Last Wednesday, I went with Becca to a nearby amusement/water park. There was a group outing there, with a picnic and people riding and sliding and whatnot. I brought along a bit of magic with the intent to practice some stuff for the party in August. I had a normal deck of cards, my homemade invisible deck, a book of matches, a Frixion pen, a real pen, and some business cards.

As everyone was eating, I showed Becca’s brother and his girlfriend a trick with the Frixion pen. Just something simple with some scribbles that change to form the name of a chosen card. I learned that using matches with the pen is not a good idea when you’re outside and it’s windy. Gotta either be inside for the matches, or use a lighter. I ended up borrowing one from someone so I could finish it somewhat successfully.

After some waterslides and rides, Becca’s brother told me I needed to show his friend Anthony that trick. We went back to the pavillion, and Anthony was grilling. When he finished, I showed him the Frixion trick, this time using the heat of the charcoal grill instead of a match or lighter. That worked REALLY well, but it’s not that practical for everyday use.

Right as I was moving my business card over the grill, 4 more people walked up and caught the tail end of the trick. Of course, they asked me to do it again. I said I’d show them something different. I did the Biddle trick, one of my all-time favorite go-to tricks. I pocketed the cards and switched them out for my invisible deck. I got everybody involved in thinking of a card (red or black? clubs or spades? high or low? etc.) and that went over really well. I did one of David Stone’s three card monte-esque tricks (can’t remember the name) and one where I sniffed out the chosen card.

I did the Frixion trick one last time, cause even through they knew what was coming it was still cool as hell. Sue me. I finished up with Sean Fields’ Metronome Revelation. I’ve been using that for years, and until you try it, you probably won’t appreciate how great it goes over. Everyone loved it, and it made me feel awesome.

Later in the evening, Becca and her parents were in line to ride a roller coaster. I wasn’t in the mood, so I was chilling on a bench. It was about half an hour before closing time, and across the way was one of those “test your strength with a mallet” booths. The kid running it had 0 customers for the 20 minutes I was watching him pace around his booth. I kept telling myself, “Go show him a trick. Just get up there, and go show him something. You need the practice. Get off your ass and go do something.”

I finally walked over and said, “You look bored.” He goes, “Yeah, I am.” I asked him if he wanted to see a card trick, and he said “Sure.” I did the Biddle trick for him, and he was pretty impressed. I asked him if he wanted to see one more thing, and did the Frixion trick for the third time that day. (Can you tell what my new workhorse is going to be?) He really liked that one, and with perfect timing, Becca came off the ride just as I was finishing up.

I had some good practice time in front of real people, and also got to approach a complete stranger to do magic in literally years. I’ve got about a week til the party, so I gotta get back into the swing of things quick. I think I’ve got the material picked out. I’d like to try things out another time, but I don’t know when I’d have the time.

I’ll keep you updated.

Andster

First of all, I must confess that I feel like an idiot. I spent all day of my birthday Twitter-hyping my contest and wondering why nobody was taking me up on it. Now I know. It’s because the post explaining what the contest was about and how to win was saved as a draft and not published. Rookie mistake, and again, I feel really stupid.

Anyhoo…

About a week ago, I was having dinner with a friend. We were going over details about a party we’re throwing in August (which reminds me, if anybody wants to party the first weekend in August, email me) and he said he’d like me to do a magic show on one of the nights. I had to convince him that I’m not the “magic show” guy, but the “walk-around magic” guy, but he finally got the point.

Then he said something which, on the surface, seems almost like a put-down, but I think it’s actually a pretty big compliment. He said, “I’m not gonna lie dude, you used to impress me sometimes.” See, I’m a big believer in the whole ‘a prophet is never recognized in his own town’ thing. It’s why my family (with the exception of my mother, because come on, she’s my mother) and friends don’t usually appreciate my magic as much as strangers do. They’ve changed my diapers. They knew me before I got into magic. They see my shelves full of books and videos when they come over. They know that I’m not special, and they know they could do what I do if they had those shelves.

