers as a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, musician, environmentalist, animal welfare advocate, astronomer, and professor. He may be best known for his strip "Captain Industry" from the 1980's. His content ranges from politically controversial to school-boy silliness, with a clean line-art artistic style. His textbook, Laboratory Exercises in Physics for Modern Astronomy (Springer-Verlag, 2012), includes numerous of his comic illustrations, including those of possible extraterrestrials. He credits Betty Edwards, author of Drawing On the Right Side of the Brain, as his major artistic influence. [[File:LesGoldenCartoona.JPG|thumb|left|225px|As a cartoonist, Les Golden is widely published. Among other venues, he contributes cartoons to various gambling magazines. Copyright 2012 Les Golden. All rights reserved.]]

===Organized Athletics===
In athletics he was a two-sport letterman at Oak Park and River Forest High School and was the manager and third baseman of the "Goldenrods" at Cornell and manager and third baseman of the "Foul Balls" in the fast-pitch summer league at U.C. Berkeley. At JPL, he was the third baseman on the champion JPL fast-pitch team in the Glendale City League.

===Astronomy Publications and Presentations===
[[File: LesGoldenNEAR.JPG|thumb|right|150px| Les Golden, astronomer, founded the [[Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project]] while a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.]]Golden has published several peer-reviewed refereed articles on applications of probability and statistics to astronomy,<ref>Golden, Leslie M. (1971). “Evolution of Quasar Optical and Radio Luminosity,” ''Nature'', '''234''', 103; http://www.nature.com/nature-physci/journal/v234/n49/abs/physci234103a0.html</ref><ref>Golden, Leslie M. (1974). “Isotropy of Radio Source Populations from Comparison of Number - Flux Density Curves,” ''Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society'', '''166''', 383; http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1974MNRAS.166..383G </ref><ref>Golden, Leslie M. (1974). “Observational Selection in the Identification of Quasars and Claims for Anisotropy,” ''Observatory'', '''94''', 122; http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1974Obs....94..122G </ref><ref>Golden, Leslie M. (1979). “The Effect of Surface Roughness on the Transmission of Microwave Radiation Through a Planetary Surface,” ''Icarus'', '''38''', 451; http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0019103579901994 </ref> and has taught probability and statistics as an Adjunct Professor of Management Science in the Heller Graduate School of Business at Roosevelt University in Chicago in addition to being an astronomy professor in the physics department and the Honors College of the University of Illinois at Chicago.<ref> http://www.springer.com/astronomy/astronomy,+observations+and+techniques/book/978-1-4614-3310-1?detailsPage=authorsAndEditors</ref>

[[File:TsunamiLecture.JPG‎|thumb|left|250px| Professor Leslie M. Golden lectures in 2005 on how the East Indian Ocean [[tsunami]]-generating earthquake led to a shortening of the length of the day.]]He lectures to adult and student audiences on the possibility of extraterrestrial life and the hypothetical shapes of their bodies. A frequent cruise ship lecturer, he was selected by Royal Cruise Lines to be their shipboard lecturer on the high seas during the 1986 apparition of Halley's Comet, and was the first University of Illinois professor selected to be a professor on the Institute of Shipboard Education's (ISE) Semester at Sea program,<ref>(1997), “Physics sails the world,” ''UIC News'' (University of Illinois at Chicago), April 30, p. 2; http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/uicnews/articledetail.cgi?id=4005</ref> teaching courses on astronomy and the possibility of extraterrestrial life in the fall semester of 1996. [[File: PhysicsEducationReview.gif|thumb|left|150px|The review of Les Golden’s "Laboratory Experiments in Physics for Modern Astronomy" by Michael Vollmer, published in Physics Education Journal, July 2013, volume 48, number 4, pages 534-535.]]Among his popular writings on astronomy<ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-01-20/news/0401200115_1_communication-satellites-mars-initiative-astronomy</ref><ref>http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?30437-Benefits-Of-A-Mission-To-Mars</ref><ref> articles.chicagotribune.com/keyword/astronomy/recent/4</ref> and public presentations,<ref>(2005) Anderson, Holly, “Day shortened by quake, astronomer calculates,” http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-110D9F0B0030ACF0.html, January 5</ref><ref>http://blog.chicagoweathercenter.com/2004/12/27/aftermath_of_the_earthquake_sh/</ref><ref>(2013), Jobs in the sky, Chicago Tribune, February 16, p. 13; http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-vp-0216voicelettersbriefs-20130216,0,5802913.story</ref> he presented a series of lectures to the renowned Field Museum of Natural History on the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligent life, has been the featured speaker at the meeting of the Great Lakes Planetarium Association, and was the keynote speaker for Chicago's Adler Planetarium on the occasion of the dedication of their new wing.

His textbook, Laboratory Exercises in Physics for Modern Astronomy (Springer-Verlag, 2012)<ref>http://www.springer.com/astronomy/astronomy,+observations+and+techniques/book/978-1-4614-3310-1</ref> has been enthusiastically reviewed.<ref>http://www.amazon.com/Laboratory-Experiments-Physics-Modern-Astronomy/dp/146143310X</ref><ref>(2013) Vollmer, Michael, “Physics and astronomy meet in book of experiments,” Physics Education, v. 48, no. 4, p. 534-535; http://iopscience.iop.org/0031-9120/48/4/M03;jsessionid=6530B374440A8BBC9B63245D60D284DF.c1; http://iopscience.iop.org/0031-9120/48/4/M03/pdf/0031-9120_48_4_M03.pdf</ref>

==Renaissance Man Description==
Les Golden is a Renaissance Man, a true polymath. [[File: LesGoldenAlkaSeltzer.jpg |thumb|250px| Principal actor for Alka Seltzer national campaign. This photo appeared in every National Basketball Association program for every team during its season.]]He has been so described in numerous newspapers and magazine. "Let's say there was a local character who has a B.S. and M.S. in engineering physics from Cornell University; earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of California in Berkeley; is a professional actor; a former stand-up comedian in San Francisco and L.A. and an improv performer with Chicago's Second City, is a freelance jazz and theater critic and playwright; is president of his own software development company; gives lectures on UFOs and the possibility of extraterrestrial life; was listed in the Marquis "Who's Who in Science and Engineering;" and every July 4 either he or his twin brother lead the band that precedes the fireworks at the local high school. You'd accuse us of making him up, right? Wait, it gets better. Let's say all of that is not enough. Let's say this guy wants to make his mark in politics . . . only he insists on filing under a nickname which usually gets him tossed off the ballot . . . " <ref>(1997) Trainor, Ken, "Who is Les Golden?", ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 2, p. 29-37</ref>[[File: LesGoldenJazzOaklandMuseum.jpg |thumb|left|250px|Members of the University of California Jazz Ensembles in a publicity photo prior to a performance at the Oakland Museum. From top, Gary Maas, drummer, now an optometrist, Les Golden, trumpet, vocalist, and announcer, and Larry Heavey, baritone sax, now a radiologist.]]

