Giobbi,roberto- Secret Twitter

Secret Tw itter by

Roberto Giobbi

Copyright © 2015 by Roberto Giobbi & Lybrary.com http://www.lybrary.com All rights reserved.

products impossible altogether. If you encounter suspicious activities, please contact us at [email protected] or any of our other email and mailing addresses. We reward any tips and information, which lead to the conviction of illegal copying activity with 50% of the punitive damages placed to our credit.

Allowed Usage

Feedback

This ebook is for personal and home use only. Renting or public viewing of this ebook is strictly prohibited. Any other use of this ebook — including reproduction for purposes other than those noted above, modification, distribution, or republication — without the prior written permission of Lybrary.com is strictly prohibited. We have a special arrangement for libraries. Please contact us for details.

Please send error corrections to [email protected]. We appreciate if you let us know about any typos, errors, or any other comments you would like to make.

Copyrights

Disclaimer Lybrary.com used its best efforts in preparing this ebook. However, Lybrary.com makes no representation or warranties (express or implied, including, but not limited to, warranties of title, non-infringement, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose) with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents of this ebook. The information contained in this ebook is strictly for educational purposes. Therefore, if you wish to apply ideas contained in this ebook, you are taking full responsibility for your actions. Crime Watch Please help us to identify criminals. At the end of the day illegal copying will increase ebook prices for you or make such

Welcome to Secret Twitter! Secret Twitter is essentially a modern sequel to my own Secret Agenda, where every day you will receive one idea related to magic. After I had published Secret Agenda, I literally received a deluge of positive feedback. I am not exaggerating if I say that I got almost as many letters, mails, calls and direct replies than on the whole Card College series. Several readers had put up homepages on the Internet discussing each day’s entry; another created a classification of the entries and a table of statistics; someone else, yet, did a workshop on the subjects. And repeatedly people would come up to me at conventions and apologize for not following my advice of reading only one item per day, but had to read it within a week – this, I thought, was the most amusing reaction. I found all of this and a lot more quite amazing. Honestly, I had not expected this book to have the impact on the magic world it seemed to have – at the moment of this writing Secret Agenda has appeared in English, French, Spanish and Italian (and surprisingly not in my second native language, German, but that’s another story). Secret Twitter Genesis And then, in spring 2014, Chris Wasshuber, owner of lybrary.com, approached me with another of his innocent sounding ideas, “Roberto, could you write one thought a day, for a full year, which I would then put on Twitter?”

I admit that at that time I didn’t even know what Twitter was… But I know magic, so I said ‘yes’, as I (too) often do. Then he added, “But you only have 140 characters, including spaces.” I spent a few days trying to write up a dozen ideas that would be interesting, using Word’s word count function to check. The result was dismal failure: what I thought was good, was too long, and what fit into the available space, was not good enough, or so concise that it sounded trivial. I told Chris so, who then pronounced the “magic” phrase, which would make everything possible, “Oh, and you can also use photos and short film clips…”. That in turn gave me the idea that I could take the photo of a note written on the page of one of my many paper notebooks. And so the idea was born that we could overcome Twitter’s limitation by tweeting the text as a photo. And here my wife Barbara came in, who had already illustrated all my books: she created the template you can now see. The rest is history, as they say. Categories Although there are no openly declared categories in Secret Twitter, I did of course establish criteria for myself, according to which I would then conceive the individual Tweets. I wanted the contents to be well balanced and result in a good mix of information and inspiration. And every entry had to have some kind of connection to magic, of course - that’s what I had in mind when I conceived and wrote Secret Agenda in the first place. Some of the categories I came up with are obvious choices, such as techniques, details of handling, effects, presentations,

inspirational quotes, anecdotes and theories, with some others you will have “to do a little think”, to quote Einstein. For instance what has entry 220 of June 8 on “Spoonerism” got to do with magic? I’ll quote it here for your convenience: Spoonerisms Spoonerisms are to language what a transposition is to magic – the exchange of letters or syllables, similar to a tip of the slung, I mean a slip of the tongue. Here are a few nice ones: butterfly – flutterby; plaster man – master plan; rental deceptionist – dental receptionist. And here is a blue one you’ll have to guess: She showed me her tool kits…