So to hear that I’m actually impressive to my friends kinda made my night. I reassured him that although I hadn’t been doing anything lately, I’ve still got my chops. I started going through my material, trying to come up with a “set list” so to speak. We’ll see how this goes. Hopefully, in just under a month now, we’ll see my triumphant return to the world of magic.

Today marks the triumphant return to blogging. We’ll see how long it lasts.

Andster

Modern Coin Magic by JB Bobo

Price:$8.95

Available From: Your favorite dealer

If you haven’t heard of Modern Coin Magic by now, you’ve been living under a rock. I don’t really think there’s much I can add here. If you’re starting out and want to learn coin magic, check this out. Be warned, some of the descriptions of sleights can be difficult to follow (especially if you’ve got coins in your hand and are trying to hold the book open).

Other than that, I have no complaints. This is one of the classics, and if you’re just starting out, you should pick it up. If you’re not just starting out, chances are you already have it.

Andster

Street Magic by Paul Zenon

Price: $10.95

Available From: Your Favorite Dealer

This book is primarily aimed at beginners to the world of magic, with a focus on street magic tricks. Although I didn’t get this when I was first starting out, I was able to find a couple interesting bits and ideas that I think I can put to use. If you’ve been in magic for any length of time, you’re probably not going to find anything groundbreaking here.

For a beginner though, I think this would be a decent place to start. The book begins with the obligatory history of magic and a few self working tricks. There’s a section on coin magic that teaches a couple basic moves (classic palm, French drop) a couple tricks, and a bit of sleeving. He talks about a few basic gimmicks and some tricks using them, like a thumb tip, a nailwriter, and a pull. You’ll learn some basic card controls and sleights like the injog, break, and double lift, as well as quite a few tricks and flourishes.

There’s a section on mental magic, where you’ll learn the center tear, the one-ahead principle, and a magic square, among other things. Something that I found interesting and useful was the section on street scams, such as three-card monte, fast and loose, and the shell game. You don’t usually see that in beginner magic books (actually, not in any of the books I have) and it’s nice to have a print reference for it.

Finally, there are a few so-called “party tricks” that aren’t earth shattering, not overtly magical, but still something fun and entertaining to do at a party. This part has things like the voodoo ash trick, paper balls over the head, and the cup through the table. He also includes a version of Paul Curry’s Out of This World, one of my personal favorites (although I must admit I prefer Paul Harris’s version Galaxy) and a nice inclusion.

There’s also a glossary of magical terms, as well as a couple suggestions for magic websites, magazines, and dealers that the beginner may want to look into. As I said before, there’s probably nothing here you haven’t already seen because this is geared towards the beginner. However, if you are a beginner I think there would be a lot here for you, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

Andster

Does anyone else get random bursts of creativity at times when they’re not prepared to deal with them? It seems like every day I’m at work I think of random ideas for a routine, or a new handling for something, or bits of patter. I’m not in a position to work on it then and there, and it seems that even if I write things down the creativity leaves me as time passes. When I’m home and ready to work on something, it just doesn’t come for me. I don’t know why that is, and I’m trying to overcome it. Hopefully I will soon.

Andster

I had some remodeling done a few months back, so I had to pack most of my things into boxes and shove them into the basement. I was digging through them today trying to find a book to loan to a friend when I uncovered a bunch of magic I knew I had, but didn’t quite know where they were:

Maximum Entertainment - Ken Weber
Swami/Mantra - Sam Dalal
The Art of Krowd Keeping - Gazzo
100 Ways to Win a Ten-Spot - Paul Zenon
More Magical Science - Eric Ladizinski

I’ll add these to the Magic Shelf Master List and get reviewing them. It’s been a really slow start on the reviews, but I’ll get there eventually.

There was also a bunch of magazines that I don’t know if I’m going to consider part of the shelf, simply because I don’t know how I’d be able to review them. I’ve got roughly 15 assorted copies of MUM, Genii, and Magic magazines from the 70s, and what I believe is the entire run of Street Magic Magazine. I also found my Rocky Raccoon, my escape shackles, and several decks of cards I’ve been missing from my collection.

