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Newsletter of IBM Ring #170
The Bev Bergeron Ring
Next general meeting Wednesday, 07/20/2011 at 7:30 PM SHARP
Meeting Performance Theme - Free hoice
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- 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
*************************************************************
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, July 13, 2011
2011-07 From the Editor
Thin pickings this month, what happened to the reports from the IBM convention attendees? Come on folks, send me something please.
Thanks as usual to Dennis and Sheldon for their regular contributions
Your editor
Thanks as usual to Dennis and Sheldon for their regular contributions
Your editor
2011-07 Ring Report
President Craig Fennessey called the meeting to order on June 15th with
32 members and guests in attendance. He then went on to inform us that
upcoming lecturers were to include Steve Reynolds and John Racherbaumer.
Dan Stapleton commented on the magic acts appearing on the latest season
of America Has Talent and the upcoming Abbott's convention.
The membership was queried as to whether any of them knew of any space
that would be available to store our Ring's props, equipment and other
paraphernalia that has been collected over the years. It should be climate
controlled.
Jack Kodell, one of our esteemed members, had his autobiography published
and released this month. Mark Fitzgerald is doing close-up at several clubs
in the Orlando area, including the Hard Rock Cafe. Mike Martin and others
are appearing at Give Kids The World on a monthly basis. Jackie Manna is
performing her ventriloquism-magic at area libraries.
Bev Bergeron continued his monthly Teach-In with an impromptu business
card handling routine and was followed by Phil Schwartz and Magic History
Moment No. 32. Phil's subject was "Alexander, The Man Who Knows".
Born, Claude Conlon, in Skagway, Alaska, in 1880, he developed into a
top performer, appearing at the Pantages Theater in California and other
venues drawing top dollar for his performances as a crystal gazer of the 20th
Century as well as a master magician. During the period of 1915 to 1920
he worked with Floyd Thayer developing The Dr. Q series of magic effects
including the Rapping Hand, Talking Vase, Slates, and several others. He
passed away in 1954 after a very successful career.
This meeting brought out many performing members starting out with
Mike Martin doing a comedy magic lecture routine assisted by Ben Mason.
Charlie Pfrogner followed with a variation of the Invisible Card Deck. Kerry
Pierce was up next with a variation of Ed Joseph's Magic & Mischief Box
as presented by Rachel Colombini. Mark Fitzgerald presented two effects:
the first was a multiplying bill routine with changing denominations and the
finish was having a playing card selected, placed back in the deck, expertly
manipulating the deck and finally producing the selected card.
Valerie and Bob Swadling performed several card effects including Fred
Kapps' Card Changing Colors. Bob finished with a very memorable Chinese
Linking Ring routine which few in the audience had ever seen before.
The Swadlings were followed by our youngest member, Sebastian
Midtvaage, who is preparing to participate in the next FISM competition of
North America. He gave us a preview of his performance with a beautiful
Coin and Card Matrix.
Joe Zimmer performed a comedy card effect with the help of Cuda Clux, a
chicken dummy.
Dan Stapleton performed "Plates", a card effect performed with the help of 4
volunteers who handled the cards and eventually selected cards and marked
their selected cards on paper plates. Dan successfully named their selections,
to the delight of the membership.
A fine time was had by all!
32 members and guests in attendance. He then went on to inform us that
upcoming lecturers were to include Steve Reynolds and John Racherbaumer.
Dan Stapleton commented on the magic acts appearing on the latest season
of America Has Talent and the upcoming Abbott's convention.
The membership was queried as to whether any of them knew of any space
that would be available to store our Ring's props, equipment and other
paraphernalia that has been collected over the years. It should be climate
controlled.
Jack Kodell, one of our esteemed members, had his autobiography published
and released this month. Mark Fitzgerald is doing close-up at several clubs
in the Orlando area, including the Hard Rock Cafe. Mike Martin and others
are appearing at Give Kids The World on a monthly basis. Jackie Manna is
performing her ventriloquism-magic at area libraries.
Bev Bergeron continued his monthly Teach-In with an impromptu business
card handling routine and was followed by Phil Schwartz and Magic History
Moment No. 32. Phil's subject was "Alexander, The Man Who Knows".
Born, Claude Conlon, in Skagway, Alaska, in 1880, he developed into a
top performer, appearing at the Pantages Theater in California and other
venues drawing top dollar for his performances as a crystal gazer of the 20th
Century as well as a master magician. During the period of 1915 to 1920
he worked with Floyd Thayer developing The Dr. Q series of magic effects
including the Rapping Hand, Talking Vase, Slates, and several others. He
passed away in 1954 after a very successful career.