"Where to start in introducing the complete one-off individual that is Les Golden? Actor, stand-up comedian, humorist UFO lecturer, singer, astronomer, cartoonist, playwright, trumpet player, voiceover artist, political activist . . . we could go on. You can probably tell that Les is a bit of a character. Luckily for readers, he's also a great blackjack player,"<ref>(2009) Lines, Chris, "A Word From the Editor," ''Gambling Online'', August, p. 8.</ref>

"It would be an unusual man who really went by the name 'Cut the Taxes,' but Golden, of Oak Park, is an unusual man. He is an actor and educational software developer with a Ph.D. in astronomy; he is a trumpet player, writer and physics professor who devotes much of his free time to taxpayers rights issues."<ref>(1995) Zorn, Eric, "This Candidate Is A `Cut The Taxes' Above The Rest," ''Chicago Tribune'', October 3; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-10-03/news/9510030038_1_wallace-gator-bradley-candidates-taxes. See also, (1994), "A film career far (but not removed) from Tinseltown," ''Compuserve magazine'', August, p. 55; Krapf, Paula (1995) "Silence not Golden: aspiring local politico a man of many names, Faces," ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', September 20, p. 4</ref>

“His interests form a list so long as to stagger the imagination. He is a stand-up comic who has performed all over the United States and Mexico, a professional actor in more than 100 plays, films and commercials; and he is the author of Basic Composer, PC-compatible software that is used to compose, play back, and print music and lyrics. (As an astronomer), in 1986 he went on a Halley’s Comet cruise, following the comet from Acapulco to Greece and transmitting reports to the Syndicated Writers’ Group.”<ref>(1991) “CB as a Channel for Discovery,” ''Compuserve Magazine'', December, p. 18</ref>

[[File:LesGoldenNameGame.jpg|thumb|right|175px| Les Golden is a true polymath, a Renaissance Man. His numerous activities have provided him with many names. Play the Les Golden Name Game! ]]Unlike many in society who were influenced and aided by family members in achieving success in given fields, Golden is entirely a self-made man. No one in either his maternal or paternal extended families have matriculated at an Ivy League college, earned a Ph.D, nor have had professional careers as an actor, stand-up comedian, playwright, political cartoonist, magazine editor, non-fiction writer, software developer, scientist, or professor. His identical twin brother and he are the only professional musicians in the extended families.<ref>Petlicki, Myrna (1997), “Golden memories,” ''Oak Leaves'' (Oak Park, Illinois), July 2, p. B3-6</ref><ref>http://villageofoakpark.com/Stories2002/2003-Les-Golden-comments-July4th-music.html</ref><ref>Lynch, Dennis, (1990), “Unlock your creativity via computers,” Chicago Tribune, February 23, Section 3, p. 3, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-02-23/entertainment/9001160136_1_computers-apple-iigs-steve-jobs</ref>

Les Golden has featured listings at the non-vanity websites Library Thing,<ref>http://www.librarything.com/profile/Les_Golden</ref> Illinois Authors, <ref>http://www.illinoisauthors.org/authors/Leslie_Morris_Golden</ref> Authors Den,<ref>http://www.authorsden.com/lesgolden</ref> Comiclopedia,<ref>http://lambiek.com/artists/g/golden_les.htm</ref> and Theiapolis.<ref>http://people.theiapolis.com/actor-B9C1/les-golden/sites/les-golden-actor-1000547.html</ref>

In addition to these, he is listed at a remarkable multiplicity of amazon.com websites marking notability: 
https://www.evi.com/q/actors_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/comedians_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/musicians_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/writers_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/activists_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/astronomers_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/playwrights_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/scientists_from_oak_park,_illinois 
https://www.evi.com/q/professors_from_oak_park,_illinois.

==Writings==
Les Golden has had books published by reputable publishers in fiction and non-fiction. His biographical novel based on the life of gambling theorist [[Edward O. Thorp]] received stellar endorsements.

“I found the story tremendously entertaining, with a pantheon of compelling characters such as gambler Ed Thorp and bookie Manny Kimmel taking us from the casinos of Nevada to those of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Les Golden’s novel is a triumph begging for adaptation to the screen.”

LANA WOOD
Television and film producer
Actress (“Diamonds Are Forever”)
Best-selling author, Natalie, a Memoir

“Les Golden has an ever-increasing influence and burgeoning popularity. A significant name in the industry, the ‘go to’ man for strategy and anecdotal literary dexterity. I cannot acclaim his star highly enough.”

JAMES MCKEOWN
Editor, iGaming Business Magazine
Editor, Gambling.com Magazine

“Les Golden is a comedy genius. It really is as simple as that. An expert in the field, he makes getting educated not only painless but actually funny.”

DAVE BLAND
Editor, Flush Magazine
British television pundit

“I learn more about strategy through Les’ writings than I do through many failed trips to Vegas. Always concise, easy-to-read, and intelligent.”

JON YOUNG
Editor WPT (World Poker Tour) Magazine

“Les Golden makes numbers hilarious. He's simply the funniest gaming strategy writer there is. His writing is ‘rakish’ and ‘bond-esque.’ ”

PHILIP CONNELLER
Editor, Bluff Europe Magazine

“The dialog crackles and the fictional elements brilliantly illuminate how cool Ed Thorp is. And there’s just the right amount of blackjack and math. I love it.”

AARON BROWN
Professional gambler, Wall Street risk manager
Author, The Poker Face of Wall Street

==Gambling Writings==
===Introduction to Card Counting===
[[File: LesGoldenUnitedAirlines.JPG|thumb|left|125px| International poster-boy for United Airlines. These brochures were available at every UAL ticket office and airport terminal in the world. An accompanying poster was on the wall in every UAL ticket office and airport terminal in the world as well as being printed in every major American newspaper (and perhaps foreign as well).]]In the months before the premier Wednesday Night Band of the [[University of California Jazz Ensembles]], under the direction of Dr. [[David W. Tucker]], went in 1972 to Reno, Nevada, to compete in its first [[Reno]] Jazz Festival,<ref>www.unr.edu/rjf/</ref> Golden, a trumpet player and vocalist with the band and its announcer, purchased Beat the Dealer at the legendary Moe’s Bookstore in Berkeley, California, and studied Thorp’s complete point count system. In the next five years at Berkeley, Golden made monthly trips to Reno, with additional trips to Lake Tahoe and Virginia City, Nevada. In 1977 he moved to Los Angeles to perform research at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a National Research Council Resident Research Associate post-doctoral fellow in astronomy,<ref>http://nrc58.nas.edu/aodir/gen_page.asp?mode=detail&sql=idnumber='760817'</ref> and his gambling excursions were to [[Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]]. He continued to perform stand-up comedy at various venues including The Comedy Store and The Improv.
[[File:CountonLesLogojpg.JPG‎|thumb|240px|Logo for Les Golden's popular "Count on Les" columns for gambling.com print magazine]]

===Writings===
He has written for ''Gambling.com'',<ref>http://www.professional-poker.com/news/2006/nov/764-gamblingcom-poker-content.htm.</ref><ref>http://www.gambling.com/Blackjack/tips-strategies/194/the-blackjack-breakdown</ref> ''Gambling Online'',<ref>www.gamblingonlinemagazine.com/casinos.php</ref> ''iGaming Business'',<ref> http://www.igamingbusiness.com/content/shannon-elizabeth-heats-gamblingcom-magazine</ref>, ''Bluff Europe''<ref>http://www.sbg-globalblackjack.com/p/blackjack-news-headlines-for-september-02-2011</ref><ref>en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluff_Magazine</ref><ref>www.bluffeurope.com/</ref>, and ''Jackpots Review'' magazines, and as a newspaper columnist as a casino advocate.<ref>Golden, Les (1992). “Pleasant Home: Here's a Worthwhile Gamble,” ''Oak Leaves'' (Oak Park, Illinois), July 31, p. 21</ref> His writing reflects his Renaissance man<ref name=''tinsel''>(1994), “A film career far (but not removed) from Tinseltown,” ''Compuserve magazine'',
August, p. 55</ref><ref>(1995) Krapf, Paula, “Silence not Golden: aspiring local politico a man of many names, Faces,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', September 20, p. 4</ref><ref>Trainor, Ken (1997), “Who is Les Golden?”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 2, p. 29-37</ref><ref>(1998) Silver, Moe (name adopted by writer Ken Trainor for purpose of article), “The Clone Ranger divides again”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 1, p. 52</ref><ref name="Shrewish">Trainor, Ken (2001) “Funny, he doesn’t look shrewish,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 1, p. 2</ref><ref name="Cornell"/><ref>http://www.trueknowledge.com/q/facts_about__les_golden_28</ref> multiple knowledge bases. With a technical background, many of his articles deal with probability issues in casino games, focusing on roulette, craps, and blackjack, and discussing such topics as the central limit theorem, the [[normal curve]], and Gambler's ruin, and often employing [[Monte Carlo]] simulations and references to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, an area to which he had been introduced at Cornell University by his mentor Frank Drake and which is one of his research and public lecture areas as an astronomer.<ref>(1983). “People Focuses on Fellow Who Makes ETs His Specialty,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', November 16</ref><ref>(1983), “Rosary prof makes stars come to life for ‘ET’ class,” ''Suburban Sun-Times'' (West), July 1, p. 14</ref><ref>(1984). ”Halley's Comet, Alien Life Highlight Astronomer's Talk,” ''Harlem-Irving Times'', March 2, p 3</ref> [[File:LesGoldenasDrArmstrong.jpg‎|thumb|150px|Les Golden had the part of Dr. Armstrong in Agatha Christie’s "Ten Little Indians." Golden is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists]]With his stand-up comedian background, his style has been described by one of his editors, “You can probably tell that Les is a bit of a character. Luckily for readers, he’s also a great blackjack player,”<ref>Lines, Chris (2009), “A Word From the Editor,” ''Gambling Online'', August, p. 8.</ref> and by Dave Bland, the editor of ''Flush Magazine'', "Les Golden is a comedy genius. I could write more but it really is as simple as that.”<ref>http://triblocal.com/oak-park-river-forest/community/stories/2010/06/cut-the-taxes-golden-is-now-cut-the-cards/</ref><ref>http://triblocal.com/members/dianenichols/mentions/</ref> A professional actor with a Kevin Bacon number of 3 who has studied with Ann Woodworth of [[Northwestern University]] and [[Del Close]] of Chicago’s [[The Second City]] improvisational nightclub, Golden periodically writes about applying acting techniques to camouflage both being a card counter and also being a member of roulette and blackjack teams.<ref>Golden, Les (2010), “So, Do You Feel Lucky, Punk. Well, Do ‘Ya? ,” ''Bluff Europe'', October, p. 88-89</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2010), “Yonder Lies the Castle of my Fodder,” ''Bluff Europe'', November, p. 90-91</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2010), “The Rain in Spain Falls Mainly on the Plain”: Camouflage by Status,” ''Bluff Europe'', December, p. 90-91</ref>