It’s like Christmas!

Andster

I’m taking the first step to completing one of my resolutions by finally posting the inventory I took of my magic shelf. It’s right below this post, and there’s a link to it on the right hand side, right above the “Sites of Interest” category for when this gets buried.

So, I’ll let you know how this is going to work, along with some things to keep in mind about the list:

1. As of right now, things are not organized in any particular way, except for separation of books and videos.

2. This list only has things that are actually on my shelf at this moment. For example, I own Swami/Mantra but I don’t know where it is. Since it’s not on the shelf, it’s not on the list. Until I find it again.

3. I’m not planning to write reviews in any particular order, so if there’s something you want to know about, comment or email and I’ll bump it to the top.

4. This shelf contains stuff I’ve been collecting since I started in magic oh, so long ago. So don’t make fun!

Well, I think that’s it. Let’s hope for the best and see how this thing works out.

Andster

Books and Magazines
Sankey Unleashed - Jay Sankey
The Magic Show - Mark Setteducati and Anne Benkovitz
The Art of Astonishment vol 1 - Paul Harris
The Art of Astonishment vol 2 - Paul Harris
The Art of Astonishment vol 3 - Paul Harris
Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic - Mark Wilson
Hollywood Illusion: Magic Castle - Milt Larson
Street Magic - Paul Zenon
Penn and Teller’s Cruel Tricks for Dear Friends - Penn and Teller
The Magician and the Cardsharp - Karl Johnson
Thirteen Steps to Mentalism - Corinda
The Royal Road to Card Magic - Hugard and Braue
Modern Coin Magic - J.B. Bobo
Sleight of Hand - Sachs
Expert Card Technique - Hugard and Braue
Mastering Magic - Walter B. Gibson
Strong Magic - Darwin Ortiz
Strong Magic (sealed) - Darwin Ortiz
The Secret Art of Magic - Eric Evans and Nowlin Craver
Tricks - David Ben
The Complete Idiots Guide to Street Magic - Tom Ogden
Mysterious Stranger - David Blaine
Workers vol 1 - Michael Close
Workers vol 2 - Michael Close
Workers vol 3 - Michael Close
Workers vol 4 - Michael Close
Workers vol 5 - Michael Close
The Art of Escape vol 1 - John Novak
The Art of Escape vol 2 - John Novak
The Art of Escape vol 3 - John Novak
The Art of Escape vol 4 - John Novak
The Art of Escape vol 5 - John Novak
THe Art of Escape vol 6 - John Novak
The Art of Escape vol 7 - John Novak
The Art of Escape vol 8 - John Novak
Street Magic - Edward Claflin and Jeff Sheridan
Making Magic - Fay Presto
Third Eye - Andrew Mayne
Body Morphin’ - Andrew Mayne
Shock Magic - Andrew Mayne
The Blindfolded Car Drive - Devin Knight
Gris Gris - Ryan Matney
X Rated - Sean Fields
Some More Tricks - Anthony Owen
Crossroads - Ben Harris
Quarks and Quirks - Ben Harris
Hole in the Head - Ben Harris
Magician Magazine - Blacks Magic
Magic Tricks - Usborne Hotshots
Modern Day Houdini - Bill Shirk and Dick Wolfsie
Fun, Inc. catalogue 54 - Fun Inc.
US Toy Magic Catalogue - US Toy
Pick a Card, Any Card?: Forcing Techniques and Uses - Royal Magic
Impossible Card in Bottle - Gerard Kirchner
Cups and Balls - Royal Magic
The Pinned Card - Damien Vappereau and Jean Mark Sainclaire
101 Thumbtip Tricks - Gary Darwin
125 Magic Tricks With a Regular Deck of Cards - Royal Magic
The Amazing Jonathan’s Every Trick in the Book - The Amazing Jonathan
Method Impossible - Jason Messina
Wi - Jason Messina
Hockmann the Great Exposes Himself - Milt Larson
The Restaurant Worker’s Handbook - Jim Pace and Jerry MacGregor
Tricks With Your Head - Mac King and Mark Levy
Explicit Content - Sean Fields
Sure-Fire Magic - David Ginn
Bisection - Andrew Mayne
Healed and Sealed - Anders Moden
Armbuster - Andrew Mayne
Facelifter - Andrew Mayne
Black Art - Magic, Inc.
Touching Sky - Andrew Mayne
Lake Tahoe Card Magic - Louis Falanga
Dreamweaver - The Enchantment
The $1000 Secret Seance - Docc Hilford
Some Tricks - Anthony Owen
The Secret Illusion Show - Andrew Mayne
The Klutz Book of Magic - John Cassidy and Michael Stroud
Backyard Magic - Todd Karr
Close Up: The Real Secrets of Magic - David Stone
The Glass Box Revisited and Other Predictions - Devin Knight & the late Al Mann
Magic Magazine: Andrew Mayne -
More Magical Science - Eric Ladizinsky
Maximum Entertainment - Ken Weber
The Art of Krowd Keeping - Gazzo
100 Ways to Win a Ten-Spot - Paul Zenon
Swami/Mantra - Sam Dalal

