2013-12 Famulus Newsletter

Next general meeting Wednesday, 12/18/2013 at 7:30 PM SHARP
I-HOP Kirkman Road
5203 Kirkman Road, Orlando, Florida 32819

Please join us for dinner beforehand and then participate in the annual Gift Exchange (see Craig's email for details)

Lunch meetings in the McDonald’s at 7344 Sand Lake Road, Orlando. It’s two blocks WEST of the intersection of Interstate 4 and Sand Lake Road. We meet every Tuesday at noon upstairs.

Website: http://www.ring170.com/

F. A. M. E. is the Florida Association of Magical Entertainers
*************************************************************
Directory
Craig J. Fennessy – President – CraigFennessy@gmail.com
Chris Dunn- Vice President – Youngdunns@yahoo.com
Sheldon Brook- Secretary – mrbrook33@yahoo.com
Treasurer - Bev Bergeron - Bev@bevbergeron.com
Mark Fitzgerald- Director at Large - markaf1949@hotmail.com
Dan Knapp- Sgt at Arms - danknapp@centurylink.net
 – Editor of “Famulus”- Famulus@illusioneer.com
*************************************************************

2013-12 From The Editor

As announced last month, this edition of the newsletter is my swansong. After a number of years as your editor it is time for me to hand over the reins to a new set of fingers on the keyboard. I have been honored to serve the Ring, bringing the newsletter to its members and helping bring the Ring into the Internet Age.

Unfortunately, due to my usual travel I shall miss the opportunity to say goodbye to many of you at the annual Gift Exchange. I have enjoyed my time as a member, having made many friends during my time here. Although I will be leaving the Ring, I know that those friendships will continue and I hope to meet up with some of you at future national events, somewhere in the country.

2013-12 Ring Report

President Craig Fennessey opened the meeting with a few comments regarding future programs starting next month, December 18th, with the Ring's annual Christmas Gift Exchange. Jacki Manna and her able assistant Matilda will host the event.
Dan Stapleton reported on the progress of the Florida Convention to be held here in May. Members were reminded that there was a limitation on the number of seats available at the Banquet and if you were interested in attending to make your reservation now and not to wait.
Bev Bergeron commented that he had been asked to perform, this past week, at a Weird Convention in Hartford, Connecticut and had been well received.

Craig, then introduced our guest Lecturer for the Meeting, Daryl. Daryl, went on in front of one of the largest group of members that had ever attended a lecture on a meeting night. Daryl was entertaining as well as informative and it appeared that the audience was very satisfied with his performance and would look forward to his return.

2013-12 Dennis' Deliberations

I received this from Dean George Schindler from another magic organization to which I belong.  I guess it was in the making for a long time considering the impact of the Internet and sites like “Magic Leaks”.

In a strong resolution the National Council of the Society of American Magicians has condemned "Cyber Bullying". Since this is a public issue of ethics and morality, I believe that I am free to let you see it.

The National Council of the Society of American Magicians has determined that various chat rooms and social media have been improperly utilized as outlets for cyber bullying which targets magic, magicians and youngsters who are interested in magic.

Various magic forums serve a good purpose in sharing ideas and thoughts which help to improve the skills of the performer, some web sites either allow, tolerate or permit performers to be the victims of absurd, hateful and hurtful attacks against a fellow performer

The National Council of the Society of American Magicians hereby adopted the following resolution condemning Cyber Bullying:

The Society of American magicians opposes and condemns Cyber Bullying in any and all forms including but not limited to all forms of hate speech, the use of words which attack physical appearance, gender, religious belief, sexual orientation or nationality and opposes all kinds of needless and hateful cyber bullying resulting from the publishing of private information on magic related web sites.

The definition of “bullying” (of an adult- no juvenile should ever be bullied- that includes hateful remarks about Justin Bieber)  is probably determined the same way that Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart tried to define pornography. “I know it when I see it”.  The phrase "I know it when I see it" is an expression by which a speaker attempts to categorize an observable fact or event, although the category is subjective or lacks clearly defined parameters. The phrase was famously used in this sense by United States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart to describe his threshold test for obscenity in Jacobellis v. Ohio (1964).