This meeting brought out many performing members starting out with
Mike Martin doing a comedy magic lecture routine assisted by Ben Mason.
Charlie Pfrogner followed with a variation of the Invisible Card Deck. Kerry
Pierce was up next with a variation of Ed Joseph's Magic & Mischief Box
as presented by Rachel Colombini. Mark Fitzgerald presented two effects:
the first was a multiplying bill routine with changing denominations and the
finish was having a playing card selected, placed back in the deck, expertly
manipulating the deck and finally producing the selected card.
Valerie and Bob Swadling performed several card effects including Fred
Kapps' Card Changing Colors. Bob finished with a very memorable Chinese
Linking Ring routine which few in the audience had ever seen before.
The Swadlings were followed by our youngest member, Sebastian
Midtvaage, who is preparing to participate in the next FISM competition of
North America. He gave us a preview of his performance with a beautiful
Coin and Card Matrix.
Joe Zimmer performed a comedy card effect with the help of Cuda Clux, a
chicken dummy.
Dan Stapleton performed "Plates", a card effect performed with the help of 4
volunteers who handled the cards and eventually selected cards and marked
their selected cards on paper plates. Dan successfully named their selections,
to the delight of the membership.
A fine time was had by all!
2011-07 Jack & Mary Kodell Benefit
Erick and Kim Olsen of Wizardz theater organized a very special show last weekend, to benefit Jack and Mary Kodell who have been invited to London to attend an anniversary (100yr, 150yr?) of the famed London Palladium theatre, where both have performed in the past. Some excellent magic was shown, as well as it being a great opportunity to meet and congratulate Jack and Mary.
Thanks to Erick and Kim, and any others, for working so hard on this event
Thanks to Erick and Kim, and any others, for working so hard on this event
2011-07 Dennis' Deliberations
Many people die with their music still in them.Why is this so? Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live.Before they know it, time runs out.
-Oliver Wendell Holmes-
The word “Music” comes from“The Muses”, the mythological goddesses of the arts such as poetry,dance, music and others. We should all appreciate the fact that all true art comes from within and touches the viewer’s and listener’s within. To the ancients it seemed like the person was processed by some delightful spirit or force that erupted outward in delightful artistic expression. Today we would try to explain it psychologically.
Did you ever watch a wonderful magic act and get a feeling that propelled you beyond simple appreciation of the cleverness and mystery? It is like something from the magician touched your soul. Something “connected”. If that is the case, then the magician was able to bring the music within them outside. Some very clever and talented magicians never quite get their internal music outside of themselves. You watch and say to yourself, “He or she is great but there just isn’t the real emotional connection”. Sometimes, the magician is just showing you someone else’s music. They either haven’t found theirs or they lack any. Worse, when some began they had great music but they kept playing the same song and they turned into a mechanical jukebox.
As I approach the Hayflick Limit of biologic life, I get to thinking about time running out. How many people spend their whole lives getting prepared to bring out their music and then time runs out. I have known at least 6 incredibly talented magicians who were always preparing and never brought out their inside music.They always wanted “one more move” or “the prop I really need to get going”. The truth is that they needed to worry about their routines and props later. The first two skills they need are communication (speaking and its related technology) as well as stage movement. All successful stage performers have these two basic skills. Before you pull out one prop, can you entertain an audience for 10 minutes by speaking or making faces or telling jokes or doing impressions? Do you walk on like you belong on stage? Do people feel comfortable and relaxed watching you? They need to like YOU and find YOU entertaining and then the props and all the rest just add to your personality.
I was going to finish this column with a story about the return of the Pendragons. Their return was a romantic myth while it lasted. Oh the poetic joy of knowing that Jon and Charlotte are making magic again with their aging flabby bodies in Trinidad! Doing their fast Subtrunk change in a little under 15 minutes? By now you know that Jon was appearing there and apparently a lazy local newspaper reporter Googled his name and assumed that he and Charlotte were still together and said they were appearing there together. It took less than 45 seconds(much longer than their old Sub Truck exchange) for that Trinidad Newspaper story to appear in a search engine! It set the magic world ablaze and for a few moments I was thumping my chest over the prediction I made, when they broke up, that they would someday get together again.I still hold to that prediction but they both may be busking from a wheel chair on street corners when it happens.
Fantasy dies hard… the story wasn’t true. The positive news is that Jon seems to have satisfied the buyers to whom Charlotte sold of some of their old props and they never received them.