[[File: LesGoldenAsteroidDiscovery.jpg|thumb|left|175px|The beginnings of the [[Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project]] was the subject of an article in Compuserve Magazine, which also discussed his being a writer for the Syndicated Writers’ Group reporting as a Halley’s Comet lecturer on the high seas.]]Golden has won multiple awards for his writing,<ref> http://www.creativehotlist.com/Individuals/details/198826</ref> including the prestigious Eric Hoffer and Lili Fabilli Laconic Essay Prize,<ref>http://financialaid.berkeley.edu/prizes-and-honors-lili-fabilli-and-eric-hoffer-essay-prize</ref><ref> http://students.berkeley.edu/finaid/undergraduates/hofferprize.htm </ref>, the Griffith Observatory Science Writing Competition,<ref> (1974), Griffith Observer, number 6 </ref>, the International Compuserve Magazine Essay Contest,<ref>(1991) “CB as a Channel for Discovery,” ''Compuserve Magazine'', December, p. 18</ref> and the First Prize in the [[Nicolaus Copernicus]] International Essay Competition (American Council of Polish Cultural Clubs). Gambling.com's website refers to Golden as “gambling.com magazine’s resident blackjack genius.”<ref>http://www.gambling.com/blackjack/tips-strategies/194/the-blackjack-breakdown</ref> His research into the gambling game of 21 has been published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal.<ref> http://www.appliedprobability.org/content.aspx?Group=tms&Page=tmsabstracts36_1#eight </ref>

===Golden Diagram===
After the publication of Beat the Dealer, gambling casinos reacted to the advantage that a card counter gains over the house by adopting counter strategies. These included employing multiple decks rather than the single hand-held deck. Two-deck games and games employing four and six decks dealt from a so-called shoe became commonplace.

[[File: LesGoldenBiologyET.jpg|thumb|left|175px| Dr. Les Golden, a popular UIC professor of physics and director of the Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project, delivers a colloquium on the subject of Extraterrestrial Life to the University of Illinois at Chicago Biology Colloquium. ]]Players soon realized intuitively that both these changes in the game reduced their probabilities of winning. In games with a multiple deck, compared to single-deck or double-deck games, players experience frequency, magnitude, and depth (the fraction of the deck which has been dealt in playing previous hands) effects: 1) The deck becomes favorable less frequently at all depths, 2) when the deck does becomes favorable, the magnitude of the advantage is not as great, 3) all decks are favorable infrequently until a significant portion of the deck has been dealt and this occurs at greater depths into the deck in games using multiple decks.

[[File: DrLeslieMGoldenBlackjackArticle.jpg|thumb|right|125px| The June, 2011, paper in The Mathematical Scientist, a peer-reviewed British scholarly journal, established Prof. Les Golden as a recognized expert in the probability and statistics as well as strategy of the casino game of blackjack. ]]Golden, based on a Monte Carlo simulation and theoretical arguments, calculated the magnitude of these effects. The results of his analysis are displayed as [[Golden Diagram|Golden diagrams]]. <ref name="lexica"/><ref>Golden, Les (2010). “Countering the Casino Countering of Counters: The Golden Diagram to the Rescue,” ''Bluff Europe'', June, p. 84-85</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2011). “Trust Me: An Undetectable Winning System For Blackjack! ,” ''Bluff Europe'', March, p. 94-95</ref> He also suggested a stepwise betting strategy to reduce the effects.<ref>Golden, Leslie M. (2011). “An Analysis of the Disadvantage to Players of Multiple Decks in the Game of 21.” ''The Mathematical Scientist'', '''32''', 2, p. 57-69</ref><ref>http://www.appliedprobability.org/content.aspx?Group=tms&Page=tmsabstracts</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2011). “Stepping Out With My Baby: The Stepwise Betting Strategy,” ''Bluff Europe'', April, p. 92-93</ref>

His paper on the subject<ref>digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/gaming_institute/2016/June9/10/</ref> was accepted for presentation at the 2016 triennial Gambling and Risk Taking Conference at the Mirage Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas.<ref>https://www.unlv.edu/sites/default/files/page_files/27/IGI-DraftConferenceSchedule.pdf</ref>

===Magic Circle strategy===
[[File: DrLeslieMGoldenBook.jpg|thumb|right|200px| The bookseller flyer for Laboratory Experiments in Physics for Modern Astronomy.]]The game of roulette, being a game of Simple random sample|statistics without replacement, is not amenable to systems such as card counting, which rely on the non-randomness of the particular game. If, however, the roulette wheel is not perfectly level, laboratory studies, most notably at the British National Weights and Measures Laboratory, and theoretical studies have shown that a skillful croupier can by virtue of muscle memory release the roulette ball with a speed and at a location on the table to bias the bin in which it comes to rest.<ref>Dixon, P. (2005). “Roulette Wheel Testing,” ''Report on Stage 3.1 of NWML/GBGB Project Proposal''</ref><ref>http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2007/ph210/hall1/</ref>

The Magic Circle strategy takes advantage of this potential bias and the non-random location of the various bets on the roulette wheel.<ref>Golden, Les (2009). “Vodka Can Make You Tilt: How You Can Win At Roulette,” ''Bluff Europe'', November, p. 90-92</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2009). “With The Tips In This Article You’ll Become Wealthy Beyond Your Wildest Dreams!,” ''Bluff Europe'', December, p. 90-92</ref><ref>Golden, Les (2010). “Beginners in the Casino: Camouflaging Team Roulette,” ''Bluff Europe'', January, p. 90-91.</ref> Golden showed that, after influencing the croupier to direct the ball into certain sectors of the roulette wheel, a team of players can lay bets in strategic locations on the wheel to secure profitable play.