I don’t believe that the SAM resolution wants to shut down any constructive criticism of magic acts, magicians, props  and magic arts. The long tradition of bluntness and honesty by those who truly love magic such as Senator Clark Crandall, Bev Bergeron and others is a valuable tool for progress in the art. I believe their comments were always done in a positive way because they love magic. A wall of silence has a downside in allowing incompetence to continue. Such professions as medicine, law, engineering and education often circle the wagons and protect their own incompetent members.  Oscar Wilde said, “Every profession is a conspiracy against laymen”.

In the magic profession, the major publications have an agenda. The first item is to make money. Criticism in almost any form generates enemies and a loss of advertising revenue. That is why you are unlikely to read a revue of an act or show that is not warm and fuzzy toward the act.  Next, magic is mostly a hobby and amateurs don’t want to hear anything other than sunshine and roses about their hobby. Finally, the entertainment value of an act is very subjective. Appreciation is in the eye of the beholder.

So, where does a critical review slip in cyber-bullying? My definition would be when the words have no rational value for improving the magic art and are just a personal attack. The words should clearly say they are the opinion of the author and they should never be done anonymously. If the attacker continuously badgers and attacks the other person, it is bullying.   I believe that it could be argued that Richard Himber bullied Joe Dunninger.

Being in show business requires a tough skin and good lawyers. In many cases, under the law, criticism of an act, ridicule and negative statements can be said  with impunity about a “public figure”.  It goes with the territory.

If any harassing, angry, sarcastic writing and speech, directed at our Washington politicians was considered “bullying” , there would be no political comments, no AM talk radio, and no critical news/talk cable channels.

It is sad that with the Internet and modern communications , libel, slander, harassment and  bullying is a sad reality of all public life and in the performing arts. It is a part of theZeitgeist of our present “Age of Discontent”. 

2013-11 Famulus Newsletter

Next general meeting Wednesday, 11/20/2013 at 7:30 PM SHARP
I-HOP Kirkman Road
5203 Kirkman Road, Orlando, Florida 32819

Please join us for dinner beforehand

Lunch meetings in the McDonald’s at 7344 Sand Lake Road, Orlando. It’s two blocks WEST of the intersection of Interstate 4 and Sand Lake Road. We meet every Tuesday at noon upstairs.

Website: http://www.ring170.com/

F. A. M. E. is the Florida Association of Magical Entertainers
*************************************************************
Directory
Craig J. Fennessy – President – CraigFennessy@gmail.com
Chris Dunn- Vice President – Youngdunns@yahoo.com
Sheldon Brook- Secretary – mrbrook33@yahoo.com
Treasurer - Bev Bergeron - Bev@bevbergeron.com
Mark Fitzgerald- Director at Large - markaf1949@hotmail.com
Dan Knapp- Sgt at Arms - danknapp@centurylink.net
Stefan Bartelski – Editor of “Famulus”- Famulus@illusioneer.com
*************************************************************

GET PUBLISHED!

Got an idea for an article to add to the next FAMULUS? Put it in the body of an email or in a Word document attached to an email. Send it to Famulus@illusioneer.com, and we will get you in print.

2013-11 From the editor

As we approach the end of the year, it is the time that our professional and semi-professional members should be filling their calendars with bookings for holidays. Hopefully it will be a busy season for all.

I have just returned from a trip to the UK and am pleased to say that populist magic (i.e. on the TV) s alive and well. There is a very successful show starring the magician called Dynamo, called Magic Impossible. His magic is very good, very similar to Criss Angel's style of in your face street magic. One or two of the illusions I suspect are TV only, requiring the electronic and editing of video to perform or perhaps he can do REAL magic. In addition, commercials for a new season of Darrell Brown's magic were being shown.

After a number of years being responsible for your newsletter, I regret to announce that I will be leaving this position at the end of this year. My wife and I have decided to move back to where we first arrived in the USA, and will be returning to the Atlanta, GA area. While I applaud Dennis for his continued remote submissions, I feel that the editor needs to have a closer physical connection with the ring. Craig announced last month that this month's meeting will call for board members, please give thought to volunteering for this position. I will be around for a number of weeks and will do my best to ensure a smooth transition to whomever steps up to the plate. I also hope to still be around for some of the weekend ring events in the spring, such as the Flea Market, so that I can say good-bye in person to all my friends at the ring.