Well, it is a transposition of letters, isn’t it’? And transposition is one of the conjuror’s basic effects. In this case you could use a few spoonerisms to introduce the subject of transposition in a literate and intelligent way, and with this prologue move on to a transposition trick. This is similar to my use of palindromes to lead over to “The Palindrome Cards”, one of the most over-read items in my own Card College (see p. 585 of Volume 3). I remember when I showed the latter to David Williamson – we were both working for the same client in Barcelona – and he immediately said, “This goes into my repertoire!” But this is only one application. In my opinion the real potential of such an entry is that its use to magic is not immediately apparent, therefore leaving it to your imagination to make that connection. That’s precisely the worth of a not-so-specific item and I should have put more of these in…

Dai Vernon didn’t get tired of saying, “Use your head”. The best ideas are not the ones you read, but those you come up with yourself. However, in order to do that, most of us need an inspiration, an initial spark. Although you will find plenty of what I should call “first degree” ideas, i.e. ideas which you can apply directly in your practical everyday work, many are intended to make you think and come up with your own ideas. Although this is a little more work, and at times even a bit painful, it is these moments of enlightenment you will be most proud of and which will feel best. In some cases you will have to do a little research, since the limitation of space stipulated by a Tweet didn’t allow me to go into more detail. But since you will be online when you receive and read a Tweet anyway, that can easily be done. In some cases you will start to navigate from one link to the next and end up on a page that has little or nothing to do with your initial search. But you may look at this as a kind of “virtual lateral thinking”, or a magician’s “free association” – and if it leads you to a result, well, then nobody cares who, where and why it started… Comment On A Few Examples You will find one of the most useful pieces of advice in the entry of January 1st: How to Install Knowledge When you hear or read an idea or piece of advice, chunk down and find an example, and chunk up to formulate the overriding principle. Then find an application in another context. To be applied from now on to all Secret Twitter Tweets for maximum profit.

Please take a moment to think about this: it is not just a good tip that might be very helpful in magic, it is actually a paradigm, which can change the way you look at many things – not just in magic, but in everyday life as well. That’s not so bad for a little Tweet that costs less than 5 cents a day… Another category I would like to point out is what I have named “Presentational Problems”. Most will be familiar with what is usually called a “Trick Problem”, where an effect is given without a solution, and the reader’s task is to come up with a workable method. A “Presentational Problem” gives the idea for a presentation, and then your task will be to find a trick that goes with it. This might be a trick you are already doing, but which up to now didn’t have a proper presentation, or it might even inspire you to come up with a new trick or combination of tricks. I believe that this idea, at least in the field of magic, is original with me, and it should prove to be fun and useful. Last, but not least, you will find some provocative statements, such as this one from entry 410 of December 15th: Art is Purposeless “Artistic magic doesn’t want to carry away the spectators into another world, but rather show the world from another point of view. A secondary effect might be that they are entertained, however, this is not the primary goal.”

The implication is, of course, that it is not the primary goal of artistic magic to entertain. This, however, is exactly the opposite of what we have been reading for centuries in many magic manuals, and what almost every professional magician has and still does preach. So, what is your opinion?