Videos
Frozen - Adam Grace
Stigmata - Wayne Houchin
Cradle to Grave - De’vo
Kard Klub - Ellusionist
Ninja 2 - Ellusionist
Revolution - Ellusionist
Inside Magic - Ellusionist
Glass - Adam Grace
Mindbender - Anthony Billan Ko
Indecent - Wayne Houchin
Liquid Metal - Morgan Strebler
Spun - Morgan Strebler
Extreme Burn - Richard Sanders
Fiber Optics Extended - Richard Sanders
The Richard Sanders Show vol 1 - Richard Sanders
The Richard Sanders Show vol 2 - Richard Sanders
The Richard Sanders Show vol 3 - Richard Sanders
Escapology with Dixie Dooley vol 1 - Dixie Dooley
Excapology with Dixie Dooley vol 2 - Dixie Dooley
Escapology With Dixie Dooley vol 3 - Dixie Dooley
Escapology With Dixie Dooley vol 4 - Dixie Dooley
Sinful - Wayne Houchin and Criss Angel
The Exchange - David Goring
Stuck! - Greg Rostami
Street Theater - Peter Shatalow
Impossibilia - John Bannon
Knock ‘Em Dead - R. Paul Wilson
Twists of Fate - R. Paul WIlson
Loops - Finn John nd Yigail Mesika
Ultimate Card Through Window - Expert Magic
The Dungeon DVD - Anthony Owen
Real Secrets of Magic vol 1 - David Stone
Real Secrets of Magic vol 2 - David Stone
Mindfreak Season 1 - Criss Angel
Mindfreak Season 2 - Criss Angel
Mindfreak Season 3 - Criss Angel
The Siegfried and Roy Collection - Sigfried and Roy
How to do Street Magic - Ellusionist
The Art of Hopping Tables - Mark Leveridge
Learn to Levitate - A-1 Multimedia
Tear Down - Andrew Mayne
Focal Point - Andrew Mayne
Chain Reaction - Andrew Mayne
Ghost Bills - Andrew Mayne
Gut Buster - Andrew Mayne
Phoneomenon - Doug McKenzie
The Daniel Garcia Project vol 1 - Daniel Garcia
The Daniel Garcia Project vol 2 - Daniel Garcia
The Daniel Garcia Project vol 3 - Daniel Garcia
Torn - Daniel Garcia
Fraud - Daniel Garcia
Saw - Sean Fields
Warp One - David Ren Jenkins
Shade - Daniel Garcia
Symphony - Daniel Garcia
Prime Cut and Phone - Paul Vigil
Geek Magic - Tomas Medina

Fortunately, I didn’t make any resolutions last year that I have to come here and own up to breaking. I probably got sick of making the resolution, promptly forgetting about it, and then having to show up with my tail between my legs afterwards. I’m going to try again this year, but I’m going to set more attainable goals.