2013-11 Ring Report

President Craig Fennessey opened the meeting and introduced the Ring's officers to the membership at large.  He commented on the fact that next month the Ring will be nominating members  to serve on the Board in 2014 and give thought to serving.  Next month's meeting will be on November 20th and after a brief business meeting Daryl will lecture.  Craig paid tribute to John LeClair who recently passed. The Daytona Convention is coming up a couple of weeks and the members were encouraged to attend. Progress on our IBM Convention here in Orlando next May is progressing nicely.  The Master of Illusion Show will appear in  neighboring Lakeland on February 17 at 7:30 PM.

Guest Bobby Cassell introduced himself as a magic enthusiast and is appearing in Finding Nemo, The Musical, now appearing at a local Theme Park.  Kostya Kimlet invited our membership to attend the Halloween production, Magic Mansion, to be held   at the historic Dr. Phillips House on October 28 thru the 30th.

Phil Schwartz alerted the Ring to the Potter and Potter auction on October 26th of Magic Apparatus from the Bill King Collection in Hagerstown, Maryland.  

Bev Bergeron headlined his act at Wizard's Magic Theater in Kissimmee this past Monday. Mark Fitzgerald and Doug Otto continue to entertain at the Hard Rock Cafe and Ravelli is busy doing his Magic and Music at the Marriott and other venues in the area.  Not to be outdone, Jacki Manna has had a busy couple of months appearing at the Houdini Club and others in Wisconsin.  She is also busy locally with gigs at a Children's Hospital, McDonalds and  kid parties.  Dan Stapleton will be performing at a Holiday Inn in Fort Lauderdale, at a magic club in The Villages, and at the Rosen Center Hotel in November.

Phil Schwartz presented Magic History Moment #53 with a detailed explanation on   "The Seance".   Harry Houdini's widow, Bess, tried, unsuccessfully, to communicate annually with her late husband until 1936.  All her attempts with contacting "the other side" were futile.  Phil went on to discuss various methods of Spiritualism from the Ouija Board to leader assisted seances.

After a brief intermission Ravelli emceed the membership presentations with Bev Bergeron leading off with a card prediction routine.  Dan Stapleton brought the house down with a comical presentation of another card pairing prediction.  Newcomer Bobby Cassell did some excellent silver dollar coin handling.  Mark Fitzgerald showed the group one of his 'walk around' bits with a soda bottle and two bottle caps.  His presentation was flawless as well as entertaining.  J. C. Hiatt ended the evening of magic with his "Illusion of Equality", illustrating JC's masterful rope manipulation. 

2013-11 Dennis' Deliberations

 Newton's Third Law of Emotion: For every male action, there is female overreaction.  

“No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness.” ― Aristotle 

Elon Musk is the P.T, Barnum of the 21st century. You can’t help but like and respect the guy, even though much of his accolades rest on the clever myth that he perpetuates about himself. All magicians and entertainers need to realize what a genius he is  in separating you from you money. It all started with his creation of Pay Pal.  If you are interested in a career in show business you need to see what he is doing and copy his public relations techniques.  
First he has that cool accent and international sophistication and beautiful woman are dripping off his arms. But what did he really ever do? Not much on his own , absent your tax-payer dollars. Okay, he got his start by developing the system called Pay Pal. Much of those profits he plunged into schemes that are largely based for using government tax dollars.  Space X is almost entirely funded by NASA tax dollars. Musk’s Tesla Electric Car has sales heavily subsidized by federal dollar tax credits.  One of them burst into flames on a freeway after a piece of highway debris poked a hole in the lithium battery case and that tarnishing of the Musk mystique so far has cost stockholders 10% of their portfolio value.
Lesson for magicians?  Get government sponsorship!  Musk, again hogging the spotlight and enhancing his myth, offered to tell how to fix the Boeing 787 Dream liner battery problems!  I seriously doubt that he knows how to change the laws of physics and thermodynamics. It takes a magician to do that.  It is hype…all spotlight grabbing; all  old fashion P.T. Barnum grandstanding.  
A few weeks ago Musk offered to design hyper sonic gerbil tubes run by vacuum to whisk people from New York to LA in less than an hour.  “You go, Elon, and build a museum of technological oddities in LA for New Yorkers to tube out to the coast and see the Fiji Mermaid and Two-headed man who can sing harmony with himself on an .mp3 player.”  Musk also just bought one of the James Bond movie props, a car that turns into a submarine. Maybe that idea would be great for CIA spy operations using tax dollars but I seriously doubt that it will be a profit-making consumer product.The Myth of Musk can’t last…His P.T. Barnum act  will end because sooner or later Wall Street is going to want to see a viable consumer product such as Steve Job’s Apple created.
In the meantime Wall Street needs another Whiz Kind, another mythical Steve Jobs and more hype to separate you from your IRA dollars. Just think before you invest, The greater lesson is that if you want to be a big time magician, take lessons from Musk, the modern P.T. Barnum,  but just be sure to give the audience some solid entertainment.

