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Newsletter of IBM Ring #170
The Bev Bergeron Ring
Next general meeting Wednesday, 03/17/2010 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
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Directory
Craig J. Fennessy – President – CraigFennessy@gmail.com
Chris Dunn- Vice President – Youngdunns@yahoo.com
Art Thomas – Treasurer – srjart@earthlink.net
Sheldon Brook- Acting Secretary – mrbrook33@yahoo.com
James Songster- Director at Large, - JjTjMagic@aol.com
Joe Vecciarelli- Sgt at Arms - talkingmute@tampabay.rr.com
Stefan Bartelski – Editor of “Famulus”- Famulus@illusioneer.com
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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.
Please, please, please, use the above e-mail address, your messages are in danger of getting lost if you do not do so.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
2010-03 From the Editor
Many, many apologies, due to many reasons I am very late with this edition of the newsletter. Hopefully this has not inconvenienced too many people. Hopefully the coming month I can get back to a more regular schedule.
This edition has some slide shows with pictures from the Flea Market and the Jim Swain lecture, as well as a video; I hope that you like them.
This edition has some slide shows with pictures from the Flea Market and the Jim Swain lecture, as well as a video; I hope that you like them.
2010-03 Ring Report
President Craig Fennessy called the meeting to order on February 17th and introduced the Ring's officers to the members and guests in attendance.
Craig informed the group that our esteemed member Jack Kodell was recovering from a touch of pneumonia at a local hospital and expected to be released shortly. He went on to say that the Ring's Flea Market will be held on March 13th and will feature Michael Ammar doing a lecture and workshop and Michael Eaton doing a mini-lecture. Several lectures have been scheduled already for the Spring and will include Chris Capehart on May 11th and Bob Sheets in June. The Ring's Annual Banquet is also planned for April. (Editors note: The banquet has been moved to May. More to follow soon.)
The Ring's informal get-togethers for lunch at the MacDonald's just west of I-4 on Sand Lake Road have been going along quite well and the membership were all invited to attend on Tuesdays at noon if they were in the area.
Mark Fitzgerald and Doug Otto are both performing at the Hard Rock Hotel on Friday nights.
Dave Koenig is doing a Podcast for Radioesp.com titled 'Dark Truth'
Bev Bergeron was up next with his technique in demonstrating the Vanishing Glass and Coin, an effect which he had observed the late Kerrel Fox and Slydini perform. Bev's handling of the effect was superb.
Phil Schwartz followed Bev with Magic History Moment #19 a treatise on Printing and Broadsides as they pertained to magic lore. The Ring learned that Printing with Woodcuts came as early as 200 AD and was used until the Intaglio process, utilizing etched copper or zinc plates, was developed in the 15th Century. This was the accepted method of printing until the close of the 18th Century (1796) when Lithography, a process of printing from a stone or metal plate based on the repulsion between grease and water was perfected. Phil had examples of broadsides (large posters printed on one side advertising magic performances) from the 19th Century and the early 20th Century of Harry Houdini, John Henry Anderson and Alexander Herrmann.
Kerry Pierce emceed the performance segment of the meeting with Charlie Pfrogner starting off with a very entertaining Cut and Restored Rope effect with a twist at the end. Dan Stapleton followed with a great trick from Grant's Brilliant Card Magic. James Songster and Mike Martin as 'Carnak' did a comedy routine that even “Johnny” would have enjoyed. Jim McNiff did a challenging mind reading determination with cards that mystified the audience. Will Wortman demonstrated his skill in coin manipulation and other sleights to an amazed membership. Ravelli closed out the performances with a variety of effects from Coin Magic for kids, dollar bill from tissue paper and torn bill restoration and finished with an extraction of all the paper, from the act, out of his mouth.
A fine time was had by all.
Sheldon Brook
Craig informed the group that our esteemed member Jack Kodell was recovering from a touch of pneumonia at a local hospital and expected to be released shortly. He went on to say that the Ring's Flea Market will be held on March 13th and will feature Michael Ammar doing a lecture and workshop and Michael Eaton doing a mini-lecture. Several lectures have been scheduled already for the Spring and will include Chris Capehart on May 11th and Bob Sheets in June. The Ring's Annual Banquet is also planned for April. (Editors note: The banquet has been moved to May. More to follow soon.)
The Ring's informal get-togethers for lunch at the MacDonald's just west of I-4 on Sand Lake Road have been going along quite well and the membership were all invited to attend on Tuesdays at noon if they were in the area.