His paper on the subject<ref>digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/gaming_institute/2016/June9/11/</ref> was accepted for presentation at the 2016 triennial Gambling and Risk Taking Conference at the Mirage Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas.<ref>https://www.unlv.edu/sites/default/files/page_files/27/IGI-DraftConferenceSchedule.pdf</ref>

==Political Activity==

===National Animal Welfare Activity===
===Onion the dog===
Les Golden began the internationally-noted movement to save [[Onion the dog]] of Henderson, Nevada, from euthanasia. The dog was saved after Golden's attorney fought for his life at the Nevada Supreme Court. Animal welfare and animal control laws are being rewritten as a result.<ref>https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/07/les-golden-oak-park-dog-a_n_1497423.html</ref>

===Local===
====CARE Party====
[[File:EricZornLes.JPG|125px|thumb|Featured column on Les Golden in Chicago Tribune.]]
Golden began his political career with the non-partisan [[CARE Party of Oak Park|CARE Party]]. (Citizens Active for Respect for the Environment/Citizens Active for a Responsible Electorate) in Oak Park, [[Illinois]]. He later formed the [[TURF Party]] (Taxpayers United of River Forest) in the adjacent community. He was the president of UTOP (United Taxpayers of Oak Park) from 1991 through 2005.<ref>http://www.oakparkjournal.com/Stories2002/2003-national-taxpayers-protest-op-sept-25.html</ref> As CARE party president he has been responsible for slating more than 70 candidates for local political office, achieving the election of eight on tax-accountability and environmental issues.<ref>see, for example, (1989) CARE joins school board fray, Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest , July 31, page 1; (1989) CARE tries to seek new identity, Oak Leaves, October 11, page 7; (1990) CARE endorsements have defeat the "incumbent" goal, Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest , October 31, page 21; (1991) CARE challenges shake up village races, Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest, February 6, page 1;
(1991) CARE: a party in search of an image, Oak Leaves, August 14, page 8; Thomas, Sherry (1995) “Is Runningbear really ‘Cut the Taxes’?”, ''Oak Leaves'' (Oak Park, Illinois), August 23, p. 13; Linden, Eric (1995) “New OPRF ‘slate’ reads like a hoax,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 9, p. 7</ref> He has sponsored and moderated numerous taxpayer information forums.<ref>see, for example,(2006) “Oak Park tax gripes to be discussed”, September 26, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-09-26/news/0609260292_1_property-tax-property-owners-steep-hike; (1987) 200 turn out at CARE tax forum, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', October 7; CARE tax forum adds speakers, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', September 9, 9; http://www.oakparkjournal.com/Stories2002/2003-national-taxpayers-protest-op-sept-25.html</ref> His advocacy of tax-relief has led him to seek local elected office as “Cut the Taxes.”<ref>(2003) Golden, Les “Cut the Taxes” Golden, How to turn the Barrie negative into a positive,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', February 26</ref>

====Animal Welfare and Environmentalism====
A major influence on animal welfare and environmental protection efforts locally and in the State of Illinois, Golden has been a leader in water and materials conservation, recycling, tree protection, wildlife protection, pesticide bans, efforts to retard global warming, and numerous other initiatives, as well as childhood education in these efforts. He has achieved numerous reforms in this regard as president of the [[CARE Party of Oak Park|CARE Party]]. [[File: LesGoldenOakParkPesticideBan.jpg|thumb|left|175px|In 1991, Les Golden, as president of Citizens Active for Respect for the Environment, achieved a ban on pesticides in the parks and recreation centers of Oak Park, Illinois.]]

In 2012, Golden learned of the plan by the village of Oak Park to destroy all the pigeons who found shelter among the steel support beams under the train trestle at Marion Street. Some residents complained about the unsightly droppings. Golden discovered that a gel substance placed on the surfaces adjacent to roosting areas was unappealing to all birds who would walk through it, in particular pigeons, starlings, and sparrows. The village trustees opted for that solution, although destruction of the birds had been imminent, and the birds were saved.<ref>(2012) Golden, Les, “An alternative pigeon solution for Oak Park,” Wednesday Journal, June 5</ref>

At the last hour, in 2013, the Oak Park Park District announced that the expansive Ridgeland Common park area in the center of the village was going to be converted into an artificial turf soccer field. This required the bulldozing of the popular sledding hill, an attraction since 1965, the destruction of dozens of mature trees and bushes, and the termination of the modest dog park and the chip/mulch pile for use by residents. The sledding hill had been a popular year-round attraction for a multitude of exercise, picnicking, fireworks viewing, and nature-oriented activities, and the residence of mature shade-providing hackelberry trees. This occurred despite a sham public planning process that had been in place for several years <ref>http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/8-7-2012/Park-District-of-Oak-Park-tells-
architects-to-move-forward-with-Ridgeland-Common-plans/</ref> and which had focused on the renovation of the ice rink/swimming pool complex. In February, 2013, Golden, posing as “Richard Kullman” in order to gain access to the inner sanctum of the local park district while ensuring that the story being about the park and not himself, created what became known as the “Kullman Kaper” and began a media frenzy. He organized and held a rally, generated numerous letters to the local press and emergency government meetings, and stimulated the creation of an online petition.<ref>Manchir, Michelle (2013), “Oak Park residents oppose plan to remove sled hill and dog run”, Chicago Tribune, March 6, p. 5</ref> <ref>Manchir, Michelle (2013), “Plans to close dog park angers some pet owners,” Chicago Tribune, March 12, p. 7</ref> The feckless “Green Committee” had one such emergency meeting, to which it invited an artificial turf contractor make a predictable presentation. The new executive director caved in to the desires of the paid soccer officials sitting on the park board and the destruction of the park began in April.

Golden has long lobbied against the environmental disaster of campaign lawn signs.<ref>http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/4-3-2012/Ways-for-Oak-Park-residents-to-recycle-those-campaign-signs/</ref>

====Lobbying for Intergovernmental Cooperation====

Despite the self-serving claims by local elected officials of trying to work together,<ref>http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/12-10-2013/Intergovernmental-cooperation-is-a-reality-with-IGOV/</ref> intergovernmental cooperation to save the environment and to save taxpayer dollars has been an abysmal failure in Golden’s hometown of [[Oak Park]], Illinois. Golden has suggested numerous means of attaining such, with limited success against the entrenched bureaucracies rampant in [[Oak Park]].

For several decades, Golden has been trying to convince the local Oak Park governments to save costs and display environmentalism by using wood chips from the stumps of trees that were cut down as mulch for the parks. Despite one victory<ref>http://www.oakparkjournal.com/stories2004/2005-les-golden-mulch-nov.html</ref>, the park district continues to pay thousands of dollars annually for mulch that is free for the taking. Indeed, officials in nearby neighborhoods of Chicago routinely obtain the wood chips from Oak Park trees and tree stumps.

Dating back to the 1990’s, Golden has lobbied local officials, without any support from the local Green Party, Democratic Party, local political party, any government official, or any private resident, to bundle their newsletters to save paper and mailing costs. In all, about 30 newsletters are mailed to each home annually. These include quarterly self-congratulatory mailings from the township, monthly mailings from the village, quarterly mailings from the park district and two school districts, water quality reports from the village, periodic mailings from the Oak Park library, monthly senior citizen mailings from the township, and other mailings. In the late 1990’s, Golden’s solo effort began to have results, when the library began to bundle its mailing with the village monthly newsletter. In the 2010’s, the two school district started to bundle their mailings with that of the village and library. The township and park district continue to flaunt such efforts at cost savings and environmentalism.

Golden continually exhorts the park district to find alternate means of distributing its near-100 page activities brochure to 20,000 households quarterly at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars in postage. In fact, 90% of households simply discard the hefty brochure, an environmental disaster. Golden has suggested intergovernmental cooperation as a means to resolve both problems. Simply by distributing the brochure at each of the nine public schools, the three firehouses, the three libraries, the dozen parks, and the nearly dozen administration buildings of the local governments, no resident would be more than one or two blocks from a brochure drop-off location. Those residents who actually have enrolled in an activity in the previous two years would continue to receive the brochure. The brochure would, in addition, be available online.

Despite the logic of this suggestion, the park district continues to waste trees and taxpayer dollars. The self-congratulatory propaganda published in the brochure leads the park district to ensure that every household received the document.