Mary Doyle Brodien is married to famous magician Marshall Brodien. Marshall is the creator of TV Magic Cards and Marshall Brodien magic sets. He also played the clown/wizard character Wizzo for 26 years on Chicago’s WGN TV’s Bozo Circus Show. She says, “In our 18 years of marriage, I’ve entertained a steady stream of guests here to see Marshall and his magic, assisted Marshall on stage a couple of dozen times, and have attended countless magic conventions with him. All this magic got me thinking about how it’s influenced me.”

Top 10 Ways You Know You are a Magician’s Wife

You know you are a magician’s wife when:
10. There is a magic museum in your home
 9. Your ceilings are decorated with playing cards
 8. You act surprised when you see the same trick for the hundredth time
 7. You are shopping and notice clothes that would look good on stage
 6. You discuss eyeliner and face powders for reducing shine with groups of men
 5. Everyone in your household, including the family hamster, is part of the act
 4. A romantic dinner out includes disappearing salt shakers and card tricks for the wait staff
 3. You’re not opposed to your husband coming at you with swords
 2. You look at a box and wonder if you could fit in it
And the number one way you know you are a magician’s wife -You don’t consider it abusive if your husband ties you up, stuffs you into a cloth bag, and locks you in a crate.
©2013, Mary K. Doyle

I hope that Halloween was good for you… People up here in the rural area are a little backwards and associate Halloween with real witches, ghosts and goblins. It is one time of the year that I do NOT want to claim to be a magician! This year one of the High Schools where I Substitute teach banned teachers from wearing costumes. My understanding was that a local religious group objected to costumes.  By the way, Martin Luther tacked his 95 Thesis on the Wittenberg Church door on Halloween 1517 beginning the Protestant Reformation.  I am not saying it is backwards up here but even the local Episcopalians handle snakes. 

2013-10 Famulus Newsletter

Next general meeting Wednesday, 10/16/2013 at 7:30 PM SHARP
I-HOP Kirkman Road
5203 Kirkman Road, Orlando, Florida 32819

Please join us for dinner beforehand

Lunch meetings in the McDonald’s at 7344 Sand Lake Road, Orlando. It’s two blocks WEST of the intersection of Interstate 4 and Sand Lake Road. We meet every Tuesday at noon upstairs.

Website: http://www.ring170.com/

F. A. M. E. is the Florida Association of Magical Entertainers
*************************************************************
Directory
Craig J. Fennessy – President – CraigFennessy@gmail.com
Chris Dunn- Vice President – Youngdunns@yahoo.com
Sheldon Brook- Secretary – mrbrook33@yahoo.com
Treasurer - Bev Bergeron - Bev@bevbergeron.com
Mark Fitzgerald- Director at Large - markaf1949@hotmail.com
Dan Knapp- Sgt at Arms - danknapp@centurylink.net
Stefan Bartelski – Editor of “Famulus”- Famulus@illusioneer.com
*************************************************************

GET PUBLISHED!
Got an idea for an article to add to the next FAMULUS? Put it in the body of an email or in a Word document attached to an email. Send it to Famulus@illusioneer.com, and we will get you in print.

2013-10 From The Editor

Almost Halloween, that very magical time. I hope that everyone enjoys this kick-off of the holiday season with all its magic.