Mark Fitzgerald and Doug Otto are both performing at the Hard Rock Hotel on Friday nights.
Dave Koenig is doing a Podcast for Radioesp.com titled 'Dark Truth'
Bev Bergeron was up next with his technique in demonstrating the Vanishing Glass and Coin, an effect which he had observed the late Kerrel Fox and Slydini perform. Bev's handling of the effect was superb.
Phil Schwartz followed Bev with Magic History Moment #19 a treatise on Printing and Broadsides as they pertained to magic lore. The Ring learned that Printing with Woodcuts came as early as 200 AD and was used until the Intaglio process, utilizing etched copper or zinc plates, was developed in the 15th Century. This was the accepted method of printing until the close of the 18th Century (1796) when Lithography, a process of printing from a stone or metal plate based on the repulsion between grease and water was perfected. Phil had examples of broadsides (large posters printed on one side advertising magic performances) from the 19th Century and the early 20th Century of Harry Houdini, John Henry Anderson and Alexander Herrmann.
Kerry Pierce emceed the performance segment of the meeting with Charlie Pfrogner starting off with a very entertaining Cut and Restored Rope effect with a twist at the end. Dan Stapleton followed with a great trick from Grant's Brilliant Card Magic. James Songster and Mike Martin as 'Carnak' did a comedy routine that even “Johnny” would have enjoyed. Jim McNiff did a challenging mind reading determination with cards that mystified the audience. Will Wortman demonstrated his skill in coin manipulation and other sleights to an amazed membership. Ravelli closed out the performances with a variety of effects from Coin Magic for kids, dollar bill from tissue paper and torn bill restoration and finished with an extraction of all the paper, from the act, out of his mouth.
A fine time was had by all.
Sheldon Brook
2010-03 Magician Joke (Thanks Dennis)
Good magic jokes are tough to come by...You have to be a magician to get the humor.
A magician looking for a new trick went to a magic shop in his home town. The man in the shop handed him an ordinary-looking pair of glasses and said, “These are $1,000.”
The magician was shocked. “A thousand dollars for a pair of glasses?”
“Try ‘em on; they’re special glasses.”
The magician tried them on and suddenly the clerk was naked. So were the female shoppers! He removed the glasses and everyone was clothed again. “Sold!” he said.
Riding the train home, the magician put the glasses on once more. All the passengers were naked! He took them off and everyone was clothed again. When the magician got home, he put his new glasses on before opening the front door. He entered his living room, and there on the sofa were his wife and his best friend -- buck naked! But when he took the glasses off, they were still naked.
“Damn!” he said. “A thousand dollars for this stupid effect and in 30 minutes it’s broken!”
A magician looking for a new trick went to a magic shop in his home town. The man in the shop handed him an ordinary-looking pair of glasses and said, “These are $1,000.”
The magician was shocked. “A thousand dollars for a pair of glasses?”
“Try ‘em on; they’re special glasses.”
The magician tried them on and suddenly the clerk was naked. So were the female shoppers! He removed the glasses and everyone was clothed again. “Sold!” he said.
Riding the train home, the magician put the glasses on once more. All the passengers were naked! He took them off and everyone was clothed again. When the magician got home, he put his new glasses on before opening the front door. He entered his living room, and there on the sofa were his wife and his best friend -- buck naked! But when he took the glasses off, they were still naked.
“Damn!” he said. “A thousand dollars for this stupid effect and in 30 minutes it’s broken!”
2010-03 Dennis' Deliberations
"The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson." - Tom Bodett
My Canadian magic friend, Larry Thornton saw Mac King on a Canadian TV comedy show. Nothing but prop-less stand-up comics until Mac walks on. He did the basic three cards across routine (girl and guy each counting out ten cards). His palming off three cards from the first (girl's) pile and adding them to the second (guy's) pile was blatantly obvious (only) to magicians, and the rest was just silly bits (routining). Then for his final number he put a bag over his head, turned his back, and appeared to crush it down onto his shoulders. That's it, the whole act. ...Rapturous laughter and applause. Exit, stage left.
Mac King gets flown up to eastern Canada from Las Vegas, all expenses paid, and gets mega-bucks for a "schlock" bare-bones comedy card routine any local conjuring hack can do, while we "hacks" [speak for yourself!] fight to survive and scramble our collective rear ends off every time the economy takes a dip.