Towards the end of last year, we did some remodeling and I got a built in bookshelf that I’m using for my magic books and DVDs. I made a list of everything I’ve got on that shelf, and one of my resolutions is to post my magic shelf and review everything on it.

I’ve made this resolution before, but I’m going to do it again. I’m in the process of talking to a couple different places, so another resolution is to get a regular, paying gig at a restaurant or coffee shop.

That’s probably good enough for now. Especially considering one of those probably won’t happen, and the other one has a 50/50 shot of getting abandoned halfway through. I suck. But I’m gonna try.

Happy new year, everybody.

Andster

Last Monday, I’m at work and it’s snowing like crazy. Literally 24 hours before, we had no snow on the ground. Then this storm comes out of nowhere and just blasts us. Right around the end of my shift, I looked outside at the storm wondering how the roads were going to be for my drive home, and saw a guy hunched over at the end of our driveway. I thought he fell and was hurt, so I stuck my head out the door. Just then he stood up and started walking towards me, and I noticed he was carrying a camera.

I stepped outside and told him, “I thought you fell. I was just making sure you’re okay.” He indicated his camera and said, “No, I’m trying to get some footage. I was trying to get that girl, but she was zig-zagging too much.” I saw the logo for the Weather Channel on his coat, and shamelessly asked, “So…can I be on TV?”

He said yes, and started talking about the shot he wanted to get. He told me he wanted to get some snowy pine trees in the background, and wanted me to walk out about 100 feet into the empty lot across the parking lot, then turn around and walk back. Keep in mind, I’m dressed in a polo shirt, cargo pants, a light hoodie, and tennis shoes. It’s freezing and there’s 6 inches of snow on the ground. But I said sure.

I took my first step into the lot and got snow up over the top of and into my shoe. Two more steps, and I break through some ice. Now I’ve got muddy freezing water filling my right shoe. I pull out, and trudge on. Couple more steps, and I break through again, this time with my left foot. As I pull that leg out, I slip and fall face first into the mud and ice and snow. As I get to my feet, I hear him yell out to me, “Don’t worry, I didn’t get that on tape!”

I turned around and said, “I don’t think this is gonna work!” He yells back, “Okay! You want to film it in the parking lot then?” I said “Sure,” and started walking back through the snow and ice to get to the plowed parking lot. I get back to a clear spot, and he tells me what he wants me to do. “Okay, walk slowly toward me. Count to about 10 and then pull your hood up. Act like you’re trying real hard to hold it down. They eat that shit up! Just don’t look at the camera. They don’t like anything staged.”

So I did, and he said it was perfect and we shook hands and he told me when it would likely be on. I went inside, immediately Twittered and texted all my friends. And then I realized that I was soaked and covered in snow and mud. I looked like I shit my pants and let it drain into my shoes. I squished when I walked, and left muddy footprints and assprints when I sat down. My feet were numb, and it hurt when I walked or tried to move my toes. And I still had 20 minutes of work and a long commute (made even longer by the weather) until I could dry off and warm up.

After I got home and changed and dried off, I parked in front of the Weather Channel looking for my segment. It took several hours of watching, but I first spotted myself at 9:10 and again at 10. It was neat, although I hate how I look on television. I’ve got video of it, which will probably be posted online eventually. Even after all the stuff I went through, I think it was worth it.

Yes, I’m easily amused, but answer me this: Have you ever been on the Weather Channel?

That’s what I thought.

Andster

The Glass Box Prediction by Devin Knight

Price: $41.95

Available From: Your favorite dealer

As I’m sure is obvious from previous entries, I’ve always had a thing for making predictions. Don’t know why or where it came from, but I like knowing the future. I spend a lot of time thinking about how to make me predictions as strong and realistic as possible. For the longest time, I hadn’t been able to find or invent a method that would be the perfect prediction in my eyes. Then I heard about Devin Knight.

At first glance it sounded too good to be true. Three predictions in full view the entire time, removed from the box and opened by the spectator before you even touch them. Although it sounded so great, I let it drop from my radar for some reason or another. And I’m kinda glad I did, because after a while the Glass Box Prediction Revisited was released. This time, I decided to bite the bullet and order it.