The purpose is not that you agree or even that you disagree, but rather that it forces you to think about the subject and take a position at all. Regardless of what the result is, you will have created a room in your own (mental) Magic Castle for this important question, and as you progress in life and magic, you will occasionally come back to this room and start to furnish it with thoughts, like you furnish a room with furniture, paintings, a carpet or what have you. As time goes by, it will become a room you like to spend time in and feel comfortable, or you might want to throw everything out and style it according to a different fashion that suits your present taste better. I will then take a little pride in saying that I used to be the interior architect of this room… Secret Twitter Archive Needless to mention that everyone will have his or her favorite Magic Tweets. But what to do with them, how to remember them, and how to store them? I’ll give you two ideas. One: Use any program/app that allows notes to be stored and tagged. I have been using “Evernote” in the past two years to digitally store information of any kind and can highly recommend it. Since Evernote has an email-address of its own, you can send interesting Tweets directly to your notebook within Evernote that you could simply name “Secret Twitter”, or create a tag with that title. Whichever way you go, you will have “the very best” all in one place. Two: As you know there is a PDF at your lybrary.com’s digital shelf, which is automatically updated every day with the latest Tweet. At the end of the year 2015 you will thus have a complete collection of all “Secret Tweets” in one e-book, this being a free

service to all subscribers. By using a program/app that can extract individual pages from a PDF, you can simply do that: extract those Tweets that you like most and put them together in a new PDF. On my iPad I like to use “PDF Expert” for this purpose, which also allows you to highlight text, add comments and much more. If there are too many Tweets you like, which makes an overview difficult, you can create thematical PDFs, e.g. “Card Technique”, “Theory”, “Practical Advice” etc. And now there is only one thing left to do: go ahead and enjoy! All the best,

Roberto Giobbi, February 2015 Credits Disclaimer I have been practicing magic since 1973 in a very intensive way. Doing so I’ve travelled extensively, met thousands of kindred spirits, read more books than I can count (my private magic library has meanwhile far over 3’500 books in 17 languages), attended hundreds of conventions and gatherings, watched innumerable lectures – I have thus been exposed to an infinite number of wonderful ideas that have enriched my life and inspired me in my own work. During that time I have kept tens of thousands of notes. A few of these notes were the basis for the material you find in Secret Twitter. Whenever I have used ideas by others, I have credited the originators and sources. Whoever knows me, appreciates that I try to do crediting with integrity and precision. Not often, but rather rarely, however, from time to time, I err – mistaken attributions, omissions, and incompleteness. For this I would like to apologize. It has never been my intention to steal, but rather to

give back what I have been given. Maybe the result in some rare instances looks the same, but the motivation and attitude is completely different. If you have any relevant information in this respect, please let Chris Wasshuber or me know and we will make corrections in future editions. Thank you.

Day 01 – November 1

On Practice 1 – Overweig ht Add a do zen cards to your deck and practice with that.

Day 02 – November 2

Practice 2 – Serial Practice Take 5 decks in different conditions, new to well-worn. Practice/rehearse the same trick 5 times, each time with a different deck. Start with the new deck.

Day 03 – November 3

Out For Faile d Force 1

Contro l the «wrong» card to the top and glimpse it. Then say, «I must admit that I saw your card when you put it back into the deck. It was the XY, wasn‘t it?» Repeat the force. (Robert-Houd in, Com ment on Devient Sorcier, p. 141)

Day 04 – November 4

Out For Faile d Force 2

Normally a layman, as soon as he has taken a card, will look at it. So in case he doesn’t take your forced card, im me diately say, «Oh, I‘m sor ry, please don‘t look at the card I forgot to tell you. Choose another one, please.»

Day 05 – November 5

Secret of Life 1

«The secret of life is to be very go od at so mething, which is difficult to do.» (The Hitchhiker in Roald Dahl’s «Tales of the Unexpecte d»)

Day 06 – November 6

Secret of Life 2

«The tro uble with life isn‘t that there is no answer, it‘s that there are so many answers.» (Ruth Fulton Bene dict)

Day 07 – November 7

On Practice 3 Ins trument, not Prop

Take a deck of card s and do a trick. - Do it now. Now that you have done that, look at the same deck and imag ine it was a Stradivarius. Do the same trick again. The prop now beco mes an instrument. Repeat with another «prop» (coins, rope, cups & balls etc.) and another trick.