Meanwhile, back at the magic dealers, they're busy hawking the latest expensive "miracle" guaranteed to make you a star, fill your coffers with shekels, and give you everlasting success and happiness. -- Or at least until they come up with another high-priced miracle. ... But could they sell the ever-reliable journeyman's classic, Three Cards Across, complete with a killer routine in booklet form, for even the price of a bus ticket into town? Not a chance.
There are two kinds of magic dealers' customers: Those who continually ask, "What's new?" -- and those who find the old stuff and use it to fool the heck out of the first guys. There are two kinds of people in this world: those who perform magic badly, and those who regret having seen it.
In spite of record snow falls here during our first winter in Virginia, we “trust” Al Gore and believe that things will warm up eventually. (No comments- I am trying to be funny)
Spring cleaning is around the corner. Spring cleaning really has meaning when your house has been sealed tight for 4 months and you have not be able to even put out all the garbage due to cancelled garbage collection. Up here every garbage truck is also fitted with a snow plow and the roads come before garbage collection. After all, it will not rot outside in freezing temperatures.
My wife says one of her fears is that she may be stuck cleaning out my junk if I should suddenly die. She says that losing me would be a heart break but trashing the things that were my identity would be another heart break. I keep telling her to just call my magic friends and they will come take it all if it is free.
I am also into Ham Radio. About 20 years ago, I got a call from the family of a widow. It led to me going over to the house of a 68 year old widow of a ham radio guy.
Sitting in his ham shack was some of the finest radio gear available at the time. (A Collins S-Line and a Collins KWM 2-A and on and on). The widow asked me if I wanted “the radios”. I looked at all of them and said, “There has to be at least $20,000 worth of stuff here and at 50% of the used market value I still could not afford to buy it. But I will be happy to tell you how to sell it and maybe help you put ads out and show it and sell it for you to help you out.” She looked at me and said, “Sell it? Are you kidding? I just want this stuff out of my house! You can take all of it. Go get your truck and get it out of my sight!”
She had a lot of anger in her voice for a recent widow. I said, “I am sure your husband would want you to get something out of all of this”. She snapped back, “He left me lots of money and I want this stuff out of my sight. He spent all his life working making money and then playing with this stuff. He never cared about me. He spent hours back here talking with strangers while I sat alone. No, I don’t care about this stuff, get it out of my sight!”
That is so sad. I never wanted that to be in that kind of sad situation with my wife. I moved the stuff, gave some away, sold some and still have some.
You are going to LOVE this effect… It costs you nothing! No props. Nothing to carry!
First watch the genius, Paul Daniels! This is one of the strongest things I do in an adult act where most of the audience does not know each other.
I use the techniques of cueing that you will find in Ricki Dunn’s book called “Zapped”.
http://www.nnmagic.com/books/zapped.htm
It is all the set up and cuing.
My method:
There are only two things that I do. The entire set up can be summarized as:
1) Before the show I scour the audience to look for a few gentlemen that are alert, smiling, interested and do not seem connected with a group other than a woman.
2) I call about 3 guys quietly off to the side (I need a spare in case one gets called out!) and tell them,
“Let’s have a lot of fun. I need your help to fool the audience and you are going to be in on the secret. You need to be the best actor you can. The audience is not laughing at you but at how you are a victim of what I am doing to you. Use your imagination and pretend that the chair has powers. It will have the power to shock your back end while you are sitting and you will jump up like you were shocked.
The second power is that it will stick to you like crazy glue so you can’t get loose.
I will tell you when to act like one of these two ways with the chair.
If I tap you twice and say “TWO” pretend like it has shocked you and jump up like you were shocked. If you want to feel you back end the audience will love it and think that I am being mean. I will be the fool, not you!”
If I put your hands on the chair and say slowly “this chair”, you will hold onto the chair until I tell you to let go. Good, now let’s do a fast run through. (Physically and verbally demonstrate and have them demonstrate) and stress that they will get the audience’s sympathy and I will be the fool.
I hope you enjoy this! It has been a winner for me.
Dennis Phillips
My Canadian magic friend, Larry Thornton saw Mac King on a Canadian TV comedy show. Nothing but prop-less stand-up comics until Mac walks on. He did the basic three cards across routine (girl and guy each counting out ten cards). His palming off three cards from the first (girl's) pile and adding them to the second (guy's) pile was blatantly obvious (only) to magicians, and the rest was just silly bits (routining). Then for his final number he put a bag over his head, turned his back, and appeared to crush it down onto his shoulders. That's it, the whole act. ...Rapturous laughter and applause. Exit, stage left.