For my money, this is the perfect prediction effect for me. Everything stated in the dealer copy is true, and the method is dead easy. As I said before, my girlfriend even knew what I was doing and still didn’t catch the move. It impressed the audience at the time, and they’re still talking about it now, over a month later.

A couple of the ideas (how to change the future immediately comes to mind) seem to be more theoretical in nature than instructional. It’s something that he was able to once to great success, but I don’t think it’s something that could be duplicated very often. It would take lots of work to pull it off just once, and even then I’m not entirely convinced it would be possible. A very interesting read though, and it’s an inspiring way to get your own creative juices flowing and think of your own ways to use the headline prediction to your advantage.

If you’re interested, there is also a glass box available for $7.95 that is supposed to be the perfect size and demensions for this trick. Or, you could go to the dollar store and buy a small Tupperware-esque container like I did. It works just fine, and you can leave it behind with your predictions inside as a souvenir. It’s not as pretty, but you can also use the presentational aspect of buying absolutely everything you need at the store and having it all examined and unwrapped by the VIP to prove there’s no trickery.

If you’re looking for a way to make your reputation with headline predictions, look no further than this. I love it and have zero complaints. I know it’s cliche, but I hope people don’t buy this, so I can have it all for myself.

Andster

So, for the most part, my Halloween party was a success. There were really only two hiccups the entire night. When I got there, I found out there were WAY more kids than I expected. I was told there would be “a couple” when in fact, it was mostly kids. I wasn’t really ready to work for kids, and had to do one of those quick mental inventories of what crap I had in my pockets that wouldn’t fly over their heads. Then I find out that instead of the walkaround I was expecting to do, they were expecting a more formal stand-up show. Crap, time for another inventory.

I ended up opening with a short Fiber Optics routine that was really well recieved. I felt myself rushing through the first two phases, so I made myself slow down and repeat them. It kinda worked out well that way, almost like a “Yes, that just happened. Here, I’ll show you again” thing.

I did a card to mouth that I fucked up by passing the card to the bottom instead of the top and almost Mercury folded a card that wasn’t the selection. Fortunately I realized my mistake and was able to move the card, orient the deck, and fold the card all while pattering to save my life. I think it was one of those things that feels like a lifetime to the magician, but in reality was a non-moment to the audience. Still sucked, and made me be more aware of where I’m passing cards to.

Because it was Halloween, I busted out the old Haunted Key which went over very, very well and actually surprised me. I figured it was going to be more of a throwaway effect, but everyone seemed to enjoy it. A lot. I don’t get it, but I’m not going to argue. I’d like to try this again during a non-Halloween show and see if it has the same impact.

Finally, I used Devin Knight’s Glass Box Prediction to close. I’m going to be writing a more in-depth review for this in the near future, but until then let me just say that this trick is amazing! Everyone was floored, the “move” flew over everyone’s head (including my girlfriend’s, who knew what I was doing and still didn’t catch me!), and it couldn’t have been easier. I’m very, very impressed with this, and will definitely will be using it more in the future.

I was going end with that (I mean, how do you follow up predicting the freakin’ future!) but they wanted more and I just happened to have my mail bag escape in the car, so they got a double finale. I locked a one of the kids inside the bag and let him try to get out, which was a nice way to show there was nothing to hide and the bag was what I said it was. Except for the part where I lost my balance and fell on my head while inside the bag, the escape went off without a hitch.

All in all, the show clocked in at just over an hour. I think I did a good job, because everybody was happy and told me they liked it. I know that I was pretty rough around the edges, but I don’t think that showed to the audience. It’s also something that will go away once I get back into the swing of things, I’m sure. I was more prepared for doing casual walkaround, so the move to a more formal show kinda threw me off. I know it wasn’t my best work because it wasn’t something I was really prepared to do, but I think it turned out well.

Now let’s hope for more work soon.