In 2013, the authoritative peer-reviewed journal The Mathematical Scientist published Prof. Golden’s analysis of the role of intergovernmental cooperation in optimizing the use of limited resources such as tax revenues in governing.<ref>Golden, Leslie M. (2013), “The Optimal Allocation of Resources
Among Competing Units of Government”
''The Mathematical Scientist'', 38, 2, December</ref> Golden sent the paper to every elected official in Oak Park as well as the executive directors of every board in Oak Park, as well as the editors of the Chicago and Oak Park newspapers.

====Tax Relief, Commercial Development, and Candidate Sponsor====
Golden’s interest in tax relief has led to a leadership role in large-scale commercial development as principal of Holley Court Partners.<ref>http://www.oak-park.us/public/pdfs/Planning/Harlem_South/2006%20RFP%20Responses/09.26.06_Holley%20Court%20Partners.pdf</ref>

[[File: LesGoldenParksCandidacy.jpg|175px|thumb|left| As a candidate for the Oak Park Park District, Les “Cut the Taxes” Golden suggested an imaginative use for a local park among tax-saving measures.]]His notoriety as a sponsor of political candidates led to his namesake, "Moe Silver," Chairman of the "LOVE Party," being a lead character in the locally-drawn "Shrubtown" comic strip and theatrical play by the same name by artist and writer Marc Stopeck.<ref>see, for example, Stopeck, Marc (1991), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', July 24, p. 17; Stopeck, Marc (1991), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 14, p. 22; Stopeck, Marc (1991), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 21, p. 23; Stopeck, Marc (1991), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 28, p. 21; Stopeck, Marc (1992), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 12, p. 24; Stopeck, Marc (1993), “Shrubtown,” ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', August 11, p. 22</ref>

===Statewide and National===
====Nickname and Ballot Access====
[[File: LesGoldenTreeRally.JPG|150px|thumb|right|In 2007, Leslie M. Golden discovered the plan by the Oak Park Park District to destroy all the old growth trees in a local park. Within 48 hours, on the July 4th weekend, he organized a committee to hold a Sunday rally, wrote a flyer, had the flyer distributed throughout the community, obtained speakers, and notified the press. Over 200 people attended on the hottest day of the year.]]His political candidacies for U.S. Congress<ref>(1996) Kass, John, “Nothing dull about 7th race – U.S. House contest full of controversy,” ''Chicago Tribune'', March 8, Section 2, p. 1</ref> and State Representative<ref>(1992) Zorn, Eric, “But Yakov seems so, so . . . judicial,” ''Chicago Tribune'', March 10, Section 2, p. 1</ref><ref>(1996) Montgomery, Susan, “GOP slates Golden to run for state rep,” ''Oak Leaves'', July 3, p. 10</ref><ref>http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=16936&WhenStart=2011-08-06+12%3A51%3A32</ref><ref> (1996) “Cut taxing districts,” ''Berwyn Life'' October 9, p. 22 </ref> using the nickname "Cut the Taxes" have led to court actions,<ref>http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/773242/posts</ref><ref>(2002), Mission: Fool voters (editorial), ''Chicago Tribune'', January 18, p. 18 </ref><ref> http://anti-state.com/forum/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=1446</ref><ref>http://ddd-hph.dlconsulting.com/cgi-bin/newshph?a=d&d=HPH19980107.2.3&cl=&srpos=0&st=1&e=00-00-0000-99-99-9999--20--1----Sen.+Obama-all</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-09-18/news/0209180186_1_ballots-fractional-jagielski </ref><ref> http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/10-30-2002/Golden_wins_Cut-The-Taxes_suit,_sues_again_</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-10-16/news/0210160202_1_blagojevich-spokesman-doug-scofield-illinois-state-board </ref><ref>Zorn, Eric. (1995) This candidate is a Cut the Taxes above the rest, ''Chicago Tribune'' (Metrowest), October 3, p. 1; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-10-03/news/9510030038_1_wallace-gator-bradley-candidates-taxes </ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-10-23/news/0210230072_1_golden-ballot-orr </ref><ref>http://www.actuarialoutpost.com/actuarial_discussion_forum/showthread.php?p=136091</ref><ref>www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-1110F700ED5B9A50.html</ref><ref>http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2009/09/should-we-use-cheryle-robinson-jackson-or-stick-with-cheryle-jackson-.html</ref><ref> (1996) Hevrkejs, Judy and Conklin, Mike, “Cutting Les,” ''Chicago Tribune'', March 12, p. 2</ref><ref> (1996) “ ‘Cut the Taxes’ cut from GOP ballot,” ''West Suburban Post'', March 8, p. 5</ref><ref>http://forums.gunbroker.com/pop_printer_friendly.asp?TOPIC_ID=34426</ref> a re-writing of Illinois election law concerning allowable names on the ballot<ref>http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=001000050HArt%2E+16&ActID=170&ChapterID=3&SeqStart=56200000&SeqEnd=57400000; see 10 ILCS 5/16-3 (e); </ref><ref>10 ILCS 5/16-3 (e)</ref><ref>(2002) McLaughlin, Amy, “Candidates’ Stances Offer Clear Choices for Voters.” Chicago Daily Herald, November 1, page 4</ref><ref>(2002) Sneed, Michael, “Election Board Objects to Nixed Nicknames.” Chicago Sun-Times, October 13, page 6;
http://article.wn.com/view/2002/10/13/Election_Board_objects_to_nixed_nicknames/</ref><ref>(2002) “State’s Attorney Suing to Keep Slogans Off Ballot,” Chicago Sun-Times, October 16, page 80; http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1461211.html, "State's attorney suing to keep slogans off ballot”</ref><ref>http://www.upi.com/Suit-filed-to-keep-sloganeering-off-ballot/95431034782244/
</ref><ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-06-03/news/0306030127_1_orr-slogans-78th-district; (2003) Groark, Virginia, “Legislature cuts the slogans from names on ballot,” Chicago Tribune, June 3</ref><ref> Trainor, Ken (1997), “Who is Les Golden?”, ''Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest'', April 2, p. 29-37 </ref> propagated throughout the state of Illinois in election guides for candidates,<ref>www.champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/docs/2012/2012CanGuide.pdf</ref><ref>www.elections.il.gov/downloads/electioninformationcourth/pdf/2011canguide.pdf </ref> lengthy discussions in the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) handbook on election law<ref> www.iicle.com </ref> which is on display in courthouses in the state of Illinois, scholarly studies on election law and ballot access, <ref>http://www.umsl.edu/~kimballd/illinois.pdf</ref> and rewriting of election law in other states. <ref>law.onecle.com/texas/election/52.031.00.html</ref> In addition, in another part of the revised election law, the Golden Rule, for the first time in Illinois history, allows any election official whatsoever, state as well as local, to extend their previous ministerial powers beyond mere printing of the ballot to actually removing slogans from ballot names.<ref>10 ILCS 5/16-3 (f)</ref> These cases in election law and the revised Illinois election law statutes have been cited repeatedly in jurisdictions throughout the country.

====Taxation, Constitutional Convention, and Drug Legalization====
[[File: LesGoldenCutTaxingDistricts.jpg|thumb|left|175px| As the GOP candidate for the office of State Representative from the 8th Illinois district, Golden suggested means for funding education.]]In 2008, he was the statewide spokesman and one of three state-wide coordinators for the group seeking to convene an Illinois Constitutional Convention.<ref>(2008) Sweeney, Chuck, Constitutional convention? Here's a pro-con, Rockford Register Star, June 18; http://www.rrstar.com/opinions/x1713643550/Constitutional-convention-Heres-a-pro-con</ref><ref>(2008) Wilson, Doug, Business group says constitutional convention would be too costly, risky, Quincy Herald-Whig, July 15</ref><ref>www.chicagogop.com/home/blogger/drlesmgolden/</ref><ref>http://www.chicagogop.com/component/comprofiler/userprofile/drlesmgolden</ref> He wrote the field guide for campaign workers which was used in other states also seeking to convene constitutional conventions. He has consistently fought legislation removing property tax caps in Illinois.<ref> (1995) Schory, Brenda, “Loud protest trails quiet passage of tax cap bill,” Kane County Chronicle, July 7, p. 1</ref> He was selected to be a charter member of the board of the Illinois Taxpayer Education Foundation (ITEF) in 1994.