Mac King gets flown up to eastern Canada from Las Vegas, all expenses paid, and gets mega-bucks for a "schlock" bare-bones comedy card routine any local conjuring hack can do, while we "hacks" [speak for yourself!] fight to survive and scramble our collective rear ends off every time the economy takes a dip.
Meanwhile, back at the magic dealers, they're busy hawking the latest expensive "miracle" guaranteed to make you a star, fill your coffers with shekels, and give you everlasting success and happiness. -- Or at least until they come up with another high-priced miracle. ... But could they sell the ever-reliable journeyman's classic, Three Cards Across, complete with a killer routine in booklet form, for even the price of a bus ticket into town? Not a chance.
There are two kinds of magic dealers' customers: Those who continually ask, "What's new?" -- and those who find the old stuff and use it to fool the heck out of the first guys. There are two kinds of people in this world: those who perform magic badly, and those who regret having seen it.
In spite of record snow falls here during our first winter in Virginia, we “trust” Al Gore and believe that things will warm up eventually. (No comments- I am trying to be funny)
Spring cleaning is around the corner. Spring cleaning really has meaning when your house has been sealed tight for 4 months and you have not be able to even put out all the garbage due to cancelled garbage collection. Up here every garbage truck is also fitted with a snow plow and the roads come before garbage collection. After all, it will not rot outside in freezing temperatures.
My wife says one of her fears is that she may be stuck cleaning out my junk if I should suddenly die. She says that losing me would be a heart break but trashing the things that were my identity would be another heart break. I keep telling her to just call my magic friends and they will come take it all if it is free.
I am also into Ham Radio. About 20 years ago, I got a call from the family of a widow. It led to me going over to the house of a 68 year old widow of a ham radio guy.
Sitting in his ham shack was some of the finest radio gear available at the time. (A Collins S-Line and a Collins KWM 2-A and on and on). The widow asked me if I wanted “the radios”. I looked at all of them and said, “There has to be at least $20,000 worth of stuff here and at 50% of the used market value I still could not afford to buy it. But I will be happy to tell you how to sell it and maybe help you put ads out and show it and sell it for you to help you out.” She looked at me and said, “Sell it? Are you kidding? I just want this stuff out of my house! You can take all of it. Go get your truck and get it out of my sight!”
She had a lot of anger in her voice for a recent widow. I said, “I am sure your husband would want you to get something out of all of this”. She snapped back, “He left me lots of money and I want this stuff out of my sight. He spent all his life working making money and then playing with this stuff. He never cared about me. He spent hours back here talking with strangers while I sat alone. No, I don’t care about this stuff, get it out of my sight!”
That is so sad. I never wanted that to be in that kind of sad situation with my wife. I moved the stuff, gave some away, sold some and still have some.
You are going to LOVE this effect… It costs you nothing! No props. Nothing to carry!
First watch the genius, Paul Daniels! This is one of the strongest things I do in an adult act where most of the audience does not know each other.
I use the techniques of cueing that you will find in Ricki Dunn’s book called “Zapped”.
http://www.nnmagic.com/books/zapped.htm
It is all the set up and cuing.
My method:
There are only two things that I do. The entire set up can be summarized as:
1) Before the show I scour the audience to look for a few gentlemen that are alert, smiling, interested and do not seem connected with a group other than a woman.
2) I call about 3 guys quietly off to the side (I need a spare in case one gets called out!) and tell them,
“Let’s have a lot of fun. I need your help to fool the audience and you are going to be in on the secret. You need to be the best actor you can. The audience is not laughing at you but at how you are a victim of what I am doing to you. Use your imagination and pretend that the chair has powers. It will have the power to shock your back end while you are sitting and you will jump up like you were shocked.
The second power is that it will stick to you like crazy glue so you can’t get loose.
I will tell you when to act like one of these two ways with the chair.
If I tap you twice and say “TWO” pretend like it has shocked you and jump up like you were shocked. If you want to feel you back end the audience will love it and think that I am being mean. I will be the fool, not you!”
If I put your hands on the chair and say slowly “this chair”, you will hold onto the chair until I tell you to let go. Good, now let’s do a fast run through. (Physically and verbally demonstrate and have them demonstrate) and stress that they will get the audience’s sympathy and I will be the fool.
I hope you enjoy this! It has been a winner for me.
Dennis Phillips
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