Andster

I have booked my first party. A buddy of mine is having a halloween party, and I’ve been asked to provide the entertainment. He’s an incredible artist, so we’re bartering my performance for his creating a poster for me. It’s going to be a low key thing, with a mix of strolling and parlor magic. It’ll be a great opportunity to get my business cards out there and also get back into the swing of perfoming. I’ve got an idea of what I’m going to be doing (kinda) which is a first for me.

The other day, I met with him while he was on break from work and prepared Devin Knight’s glass box prediction. It’s my first time audience testing it, and I hope it goes well. I’m very excited to finally try it, and will definitely report back.

Also, I’ve decided to build my own website. After having a friend say he’d help me and then let me down a couple times, I went to Half-Price Books and bought a few “Web Design for Beginners” manuals. I’m not gonna lie, it’s quite intimidating. I know absolutely nothing about how things work behind the scenes, but I figure it’s time I learn. Since I’m using the Internet for just about everything I do, I should probably learn something about how to make it do things I want to do.

It’s probably going to take me a long time of trial and error before I get anything decent up. I kinda liken it to someone saying, “I need a new place to live, so I’m going to the library and check out ‘House Building For Dummies’!” It’s probably not going to end well. And chances are I’m going to be emailing some of you for help with really stupid things.

Anyway, I’m going to go write my first bit of website now. Wish me luck!

Andster

Just a quick post while messing around on my ps3 just to say I did.

I’m taking advantage of a rare moment of peace and wireless internet to catch up with some stuff online. I went through a pretty good posting period a while back, then seemed to drop off the face of the earth again. That’s how it seems to go, isn’t it?

I started a new job about a week ago. I was unemployed for about 14 glorious hours, and boy was it relaxing. I’ve left the “wonderful” world of the convenience store and have moved onto greener pastures at a dollar store. I traded my title of ‘Assistant Manager’ in for ‘Lead Cashier’ and took a quarter-an-hour pay cut, but it’s worth it. I couldn’t take that place anymore.

It’s been really good and refreshing so far, although I have had a couple lousy days and I’m not so thrilled with the schedule. Although I must admit it’s nice working for a store that actually closes. I’ve been with 24-hour joints since I was like 17 or 18. It’s good to know that no matter what, I’m going to be walking out that door at 9:30 at night.

On the other hand, I’ve come to a standstill on my magic. Again. And I’m sick of it. I want nothing more than to be a full time working pro, but I can’t seem to balance everything in my life to get that to happen. I feel like what I need to do is to have no day job, no lifeline, so I can focus all my energies on magic. But I can’t take that step.

I feel that if I didn’t have to work, I could spend 8 hours a day practicing, routining, cold-calling, booking, performing, and actually get somewhere with this. I’d also have the incentive to get going because I don’t have a paycheck coming in. It’s either find work or don’t get paid. But in the real world, I have bills to pay, a gas tank to fill, food to buy. I need that steady check for the times when the gigs peter out. And then I think about how my job applications are going to look if I need to go back into the workforce after giving this a shot. Would anybody take me seriously when I explain away my yearlong gap in my work history as the time I took off to go try to be a magician?

I don’t know how or even if I’m going to be able to make this work. I’m still going to try, but it’s depresing as all hell. I’ll keep you all posted. Wish me luck.

Andster

Karate Coin by Royal Magic

Price: $8.95

Available From: Your Favorite Dealer

This is a hard item to review because there’s not much to review. But I dug it out of my magic box, played with it for a while, and remembered how much fun I used to have with this.

As a stand alone trick, it’s not really the greatest. It’s a piece of flash that’s over and done with in a couple seconds. I can see this being used well at the end of a coin routine, like a kicker ending. Instead of producing a jumbo coin, poke your finger through one of them.

The gimmick is well made, and isn’t going to break. Ever. Unless you’re Superman. My only complaint is that my finger is too big, and for it to fit securely I’ve really got to jam it on there. If you’ve got big fingers, it’s something to think about but not really something to stop you from getting this. You’ll just have to be more aware of it.