He has repeatedly written about the abuse of “life safety legislation” by the Illinois General Assembly.<ref>(2008) Golden, Les, “Schools' safety bonds are abused,” Chicago Sun-Times, December 2; http://www.taxpayereducation.org/2008/12/schools-safety-bonds-are-abused/</ref><ref>http://www.geocities.ws/les_golden/fiscalpolicy/index.html</ref>
<ref>Golden, Leslie and Tobin, James, Illinois Taxpayer Education Foundation, Report 37, 2001.</ref>
<ref>Wertheimer, Joanna and Golden, L.M., (1997) "Schools Play End Around Taxpayers," Grayslake Advisor, January 15, p. 14-18.</ref>

He has been recognized by the Media Awareness Project<ref>http://www.mapinc.org/</ref> as a key spokesman in the national movement to legalize drugs to combat an epidemic of crime and to generate government revenues.<ref>http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n523/a06.html</ref><ref>(2013) Legalize drugs, Chicago Tribune, October 28, p. 19; http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-10-28/opinion/ct-vp-1028-voice-letters-20131028_1_drug-business-drug-trafficking-drug-crimes</ref>

===Recognition and Honors===
He is President of Citizens Active for Respect for the Environment/Citizens Active for a Responsible Electorate (CARE) in Oak Park, Suburban Coordinator of the Alliance of (Cook) County Taxpayers (ACT), and heads the National Taxpayers United of Oak Park.

Golden received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Taxpayers United of Illinois umbrella group in 1991 for his taxpayer advocacy efforts.

In 2013, the authoritative peer-reviewed journal The Mathematical Scientist published Prof. Golden’s analysis of the role of intergovernmental cooperation in optimizing the use of limited resources such as tax revenues in governing.<ref>Golden, Leslie M. (2013), “The Optimal Allocation of Resources
Among Competing Units of Government”
''The Mathematical Scientist'', 38, 2, December</ref>

==Quotes==
"The only famous (card) counters are the ex-counters."
“Human beings are the only species that derive joy from the misfortunes of others. The greater the misfortune, the greater the joy.”
“If you set mediocre goals, the most you will ever achieve is mediocrity.”
“We don’t own the Earth; we simply share it.”

==Published Books==
*''Basic Composer: An Analysis of Music Notation Software'', Music Education Incentives Publishers (1988)
*''Astronomy 101'', UIC Press (1994)
*''A Field Guide for Political Activists: How to Generate Support and Turn Out Your Voters'', Lee Brooke (2008)
*''Laboratory Experiments in Physics for Modern Astronomy: With Comprehensive Development of the Physical Principles'', Springer Science+Business (2012)<ref> http://www.springer.com/astronomy/astronomy,+observations+and+techniques/book/978-1-4614-3310-1</ref>
*''Never Split Tens'', Springer International Publishers/Copernicus (2017 release)
*''The Body Shapes of Extraterrestrials and Other Essays in Astronomy to Zoology'', World Scientific Publishing Company (2017 release)

==Discography==
*''Deuces Wild'', The Deuces

==Selected Theatrical, Film, Radio, Television, and Commercial Credits==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Title
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Director
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Role
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Co-stars
|-
|Kronenbourgh Beer
|Josef Sedelmaier
|Murray
|Bruce Jarchow
|-
|Tony’s Pizza
|Josef Sedelmaier
|Vito
|
|-
|Chicago Tribune
|Jim Wotring
|Jo-jo
|Marji Bank, Ernest Perry
|-
|K-Mart
|Jim Wotring
|Lester
|Tim Gamble
|-
|Eagle Foods
|Gerald Hagner
|Les
|Ken Anderson (athlete)
|-
|Motorola Cellular
|Ed Italo
|Miller
|Lee Trevino (athlete)
|-
|Buick
|Jim Parish
|Cal
|Don Majowski (athlete)
|-
|True Value Hardware
|Jim Lynch
|Professor Astroray
|(one-person show)
|-
|Cognex
|Stewart Talent
|Timothy McCoy
|Paula Scrofano
|-
|Illinois State Lottery
|Jeff Jones
|Big Brother
|
|-
|Heinz Ketchup
|Bob Shallcross
|Les Golden (stand-up comedian as himself)
|
|-
|Bubble Up
|Stan Cottle
|Murray
|Charlotte Ross
|-
|The Len Petrulis Show
|Len Petrulis
|Phillipe Maurice, Parisian fashion designer
|Kajon Mueller
|-
|Freeman Shoes
|Loren Ostir
|Wally Tucker
|
|-
|Thrift Drugs
|Clay Covert
|Mr. Eisen
|(one-person show)
|-
|Madison Gas and Electric
|Bob Wendt
|Bob
|(one-person show)
|-
|Ohio Edison
|Ken Ancell
|Mr. Heater
|(one-person show)
|-
|American Family Insurance
|John Alexson
|Mark
|Rick Plastina
|-
|Outtakes
|Jack Sell
|Harvey Knox
|Broderick Crawford
|-
|The Nightmare Trial of Billy Barnes
|Gerald Rogers
|Edward Keppel
|
|-
|The Roommate
|Nell Cox
|Mr. Chipbeef
|Barry Miller, Lance Guest
|-
|Welcome Home, Bobby
|Herbert Wise
|Coach Lazare
|Adam Baldwin
|-
|How I Became A Holy Mother
|Arnold Aprill
|Master
|Patti Shaughnessy
|-
|Taming of the Shrew
|Dale Calandra
|Gremio
|Ned Mochel, Susan Hart, and others
|-
|YMCA
|Jerold Haislmaier
|Michael Marks
|
|-
|Ten Little Indians
|Faith Dukor-Chaplick
|Dr. Armstrong
|June Atkinson, Russ Cady
|-
|Stage Struck
|James Carter
|Herman
|Jim Mullen
|-
|The Odd Couple
|Faith Baime
|Vinnie
|
|-
|What the Wine Sellers Buy
|Wanda Getsug
|George
|Lucy Evans
|-
|The Little Sister
|Ray Andrecheck
|Toad
|B.F. Helman
|-
|Taming of the Shrew
|David Darlow
|Vincentio
|Robert Petkoff, David Darlow, Kristine Thatcher, Greg Vinkler, Michael Halberstam, and others
|-
|The Inspector General
|Knowles Cooke
|Bobchinsky
|Stephen Straight, Barbara Tucker
|-
|Eddie Hubbard Show Live from Arnie’s
|Eddie Hubbard
|Jeffrey Clayton Maxwell
|Robert Goulet, and others
|-
|Unshackled!
|Jack O’Dell
|Richard Goldstein (and others)
|Judith Easton, David Mink, and others
|-
|Deadly Spygames
|Jack Sell
|General Vladimir Korchenko
|Tippi Hedren, Troy Donahue
|-
|Lady Blue
|Gary Nelson
|Davey Carlton
|Danny Aiello, Jamie Rose, Ron Dean
|}

==Writing Awards==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Competition
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Sponsor
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Award
|-
|Eric Hoffer and Lili Fabilli Laconic Essay Prize
|Eric Hoffer
|First Place Winner
|-
|Cornell Engineer Feature Article Competition
|Cornell University College of Engineering
|First Place Winner
|-
|Engineering College Magazines Association Awards
|Engineering College Magazines Association
|Best Editorial, Second Place Winner
|-
|Engineering College Magazines Association Awards
|Engineering College Magazines Association
|Best Editorial, All Issues, Second Place Winner
|-
|Griffith Observatory Science Writing Competition
|Griffith Observatory
|Honorable Mention Winner
|-
|International Compuserve Magazine Essay Competition
|Compuserve Magazine
|First Place Winner
|-
|Nicolaus Copernicus International Essay Competition
|American Council of Polish Cultural Clubs
|First Place Winner, Senior Division
|-
|Tau Beta Pi Essay Competition
|Tau Beta Pi Association
|Honorable Mention Winner
|-
|}

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:1; column-count:1;">
<references />
</div>

==Technical Publications==

===Probability and Statistics in Astronomy===
1. Golden, Leslie M. (1971). “Evolution of Quasar Optical and Radio Luminosity,” ''Nature'', '''234''', 103.

