Years ago, Harry Lorayne wrote that he doubted any card trick will ever compete with a young lady in a miniskirt doing the frug (for those under a 100, that was a seriously sexy dance – in those days). Competition for your audience’s attention grows stronger every day.

Reality and illusion continuously merge until we no longer believe our eyes and we begin to accept everything as normal.

Our magic must unequivocally punch our spectators in the nose and get their attention. It must be visible and inexplicable. I’m not sure 4 year olds buy the change bag any more.

Think! Try to see what your audience sees. Video cameras are cheap. Use one.

FogScreen features breakthrough projection technology | TechRepublic Photo Gallery.

Take care…….

In September 2005 Brooks started a new section on the Cafe called The Buffet. I guess you could call it a blog section. Several of the more prolific members were given the opportunity to post essays on any matters they chose. Brooks, so he told us at the time, was just too busy to regularly contribute to the Cafe, so this would be his way to give us his thoughts and share some of the inside poop. We were going to travel together on a new highway……blah blah blah

Excluding the self-aggrandizing introduction, he’s managed to make 4 posts in over 2 years. We see comets more often than that.

I’ve got a suggestion, Stevie. You don’t seem too busy to not make it to the supper table, or lunch table, or breakfast table, or midnight snack table, or afternoon snack table etc. If you’re going to do something – skip a meal and write the damn column or just chuck the whole thing. Today is ONE YEAR since your last post. That ought to be an embarrassment, but I doubt it is.

As my buddy Jed would say…..

Pitiful – just pitiful.

To be fair, there are two good things happening on the Buffet. Brad Burt is writing his usual, insightful perspectives and I see Jamie Grant is once again posting. Both are worth your consideration.

Take care………

When it’s all over, it’s not who you were. It’s whether you made a difference. – Bob Dole

Joke-Telling Urinals Make Hollywood Land Sale Tricky

Bloomberg.com: Exclusive.

(While writing this, I ran across the following:

Entrepreneur Stuck With 40,000 Unsold Bin Laden Urinal Cakes

I guess things could be worse!)

Take care……..

On days, like today, I would gladly trade places with a urinal cake. – i/m

No matter what I do, sometimes I get a major dose of the blahs and, honestly, there’s just no good reason for that to happen. There’s plenty of exciting things happening. Things to do – things to write about and things to observe.

Nonetheless here I sit waiting for a rush of passion to hit me so I can write with the edge I try so hard to maintain. Somebody needs to invent Viagra for writers.

I just read a thread on the Cafe, which had several posts by James Clark, MBA and, normally that would light a fire under me, but not today.

Understand, I loathe MBAs and what they stand for. I think they are FAR more dangerous than an army of Osama Bin Ladens and are the cause of many, if not most, of our ills in this country.

Normally, these guys give me gas. I’m not talking about simple stomach acid that you cure with a couple of Rolaids. I’m talking about roll down the window – run for cover – hide the children – wallpaper peeling flatulation.

Today? Nothing! I’m just not into it. When overbearing, pompous, self-important losers like that can’t get me going, I’m better off not even trying.

Tomorrow’s another day – I’ll be back!

Take care………

When all you’ve got is a hammer – the whole world looks like a nail.

Another interesting article springing from Jacob Loshin’s work on intellectual property rights as they relate to magicians and their tricks.

Do magicians \own\ their tricks? – By Tim Harford – Slate Magazine.

Take care…….

Seen on the Penguin site:

The Effect
Cigarette Thru Quarter (2 Sided)
by Tango

Effect

A coin is showed. The coin is placed in the top of the fingers, a cigarette or a pencil takes and the coin is crossed from side to side.

GOOD GRIEF!

Take care………