Thanks to Sheldon and Dennis for their consistent contributions to the newsletter.


Your editor, Stefan

2013-10 Ring Report

President Craig Fennessey opened the meeting by introducing the Ring officers and guests in attendance.  Craig had recently returned from vacation, which included some days spent in London.  He related his experiences related to Magic and especially the very warm treatment he received when visiting the Magic Circle and Soho Theater District.

A first time guest to our meeting, was Typhoon Lou (Marin) who is relocating back to the Orlando area. Lou was a member of JB Ring 117 in Palm Beach.  Dan Stapleton reported briefly on the excellent progress of our Florida Convention which will take place, here in Orlando, next May. Some of our members performing in and around the area are Keith Kong at the Why Not Lounge in Altamonte Springs,  Mark Fitzgerald at the Hard Rock Cafe,  Wallace Murphy and Craig Fennessey at Gatorside in Ocoee.  Jacki Manna is on the road doing her act in several different venues.  Bob Swadling will be doing a lecture for the Leesburg Ring this Sunday at the Best Western Hotel in that Central Florida City.

Bev Bergeron departed from his impromptu teach-in to a  lesson in mentalism.  Phil Schwartz was up next with Magic History Moment # 52, a treatise on The History of Playing Cards.  What is a fundamental component of many magic performances, playing cards, had their origin in China during the Tang Dynasty (7th Century AD).  Phil displayed pictures of the cards from that period and discussed, at length, how they progressed in size and configuration through the years.

Following a brief intermission, Mark Fitzgerald started off the evening's performances with a transformation effect by changing playing card denominations before his audiences' eyes.  Richard Hewitt followed with slick mentalism routine matching playing card Kings.  Keith Kong gave us a sample of his mentalism act by having 3 audience participants draw simple descriptive pictures on a cardboard and then determined which participant drew two of the three pictures and then successfully reproduced a reasonably good facsimile of the third participant's drawing.  Charlie Pfrogner entertained with string and a silk as well as a 'child in the room' parody, using a box, key and card.  Dan Stapleton closed the performances with "Plates": four participants from the audience are each asked to 'Lose' a card in decks before them and write the card designation on the paper plates.  Dan successfully identified the four cards selected.

Sheldon Brook  

2013-10 Dennis' Deliberations

By Dennis Phillips

October 2013

“When Houdini was a teenager, he had a slogan: “You can lock me in any jail cell but you can’t keep my face from breaking out!”

                                                                                                                                                       Comedy line from -Paul Harris-

Machpelah Cemetery- Place of Houdini’s Grave

We are coming up on the Anniversary of Houdini’s death on Halloween  in 1926.

I thought that you might want to know this….

Houdini’s Gravesite had fallen into neglect and disrepair and overgrown with weeds. His bust had been stolen and replaced several times.

A haunting You-Tube video can been seen which showed this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yndl8zeH82U

George Schindler, the dean of the Society of American Magicians, said his group had stopped contributing money toward the maintenance of the site in recent years.  "David Jacobson” sends us a bill for upkeep every year but we never pay it"  The Society of American Magicians never paid the cemetery for any restoration of the Houdini family plot in my tenure since 1988, Mr. Jacobson said. The money came from the dwindling funds of the Machpelah Cemetery, he said. The Houdini grave site is no longer cared for by the Society of American Magicians, but by The Houdini Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Reportedly , SAM and the caretaker of the Cemetery have a long running feud over how fund were being used for the grave upkeep, leading SAM to no longer contribute funds.  

On September 27, 2011 a group Dorothy Dietrich formed, that came to be known in the media as The Houdini Commandos, secretly replaced the statuary bust at Houdini's grave site that has been missing due to vandalism for 36 years. They also did some gravesite fix-ups.  This was reported in a half-page story worldwide in the New York Times on October 24, 2011. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/houdini-returns-of-course/?_r=0

Her world famous attraction Scranton's Houdini Museum that she runs with mystery entertainer Dick Brooks, has been asked by both the family of Houdini and the management of the cemetery to take over the upkeep of the grave that has been in disarray for many years due to neglect.