2. Golden, Leslie M. (1974). “Isotropy of Radio Source Populations from Comparison of Number - Flux Density Curves,” ''Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society'', '''166''', 383.

3. Golden, Leslie M. (1974). “Observational Selection in the Identification of Quasars and Claims for Anisotropy,” ''Observatory'', '''94''', 122.

4. Golden, Leslie M. (1979). “The Effect of Surface Roughness on the Transmission of Microwave Radiation Through a Planetary Surface,” ''Icarus'', '''38''', 451.

===Technical Articles on Gambling===

1. Golden, Les; Thompson-Hill, Jeremy; and Theobold, Rick (2008). “Has Online Gaming Reached Saturation Point?,” '' iGaming Business'', March/April, p. 16-17.

2 Golden, Les; Turner, Noah; and von Bar, Jens (2009). “The Death of the RNG,” '' iGaming Business'', July/August, p. 56-59.

3. Golden, Leslie M. (2011). “An Analysis of the Disadvantage to Players of Multiple Decks in the Game of 21.” ''The Mathematical Scientist'', ''' 32''', 2, p. 57-69.

===Peer-Reviewed Articles on Intergovernmental Cooperation===

1. Golden, Leslie M. (2013), “The Optimal Allocation of Resources Among Competing Units of Government,” ''The Mathematical Scientist'', 38, 2, December

==External links==
*[http://www.geocities.ws/les_golden] Home Page
*[http://www.illinoisauthors.org/authors/Leslie_Morris_Golden] Illinois Authors Listing
*[http://www.worldcat.org/title/laboratory-exercises-in-physics-for-modern-astronomy/oclc/773666079] World Catalog Listing
*[http://www.betterworldbooks.com/les-golden-id-6136849941.aspx] Collected Writings
*[http://www.librarything.com/profile/Les_Golden] Library Thing Listing
* [http://www.authorsden.com/lesgolden] Authors Den Listing
* [http://people.theiapolis.com/actor-B9C1/les-golden/sites/les-golden-actor-1000547.html] Theiapolis listing as actor
* [http://lambiek.com/artists/g/golden_les.htm] Cartoonist listing at Comiclopedia
* [http://www.creativehotlist.com/Individuals/details/198826] CreativeHotList
*[https://www.evi.com/q/actors_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Actor
*[https://www.evi.com/q/comedians_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Comedian
*[https://www.evi.com/q/musicians_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Musician
*[https://www.evi.com/q/writers_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Writer
*[https://www.evi.com/q/activists_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Animal Welfare and Environmental Activist
*[https://www.evi.com/q/astronomers_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Astronomer
*[https://www.evi.com/q/playwrights_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Playwright
*[https://www.evi.com/q/scientists_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Scientist
*[https://www.evi.com/q/professors_from_oak_park,_illinois] Amazon.com EVI listing as Academic

==Categories==
{{DEFAULTSORT:Golden,Les}}
[[Category:Academia]]
[[Category:Actors]]
[[Category:Theatre]]
[[Category:American academics]]
[[Category:American actor-politicians]]
[[Category:American environmentalists]]
[[Category:American essayists]]
[[Category:Comics characters]]
[[Category:Betting systems]]
[[Category:Research]]
[[Category:Film theorists]]
[[Category:American film actors]]
[[Category:American stand-up comedians]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:Gambling]]
[[Category:Gambling games]]
[[Category:Gambling terminology]]
[[Category:American comedians]]
[[Category:American musicians]]
[[Category:American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:American sports announcers]]
[[Category:College basketball announcers]]
[[Category:American writers]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Political slogans]]
[[Category:Probability theory]]
[[Category:Jewish actors]]
[[Category:Jewish comedians]]
[[Category:Jewish writers]]
[[Category:Jewish environmentalists]]
[[Category:Jewish writers]]
[[Category:Jewish animal welfare advocates]]
[[Category:Jewish academics]]
[[Category:Jewish cartoonists]]
[[Category:Jewish politicians]]
[[Category:Jewish musicians]]
[[Category:Jewish gambling writers]]
[[Category:Jewish playwrights]]
[[Category:Jewish bandleaders]]
[[Category:Jewish astronomers]]
[[Category:Notable residents of Oak Park Illinois]]
[[Category:Notable residents of Illinois]]
[[Category:Gambling writers]]
[[Category:Acting]]
[[Category:Activism]]
[[Category:American astronomers]]
[[Category:American columnists]]
[[Category:American computer programmers]]
[[Category:American entertainers]]
[[Category:American film actors]]
[[Category:American jazz trumpeters]]
[[Category:American people of Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Polish-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American political writers]]
[[Category:American scientists]]
[[Category:American screenwriters]]
[[Category:American stage actors]]
[[Category:American voice actors]]
[[Category:Animal Welfare]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Blackjack]]
[[Category:Celebrities]]
[[Category:Celebrity Interviews]]
[[Category:Jewish American writers]]
[[Category:Jewish scientists]]
[[Category:Illinois Republicans]]
[[Category:Illinois politicians]]
[[Category:Scientists from Illinois]]
[[Category:Cornell University alumni]]
[[Category:Astrophysicists]]
[[Category:University of California Berkeley alumni]]
[[Category:Film production companies of the United States]]

User:GASPER-TODD

2019-11-19T16:31:51Z

RandomUser34: Created blank page

Mark-1 Plumbing

2019-11-18T14:58:58Z

RandomUser34: Created page with "'''Mark-1 Plumbing''' is a plumbing company based in Texas. It became somewhat well known on the Internet after the owner's old truck was photographed being used to hold heavy..."

'''Mark-1 Plumbing''' is a plumbing company based in Texas. It became somewhat well known on the Internet after the owner's old truck was photographed being used to hold heavy weaponry by ISIS terrorists. <ref>https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/dec/18/texas-plumber-mark-1-plumbing-syria-jihadist</ref>

=== References ===
{{reflist}}

Topic:Vb34yekow0ssljup

2019-11-15T13:34:59Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) restored a post on "Bad dove! Bad!" (you did a homophobia)

I.M. Spooky (writer)

2019-11-15T13:32:53Z

RandomUser34: you're the vandal lmfao

{{delete|hoax}}

Page created by sockpuppet.

'''Сибирь ждет!'''

User:Void

2019-11-14T13:49:29Z

RandomUser34:

PICK A NAME, AND STICK WITH IT. ALSO STOP MAKING SHIT UP YOU ASS

::::::: BTW EPSTEIN DIDN'T KILL HIMSELF

User:Void

2019-11-14T13:47:06Z

RandomUser34: Created page with "PICK A NAME, AND STICK WITH IT. ALSO STOP MAKING SHIT UP YOU ASS"

PICK A NAME, AND STICK WITH IT. ALSO STOP MAKING SHIT UP YOU ASS

I.M. Spooky (writer)

2019-11-14T13:45:38Z

RandomUser34: Replaced content with "{{delete|hoax}} Page created by sockpuppet. '''Сибирь ждет!'''"

{{delete|hoax}}

Page created by sockpuppet.

'''Сибирь ждет!'''

Topic:Vb34yekow0ssljup

2019-11-14T13:42:31Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) commented on "Bad dove! Bad!" (I AM WATCHING YOU. RandomUser34 (talk) 14:42, 14 November 2019 (CET))

Topic:V8os763xmbrwwp8h

2019-11-11T22:08:03Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) commented on "Boo!" (looks like you've been defeated lol)

User:Goodguy

2019-10-11T14:01:04Z

RandomUser34: Created blank page

Samarth 'Sam' Chitgopekar

2019-10-11T13:59:31Z

RandomUser34: ANTIGANG ACTION

]]

Adu Batūtā gon get put in his place if he keeps talkin out his neck.