I don’t think this is for everyone, but if you’re looking for a kicker ending for your existing coin routine that’s a little different, check this out.

Andster

GI Bill by John T. Sheets

Price: $12.95

Available From: Your Favorite Dealer

This is another one of the tricks I found buried in my basement. I’ve gotta admit, after reading through the instructions again, I know why I buried it. It’s one page of typewritten, semi-coherent ways to switch a torn corner or vanish a bill. That’s it. Oh, and you get the little army guy.

I don’t know what I expected when I bought this many years ago, but it wasn’t this. I didn’t like it then, I don’t like it now, and I’ve got no use for it. Pass on this one.

Andster

The Mexican Revolution by Magic Lab

Price: $12.95

Available From: Your Favorite Dealer

The Mexican Revolution is actually made up of two separate effects based on the same principle: The Mexican Revolution by Fenik and Jaywalk by Gordon Bean. Of the two effects, and this is just my opinion and has no basis with experience, I find The Mexican Revolution more fun to perform for myself, and Jaywalk to be more suited for public performance.

Both effects use a gimmicked card, just in different aspects. I must say, it’s one of the more interesting gimmicks I’ve ever seen. It’s fun to look at and play with and is just plain nifty. Although I like the effect of the Mexican Revolution, I feel like it’s a little too “fiddly” for me to feel comfortable with in front of a live audience. With the proper practice, I’m sure it won’t be a problem. Comparatively, Jaywalk is cleaner and much less “fiddly”, however I feel the display of the cards lacks as compared to The Mexican Revolution. I know this probably won’t make any sense to anyone who doesn’t already own this, but I’m trying to not give away too much.

I think these two effects are worth a look, if you’re willing to work with them. Jaywalk could be considered ready to go out of the package, but Mexican Revolution is going to take some work before you take it in front of an audience. Neither effect has a sleight much more difficult than a false count, relying on the aforementioned nifty gimmick to accomplish most of the dirty work. I like what the gimmmick is and how it works, but that alone can’t be your basis for buying the trick. If you like the product descriptions (which are rather straightforward and accurate) and are willing to invest some time, give it a shot.

Andster

Temptation by Gordon Bean

Price: $12.95

Available From: Your favorite dealer

I’ve been digging through all the old magic I’ve put into my basement and attic, trying to see if I can rediscover some “hidden gems.” I’ve got a ton of crap that hasn’t seen the light of day in a long time, and I ended up coming across a few tricks I really loved but forgot I even had.

One of those tricks is Temptation, by Gordon Bean. It’s a walkaround version of 3 Card Monte with three distinct, visual phases that ends with all three cards being fully examinable. It’s virtually sleight-free, cleverly utilizing a gimmicked card. There are some angle issues, especially if you’re performing for people who are seated. However, I don’t think it’s anything that would cause any serious problems, especially if you keep that in mind during your practice sessions.

This trick is not at all hard to perform, and I think it gets good reactions. If you’re looking for a walkaround version of 3 Card Monte that doesn’t require a table, I think Temptation is a good bet. It comes highly recommended.

Andster

No Pete, I’m not gone again. Just working behind the scenes.

In the past month, I’ve designed and ordered some new business cards. They came a couple days ago, and I’m really happy with how they turned out. Having new cards takes away my last excuse for not performing though, so now I’ve got no reason to be out working except for my own lack of ambition.

I’ve also started designing (on paper) another website for myself, and am waiting for work schedules to match up so I can meet up with a friend of mine to get it put online.

I’ve also been working on a few different acts/routines/whatever you want to call them. It’s been hard trying to do all of this work while balancing my day job and my personal life, but I’ve been doing my best to make time. I’m hoping there’s actually going to be something to show from my efforts soon.

I’ve also been looking for a different job. I really want to get out of what I’m doing now, and the job I’m interviewing for sounds perfect for my situation. Steady hours, during the day, and only about 20 hours a week. My plan is to be able to do my magic at nights and on the weekends, and kinda ease my way into the world of full-time pro. We’ll see how well that works.

Andster