Brooks and Dietrich with the replacement Houdini bust

What creeps me out more than anything is that decrepit old Cemetery office!

Burial records littered the floor of the abandoned Machpelah cemetery Office

http://abandonednyc.com/tag/machpelah-cemetery/

Any semblance of grandeur breaks down on the inside.  The striking arched windows visible in the facade are installed in rectangular frames, and their diamond panes are all artifice.  The skeleton of a drop ceiling hangs askew, with most panels collapsed and reduced to a yellow paste that covers the ground.  The office has apparently fallen victim to vandals over the years, furniture and safe deposit boxes have been ransacked, old burial records lie scattered in the grime.  Anything of value has been removed, but a coin bank souvenir from the 1939 New York World’s Fair remains, its most recent deposits dating back to 1988.

“Stuffy” doesn’t begin to describe its suffocating ether. Reception rooms are boxed in with cheap wood paneling, which combines with the dizzying funk of mildew to evoke the interior of a coffin.   Secluded in a cockeyed armoire, Nosferatu could feel right at home here. Well, no more.   UPDATE: The office was just demolished on August 21st, 2013.

Today, Queens’ five million “permanent residents” almost triple its living population, but their numbers are at a standstill.  Most of these cemeteries reached capacity long ago, leaving many cemeteries without a source of income from the sale of new sites.  As a result, some have fallen into disrepair, with officials failing to provide the “perpetual care” their patrons are rightfully owed.

Every Halloween, hundreds of devotees make the yearly pilgrimage to Houdini’s final resting place to pay their respects, party, and make an offering—around the anniversary of his death, pumpkins, broomsticks, and playing cards mount like a cairn on his headstone. His cemetery ,long abandoned, Houdini’s gravesite continues on as long as his memory and devoted fans remain.  At Machpelah Cemetery, the gate is always open, and every day is Halloween.

2013-09 Famulus Newsletter

Next general meeting Wednesday, 09/18/2013 at 7:30 PM SHARP
I-HOP Kirkman Road
5203 Kirkman Road, Orlando, Florida 32819

Please join us for dinner beforehand

Lunch meetings in the McDonald’s at 7344 Sand Lake Road, Orlando. It’s two blocks WEST of the intersection of Interstate 4 and Sand Lake Road. We meet every Tuesday at noon upstairs.

Website: http://www.ring170.com/

F. A. M. E. is the Florida Association of Magical Entertainers
*************************************************************
Directory
Craig J. Fennessy – President – CraigFennessy@gmail.com
Chris Dunn- Vice President – Youngdunns@yahoo.com
Sheldon Brook- Secretary – mrbrook33@yahoo.com
Treasurer - Bev Bergeron - Bev@bevbergeron.com
Mark Fitzgerald- Director at Large - markaf1949@hotmail.com
Dan Knapp- Sgt at Arms - danknapp@centurylink.net
Stefan Bartelski – Editor of “Famulus”- Famulus@illusioneer.com
*************************************************************

GET PUBLISHED!
Got an idea for an article to add to the next FAMULUS? Put it in the body of an email or in a Word document attached to an email. Send it to Famulus@illusioneer.com, and we will get you in print.

2013-09 From The Editor

September already, and we are into the last part of the year. Time will pass quickly now and the holidays will soon be upon us. And of course, holiday time is magic time! So dust off those props, polish those coins, wax those cards (figuratively) and practice, practice, practice.

Thanks to Dan, Sheldon and Dennis for their contributions of this edition. remember folks, it just takes a paragraph or two to be published in this august tome. So send your contributions to famulus@illusioneer.com.

Your editor

2013-09 Ring Report

Vice President Chris Dunn opened the meeting for our vacationing President, Craig Fennessey.  He (Chris) introduced the Ring officers and guests who included Keith Kong, Thomas Grote and Michael Matson who is now employed by Universal Magic. Keith and Thomas are featured in a Magic Show scheduled for  September 22 at The Why Not Lounge in Altamonte Springs.  Bev Bergeron gave a Treasurer's Report that indicated our Ring was in an excellent financial position which means that we can continue, in the future, with the fine quality of lectures and programs  we have experienced in the past.  Several members, who attended, the Magic Live Convention, recently held in Las Vegas, were all very high in praise of the well attended affair. A motion to include the Ring Minutes on our Website was made but tabled for a future meeting. Wallace Murphy will be doing 'Walk Around' at Gatorside in Ocoee this Friday and Bev Bergeron would be doing a 'Con-man Routine' at the Jazz Society on Sunday.  Dan Stapleton chipped in with an anecdote concerning our Rings first president, Stan Lobenstern.