Lynda Fisher

2019-10-11T13:55:07Z

RandomUser34: Undo revision 534276 by AngryGrandpaTheMovie (talk)

{{AFC submission|d|v|u=JakePaulshop|ns=118|decliner=AngusWOOF|declinets=20190317214024|reason2=bio|ts=20190317213823}} 
{{AFC submission|d|bio|u=95.147.178.111|ns=118|decliner=Bkissin|declinets=20181105161828|small=yes|ts=20181105153914}} 
{{AFC submission|d|v|u=95.147.130.127|ns=118|decliner=Whispering|declinets=20181105141628|small=yes|ts=20181104161823}} 

{{AFC comment|1=Minor characters means she is not notable per [[WP:ENT]]. Please provide secondary sources to indicate otherwise that show she has lead roles in lead productions. [[User:AngusWOOF|AngusWOOF]] ([[User talk:AngusWOOF#top|bark]] • [[Special:Contributions/AngusWOOF|sniff]]) 21:40, 17 March 2019 (UTC)}}

----

{{Infobox person
| name = Lynda Fisher
| image = Fem Stock Photo.png
| alt =
| caption = Lynda Fisher 2018
| birth_name = Lynda Diana Fisher
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1962|7|25}}
| birth_place = [[London]], [[England]] U.K
| death_date =
| death_place =
| death_cause =
| resting_place =
| nationality = English
| residence =
| home_town = [[London]], [[England]] U.K
| other_names = L Fisher
| occupation = Actress
| years_active = 1967-present
| known_for =
| notable_works =
}}

'''Lynda Diana Fisher''' (born: July 25, 1962) is an English actress who acted in many films mainly as a supporting or minor characters. She was born on July 25, 1962. She had acted in notable films such as [[You Only Live Twice (film)]] and [[Oliver! (film)]].

==Early Life==
Lynda Fisher was born on July 25th 1962 in London, England U.K. She was educated in Marbella, Spain before returning to the U.K to start a career in the theatre.
She began her career working as a stage manager in London's West End and then moved on to performing in many theatre productions over many years. In 1998 she appeared on many U.K and U.S television pilots and even hosted live TV shows.

==Career==
In 2007, she chose to retire from the theatre to work on Film & TV, mainly appearing as background characters in productions such as [[Skyfall]], She was a huge fan of the [[James Bond]] franchise and appeared as a background character in three James Bond films.

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Film
! Year
! Role
|-
| ''[[You Only Live Twice|You Only Live Twice (film)]]'' || 1967 || Child in Tokyo (uncredited)
|-
| ''[[Oliver! (film)]]'' || 1968 || Young Girl walking in London (uncredited)
|-
| ''[[The Man With The Golden Gun (film)|The Man With The Golden Gun]]'' || 1974 || Female Tourists (uncredited)
|-
| ''[[The Shining (film)]]'' || 1980 || Ballroom woman (uncredited)
|-
| ''[[Skyfall]]'' || 2012 || Pedestrian (uncredited)
|-
| ''The Kingsdown Redemption'' || 2018 || Miss Fisher
|-
|}

==References==
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9974313/

https://www.mafab.hu/people/lynda-fisher-1842324.html

https://www.kinopoisk.ru/name/5308724/
{{Source Wikipedia}}

Les Golden

2019-10-10T16:21:02Z

RandomUser34:

==Suprise!==

'''I LIVE!'''

[[User:RandomUser34|RandomUser34]] ([[User talk:RandomUser34|talk]]) 18:20, 10 October 2019 (CEST)

Les Golden

2019-10-10T16:20:25Z

RandomUser34: Replaced content with "==Suprise!== ***I live!*** ~~~~"

==Suprise!==

***I live!***
[[User:RandomUser34|RandomUser34]] ([[User talk:RandomUser34|talk]]) 18:20, 10 October 2019 (CEST)

User:Drlesmgolden

2019-10-10T16:18:26Z

RandomUser34: Replaced content with "CONSERVATIVEVUS EXPELLUS!"

CONSERVATIVEVUS EXPELLUS!

Samarth 'Sam' Chitgopekar

2019-10-10T15:50:00Z

RandomUser34: Replaced content with "Kim Il-Sung was here"

[[File:Kim Il Sung Portrait-3.jpg|frameless|center|Kim Il-Sung was here]]

File:Cultural Revolution poster.jpg

2019-10-10T15:46:44Z

RandomUser34:

Leftypedia

2019-10-10T14:21:12Z

RandomUser34: Created page with "'''Leftypedia''' is a wiki that was created by [https://leftypedia.org/wiki/User:CyberSynGang User:CyberSynGang] as a split from Marxistpedia after Marxistpedia got flooded wi..."

'''Leftypedia''' is a wiki that was created by [https://leftypedia.org/wiki/User:CyberSynGang User:CyberSynGang] as a split from Marxistpedia after Marxistpedia got flooded with spambots and the main admin failed to enact sufficient measures to stop them. Marxistpedia is currently defunct, while Leftypedia is doing fairly well, with some Left Redditors joining, such as one of the moderators of /r/ShitLiberalsSay. It is a multi-tendency wiki.

User:Huntress

2019-10-10T14:16:12Z

RandomUser34:

{{sockpuppet}}

[[File:Sockenpuppentanz2.jpg|frame|Oh shit!]]

(Obvious sock of Dovesmith)

Topic:V8os763xmbrwwp8h

2019-10-10T14:14:09Z

RandomUser34 (talk | contribs) commented on "Boo!" ("All reactionaries are paper tigers. In appearance, the reactionaries are terrifying, but in reality they are not so powerful." - Chairma...)

Libregamewiki

2019-10-08T14:36:57Z

RandomUser34: Clearing out the trash.

{{RfD|Appears to be a website with no notability. I can't find anything to suggest it meets [[WP:GNG]]. The references on the page are not from reliable sources.}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Use British English}}
[[File:Libregamewiki.png|250px|right|thumb|Libregamewiki's logo from June 2019.]]
'''Libregamewiki''' is a free online non-profit gaming encyclopedia of [[Free software|free games]] and related topics, created by [[Han Dao]], that anyone can contribute to and edit. <ref>http://libregamewiki.org</ref> It was first launched on 3 June 2019. So far, the wiki has amassed over many articles to the online encyclopedia. The wiki was created by [[Han Dao]].

Libregamewiki uses Vector, the same basic layout Wikipedia uses. The content was available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alke 3.0, unless otherwise noted <ref>http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/</ref> <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080610075436/http://freegamer.schattenkind.net:80/index.php?t=msg&th=5 Thread on a social networking website] on [[Free Gamer]] (retrieved from Internet Archive)</ref> <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080611211336/http://freegamer.schattenkind.net:80/index.php?t=msg&th=80 Libregamewiki announcement thread] on [[Free Gamer]] (retrieved from Internet Archive)</ref> <ref>[http://libregamewiki.org/index.php?title=Main_Page&oldid=2114 Librewiki main page before redesign]</ref>

In June 2019, the fake version of Libregamewiki created by [[Dove Windsor]] was launched on [[ShoutWiki]], a free wiki hosting site, and Dove proceeded to take all credit for Libregamewiki, but was deleted after Dove and her sockpuppets were permabanned. The real version of Libregamewiki was created in July 2007 by [[Han Dao]].<ref>http://libregamewiki.org</ref> <ref>https://forum.freegamedev.net/viewforum.php?f=19</ref> <ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/duplicates/bktvxi/check_out_libregamewiki_the_free_gaming/</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://libregamewiki.shoutwiki.com Stolen version (deleted)]
* [https://libregamewiki.org/Main_Page]
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Libregamewiki}}
[[Category:Wikis]]
[[Category:Websites]]
[[Category:Encyclopedias]]

{{Stub}}
{{Source Simple English Wikipedia}}