I still think there is more drama in this story, stay tuned. It sounds like the stuff for a major movie?
The big current hype is the “buying opportunity”surrounding the extended end of Creative Magic of Utah. They even made the cover of Magic Magazine!
I hate to be a skeptic, but this smells of a poor deal to me, a stinking poor deal on gullible magicians. I hate to say at a future date, “I told you so!”
First of all, in my theatrical and artistic feeling, I refuse to put anything on my stage from them that looks like an automobile collapsible sun shade! The stuff looks like garbage from my car trunk. The only thing with some use for me could be the Shadow Tent but how many Boy Scout Troops do I perform for a year and especially WHERE do they have a stage to do this trick which can not be done surrounded? PLUS, I am not Mac King. Okay, I admit that I have a bias against his stuff. But the business deal is what really seems fishy.
This guy claims that “we are closing the doors forever”. That is GOING OUT OF BUSINESS or in his case a 24 month slow inventory bleeding-spiral-of-business-death. That makes no sense to me!
I was a businessman for 34 years.
Nobody who has a viable profitable money-making business (as he claims) is going out of business! They sell their business to another business entity! Nobody closing a business takes 24 months to do it and by only selling off the existing inventory!
Let me give you my analysis. This is my opinion and perspective, so don’t anybody sue me for expressing what I think is the issue. Think for yourself and make up your own mind.
This guy probably does not make much of what he sells himself. He probably gets it from Communist Red China or Viet Nam or from any of the 3rd world slave-labor countries that supply Wal*Mart and all the other Big Box retailers today. He has to commit to buying massive orders.
They do not work on credit, you PRE-PAY or at least mortgage your house and assets . So he is probably in debt to someone here for all of his inventory commitments and holdings. HE IS NOT selling the volume that he anticipated. WHO is buying $10,000 worth of magic to use? Almost every magic business making this price of props makes them to order and keeps their inventory low.
So, his business model logically seems to have failed. What do you do with a failed magic prop business?
He would get pennies on the dollar if he tried to sell off this stuff.
SO…he creates a program that will sell off his inventory and fulfill his commitments and most probably provide“written contracts” which he can take to his lenders to stave off bankruptcy or immediate foreclosure! You realize that banks look at purchase contracts as an “asset”.
Here is the danger: You folks, the people that have “committed” , bail on him after 2 or 3 payments and he can not maintain enough income to keep going. He then goes bankrupt. Your shipments end and the rest of his inventory is dumped for peanuts. For years you find the stuff on tables at magic flea-markets for $10bucks and you paid much more.
His Facebook page is too filled with hype and what sounds like over-blown nonsense. In essence, you are become a “shareholder” in his business and yet he offers no company information as to the number of investors, his financial status, etc. But you do get a certificate that you are a part owner! I have an old share of Enron framed and hanging on my office wall. They don’t even tell you what their “final illusions” is! Why pay $750 for something which you have no clue about?
I seriously don’t think his grand plan is going to pan out for the better. The rule of thumb in business and investing is: If it sounds too good to be true then it IS too good to be true.
But I could be wrong. If I am, I apologize.
Creative Magic may have just changed their name to “Creative Financing”? It will be a brilliant scheme if it works.
Dennis Phillips
-Oliver Wendell Holmes-
The word “Music” comes from“The Muses”, the mythological goddesses of the arts such as poetry,dance, music and others. We should all appreciate the fact that all true art comes from within and touches the viewer’s and listener’s within. To the ancients it seemed like the person was processed by some delightful spirit or force that erupted outward in delightful artistic expression. Today we would try to explain it psychologically.
Did you ever watch a wonderful magic act and get a feeling that propelled you beyond simple appreciation of the cleverness and mystery? It is like something from the magician touched your soul. Something “connected”. If that is the case, then the magician was able to bring the music within them outside. Some very clever and talented magicians never quite get their internal music outside of themselves. You watch and say to yourself, “He or she is great but there just isn’t the real emotional connection”. Sometimes, the magician is just showing you someone else’s music. They either haven’t found theirs or they lack any. Worse, when some began they had great music but they kept playing the same song and they turned into a mechanical jukebox.