Bev Bergeron enlightened the membership with an Impromptu Magic effect in predicting the outcome of an apparent free choice selection involving seven different objects (PATEO).  Phil Schwartz next presented Magic History Moment #51.  His subject was the late (1912-1987) Harold Rice, PHD, who founded Silk King Studios (SKS).  Dr. Rice's major contribution to Magic was the introduction of quality silk products to this Country's practitioners of  Magic. Phil displayed from his personal collection many beautiful examples of different size and design.   Chuck Smith came up next with some of his experiences interviewing famous magicians who he had encountered in his past.

The meeting was somewhat shortened by the presence of the Williams Magic Traveling Truck Store which was parked out front.  Mr Williams demonstrated Hypno-Card and Think-Shin Lim. We did have a few member presentations. Doug Kalcik, who also emceed, did The Torn Card Routine by Woody Aragon and Charlie Pfrogner  performed the Mystery of the Ribbons.  Chuck Smith and Thomas Grote both did Mentalism effects and J.C. Hiatt closed out the Evening.   

Sheldon Brook

2013-09 More news about the 2014 Florida State MagicConvention

I am letting a couple of acts "out of the bag" as the excitement grows for next years (Orlando) 2014 Florida State magic convention. Below you will see much information on not only the convention itself, but also two acts who will be appearing at the convention...as a "sneak" preview on what's/who's to come. Spread the word! 

 

Giovanni Livera-IBM Gold Cups winner

Giovanni's boundless energy and witty charm has given him the ability to motivate and transform people and organizations. Giovanni has astounded and electrified over half of the country's Fortune 500 companies.

While is his twenties Giovanni produced and performed an entertainment spectacular for the NBA franchise the Orlando Magic. Giovanni filled stands with thousands of fans. He established himself as both an innovative entrepreneur and a superior showman.
Giovanni has authored 3 books ( including The Amazing Cigar, co-authored with Jon Racherbaumer) and his latest print Live a Thousand Years is in its second publication. He was recently nominated into the prestigious National Speaker's Hall of Fame. Giovanni is only one of the 5 people in history to have received the coveted Gold Cups Award by the International Brotherhood of Magicians and his new DVD "Salt & Silver" is one of the hottest items in magic today. "Gio" will be lecturing and performing in one of two close-up shows during the convention.

Todd Charles-Wild Man

Todd Charles is just your typical banjo, juggling, hand-shadow impression, singing animal, magical, musical, comedy act! His creative vision combines his talents, resulting in never-before-seen comedy that's been captivating audiences all over the world. As a teenager he performed with the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus, and went on to tour the National Comedy Club circuit and cast in major Casino Revue Shows. He has had the privilege to work with such greats as Kevin Bacon, George Burns, & Merv Griffin, and regularly is an opening act for many great music artists.

Currently, Todd spend much of his time touring and performing for corporate functions, casinos, resorts, theaters, cruise ships, fairs, and festivals. He recently returned from Singapore, Australia & New Zealand where he headlined in International Comedy Festivals.

Todd has appeared on numerous TV shows:
The Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon,
Ed McMahon's Next Big Star,
The Statler Bros. Show,
ABC's America's Funniest People,
Fox's 30 Seconds to Fame,
as well as appearances on MTV, VH-1, HBO, & Showtime

 

 Dan Stapleton

 

.

2013-09 Dennis' Deliberations

Dennis Deliberations....      Editorial and Comment

By Dennis Phillips

September 2013

There seem to four kinds of people:

The optimist who sees the glass as half full.

The pessimist who sees the glass as half empty.

An engineer who sees the glass and says, "That glass is twice as big as it needs to be!"

And the magician who sees the glass says, "Damn! I wish the magic companies would make a glass that lets ALL of the liquid drain out!"

