Boy! The magic blogging landscape is becoming seriously crowded with defunct sites. I know some of them have disappeared under the guise of taking a break or a sabbatical, etc. etc., but in most cases they never return. It’s really too bad, we’ve lost some excellent writers and some of them I really miss.
This week, MagicCentric pulled the plug – supposedly it’s temporary – we’ll see. He also passed his mentalists’ forum to someone else. As I said before, I think he made a huge mistake in the elitist approach to membership.
As far as I know, there’s not a single forum with much vitality, except for the Cafe’. Haydn’s Scoundrels Forum really took off, but the last time I was there it was totally moribund – helped along by a series of technical snafus.
One site that I consistently enjoy is Scot’s Magical Mystery Tour. Articles like his recent review of the International Battle of the Magicians in Canton, Oh, make it a spot to check out frequently.
I can say, with absolute certainty, that if you enjoy the Cafe’s alternatives, you need to let the authors know. It does make a difference.
Quote of the day:
The word ‘politics’ is derived from the word ‘poly’, meaning ‘many’, and the word ‘ticks’, meaning ‘blood sucking parasites’
Take care………
Drivel & Drool 
Lecture – My Butt!
This week I attended a Lecture. It doesn’t really matter who it was, as he’s not the only peddling his wares under the guise of a lecture. I blame the sponsoring clubs.
There’s something wrong with paying 20 bucks or more and seeing some clown do nothing but demo his products. The only places I know that can get away with this are Sam’s and Costco. If a club wants to have a dealer come in and show his stuff – that’s fine. Just don’t deceive the attendees into thinking they are getting a lecture.
I understand it’s difficult to make a buck and we all expect a short commercial prior to the break and at the close, but this was like attending a 2 hour pitch (actually, it would have been, but I left at the break).
I/M, Thanks for the kind words. Most of the time I feel like no one cares (or reads) my blog. So it’s good to know at least one person checks it out.
I think one problem with magic blogs is that people think they have to blog every day. Sooner or later you end up straining for something to say. That’s one of the best things about you & Tim Ellis. The posts actually have meaning and are fun read.
I saw Michael Close lecture, and it was supposed to be this amazing lecture unlike anything out there, or whatever, and although there was lots to like about it it was very clear that he was there to SELL. It left a bad taste in my mouth, despite there being some good material demo’d. If even Michael Close’s lecture–which is supposedly one of the good ones–is so full of selling I can’t imagine what a lesser lecture would be like.
I’ve only ever been to one lecture, and I don’t think I’ll ever go to another.
(P.S. Big fan of Michael Close, and no disrespect intended.)