As I approach the Hayflick Limit of biologic life, I get to thinking about time running out. How many people spend their whole lives getting prepared to bring out their music and then time runs out. I have known at least 6 incredibly talented magicians who were always preparing and never brought out their inside music.They always wanted “one more move” or “the prop I really need to get going”. The truth is that they needed to worry about their routines and props later. The first two skills they need are communication (speaking and its related technology) as well as stage movement. All successful stage performers have these two basic skills. Before you pull out one prop, can you entertain an audience for 10 minutes by speaking or making faces or telling jokes or doing impressions? Do you walk on like you belong on stage? Do people feel comfortable and relaxed watching you? They need to like YOU and find YOU entertaining and then the props and all the rest just add to your personality.
I was going to finish this column with a story about the return of the Pendragons. Their return was a romantic myth while it lasted. Oh the poetic joy of knowing that Jon and Charlotte are making magic again with their aging flabby bodies in Trinidad! Doing their fast Subtrunk change in a little under 15 minutes? By now you know that Jon was appearing there and apparently a lazy local newspaper reporter Googled his name and assumed that he and Charlotte were still together and said they were appearing there together. It took less than 45 seconds(much longer than their old Sub Truck exchange) for that Trinidad Newspaper story to appear in a search engine! It set the magic world ablaze and for a few moments I was thumping my chest over the prediction I made, when they broke up, that they would someday get together again.I still hold to that prediction but they both may be busking from a wheel chair on street corners when it happens.
Fantasy dies hard… the story wasn’t true. The positive news is that Jon seems to have satisfied the buyers to whom Charlotte sold of some of their old props and they never received them.
I still think there is more drama in this story, stay tuned. It sounds like the stuff for a major movie?
The big current hype is the “buying opportunity”surrounding the extended end of Creative Magic of Utah. They even made the cover of Magic Magazine!
I hate to be a skeptic, but this smells of a poor deal to me, a stinking poor deal on gullible magicians. I hate to say at a future date, “I told you so!”
First of all, in my theatrical and artistic feeling, I refuse to put anything on my stage from them that looks like an automobile collapsible sun shade! The stuff looks like garbage from my car trunk. The only thing with some use for me could be the Shadow Tent but how many Boy Scout Troops do I perform for a year and especially WHERE do they have a stage to do this trick which can not be done surrounded? PLUS, I am not Mac King. Okay, I admit that I have a bias against his stuff. But the business deal is what really seems fishy.
This guy claims that “we are closing the doors forever”. That is GOING OUT OF BUSINESS or in his case a 24 month slow inventory bleeding-spiral-of-business-death. That makes no sense to me!
I was a businessman for 34 years.
Nobody who has a viable profitable money-making business (as he claims) is going out of business! They sell their business to another business entity! Nobody closing a business takes 24 months to do it and by only selling off the existing inventory!
Let me give you my analysis. This is my opinion and perspective, so don’t anybody sue me for expressing what I think is the issue. Think for yourself and make up your own mind.
This guy probably does not make much of what he sells himself. He probably gets it from Communist Red China or Viet Nam or from any of the 3rd world slave-labor countries that supply Wal*Mart and all the other Big Box retailers today. He has to commit to buying massive orders.
They do not work on credit, you PRE-PAY or at least mortgage your house and assets . So he is probably in debt to someone here for all of his inventory commitments and holdings. HE IS NOT selling the volume that he anticipated. WHO is buying $10,000 worth of magic to use? Almost every magic business making this price of props makes them to order and keeps their inventory low.
So, his business model logically seems to have failed. What do you do with a failed magic prop business?
He would get pennies on the dollar if he tried to sell off this stuff.
SO…he creates a program that will sell off his inventory and fulfill his commitments and most probably provide“written contracts” which he can take to his lenders to stave off bankruptcy or immediate foreclosure! You realize that banks look at purchase contracts as an “asset”.
Here is the danger: You folks, the people that have “committed” , bail on him after 2 or 3 payments and he can not maintain enough income to keep going. He then goes bankrupt. Your shipments end and the rest of his inventory is dumped for peanuts. For years you find the stuff on tables at magic flea-markets for $10bucks and you paid much more.
His Facebook page is too filled with hype and what sounds like over-blown nonsense. In essence, you are become a “shareholder” in his business and yet he offers no company information as to the number of investors, his financial status, etc. But you do get a certificate that you are a part owner! I have an old share of Enron framed and hanging on my office wall. They don’t even tell you what their “final illusions” is! Why pay $750 for something which you have no clue about?
I seriously don’t think his grand plan is going to pan out for the better. The rule of thumb in business and investing is: If it sounds too good to be true then it IS too good to be true.
But I could be wrong. If I am, I apologize.
Creative Magic may have just changed their name to “Creative Financing”? It will be a brilliant scheme if it works.
Dennis Phillips
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