The month, I am engaging in a kind of mea culpa.  When I am wrong about something, I want to make it right.

It’s about Jeff McBride.  I guess that I never fully understood him and as a result was unenthusiastic about his work. When he appeared at the Daytona Convention a few years ago, he closed the big show with his wife Abbie Spinner and Eugene Burger and I was muted in my accolades.  Okay, again I need to fess up again. I all but panned the show. As I recall, I thought the whole show was small and simple for that stage and he engaged in a lot of posing and mugging and fiddling with odd unworldly props such as twin  LED floating canes, and a plastic mask that was trying to kill him.  The show was ,as my country Grandma used to say, “Artsy-Fartsy”.  But I respected the stage effort and McBride does have some good signature pieces such as his water bowls, Miser’s Dream and classic Mask Act and he does a dynamic card manipulation sequence.

Well, recently I was asked to look at his 3-D set from L&L called “ Jeff McBride and his Magic on Stage”. While I retain the concept that he is a quirky performer, I was very impressed by his knowledge, stage thoughts and teaching ability.  Watching the series led me to a much greater appreciation for his work.  My head seamstress, Trish, at my old Winter Park Costume Shop, loved McBride and I recall her snatching the copy of Linking Ring when the mailman delivered it with McBride on the cover.  Trish was a 60s Hippie who never grew out of her love for the odd and mystical.

So let’s look at the outstanding job that McBride’s did on his 3 VHS cassette series:

Tape One is McBride’s Commando Act. It all fits inside a lawyer’s shoulder bag. It packs small and plays big. The routine has 5 parts to it. They are vanishing cane and silk productions, cut and restore rope, ring on string, linking rings, mouth coil with the finale of a bottle of Champaign produced. Also there are a few bonus tricks that are not part of the commando act but they could be added. The act has audience participation it. While there are some things that I would not do such as the mouth coil, Jeff’s approach to doing a “perform-anywhere-no-cases to-carry act” was excellent.  On the tape he credits the concept to Jeff Sheridan who he watched in a New York park. In today’s downsizing, Jeff gave me the motivation to get a Commando Act together. I can already do 10 minutes out of my suit coat pockets ,as needed when I am substitute teaching in public schools, but I can see that a satchel and some thought can make it a full stage presentation.

Tape Two is Exotic Mysteries. It is a fusion of a martial arts feel, dance, Kabuki Theater with all the stagecraft. You will get a feeling that he was influenced by Fu-Manchu (David Bamberg) and the classic turn-of-the-century Asian themed acts.  You may not do the specific routines but the insights into staging them and the thought on movement and how to get the most out of the routine is valuable. The tape was very colorful and also contains lots of great ideas on silks and paper spring flowers. Everything shows that McBride put a lot of thought into what he does.

Tape Three is Classic magic. This contains a great teaching segment on the Dancing Cane. It will teach you everything you need to know. It also has excellent instruction on the classic Zombie. I was excited to see his Zombie gimmick with its small wire bend under the cork. He says the idea was from Finn John. It makes a big difference in control of the ball when peaking over the edge. Jeff is quite accomplished at presenting the Zombie.  His Fountain of Silks and Twentieth-century Silks had subtle bits of preparation and performance that were very good.  If you would like to do the 20^th Century Silks and hold the tips of both silks and shake them before you tie them together, watch his video!

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Finally, if you are really into gaining an academic understanding and enjoy intellectual stimulation. Try this:

Why is deception such an essential part of the human condition? What evolutionary purpose does it fulfill? How can we recognize it on an individual level, and overcome it on a societal level in a modern democracy?

Watch an exciting panel of scientists and public intellectuals including revolutionary biologist Robert Trivers, notable social psychologist Carol Tavris, accomplished neurobiologist and laboratory directors at Barrow Neurobiological Institute Stephen Macknick and Susana Martinez-Conde, acclaimed magicians Jamy Ian Swiss and Joshua Jay, and Origins Project director and moderator, physicist Lawrence Krauss as they discuss the biological, behavioral, and political boundaries of this controversial issue.

Part 1 of 2 (1:37:48) :  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUduQ2aqQ50

Part 2 of 2 (49:11) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMm3Knf0vPo

Dennis