Day 08 – November 8

Teasing Opening Line «W ho are yo u go ing to believe, me or yo ur own eyes?» (Gro ucho Marx)

Day 09 – November 9

Likes and Dislikes of Magic

Answer the follow ing questions: 1. W hy do some people like magic? 2. W hy do some people not like magic? Come up with 10 reasons for each question. This isn’t easy, but I pro mise that you will not only gain an insight into how people view magic, but also into the nature of magic itself.

Day 10 – November 10

Tw irl Cut False Cut

Deck is face down in Dealing Position. Rig ht hand takes deck in End Grip as left forefinger twirl cuts top portion into left hand Dealing Position. Rig ht hand brings its packet over left hand and drops it to table. Then goes back, takes packet fro m left hand and drops it on top. (Martin Gardner in «Cut the Cards», Max Holden, USA 1942)

Day 11 – November 11

Practice 4 - Oversize

Practice with oversized props: cards slightly larger than Poker size deck (there are pro motional decks; see also «Parlo ur Deck» by Card Shark); Do llar size coins, if you usually perfor m with Half-Dollar coins etc.

W hy?

Day 12 – November 12

This is the shortest but possibly mos t difficult ques tion of the year: Why is Magic art?

Miss Direction

Day 13 – November 13

Explain that ever y mag ician has a female assistant, even if they can’t see her. She is invisible and is called Miss Direction: she’s one of the real secrets of mag ic. Take out a photograph of her, or maybe you have a magazine that is full of them. They mig ht be young or old, beautiful or ugly, dressed or undressed, tall or short, slim or fat. Or maybe none of this, or all of it. Show your aud ience a trick where your Miss(es) Direction(s) play an important role. Lady mag icians may use a Mister-Direction show ing the photograph of a male.

Day 14 – November 14

One - Two - Three

If yo u do so mething more than once, yo u should normally do it three times. Do ing so mething three times creates a climatic effect.

Day 15 – November 15

Practice 5 Different Situations

Practice a sleight (e.g. palming) in different situations: stand ing, sitting at the dinner table, sitting at the coffee table, sitting on the flo or etc.

Sidew inder

Day 16 – November 16

Rather than second dealing a card directly, take it firs t to the side of the deck, and only then deal it straig ht to the table, or spin/sail deal it. The different timing of first taking the card and then dealing it with a slig ht delay covers the Second Deal better. (Jack McMillen)

Day 17 – November 17

Kindness Co unts

Roberto Giobbi coaching a magician in his typical soft-spoken, caring and sensitive way.

Day 18 – November 18

The Magic of Meaning

No matter how astonishing a trick may be, it suffers fro m one major fault - it has no point. Interest depend s entirely on meaning. When we supply a meaning, we eliminate the challenge, and the puzzle becomes secondary. (Nelms, «Magic and Showmanship», p. 5, 6, 7)

Day 19 – November 19

Two Finger Harr y

In one of his most interesting lectures magician Danny Korem talks abo ut Two Finger Har ry: «W hen he talke d he lie d, when he was silent he cheate d.» I won’t tell yo u what Korem does. What wo uld yo u perfor m?

Day 20 – November 20

Practice 6 - Tempi

Take a trick and go through it in pantomime. Go through it in slow motion, and go through it in fast-forward.

Torce dores

Day 21 – November 21

Cuban cigar makers are among the mos t cultivated and informe d people in Cuba. The reason is that trad itionally there is one person who will either read out lou d from the daily newspaper or from a classic of literature while the others are rolling the cigars. What a wonderful idea! Application to mag ic: Tell a stor y which has seemingly nothing to do with the procedure of the performance piece you are doing, but at some time the two threads converge and what you said and did falls into place. What more does the «torcedores» way suggest to you?

Day 22 – November 22

Po inter Overdeal

Deal e.g. 4 rounds of 5 cards. As las t card has been dealt into your hand, look up and say something, simultaneo usly take next card without interrupting the dealing rhythm and use it as pointer to ges ture toward s a hand, a spectator, an object (chip, money etc.) or jus t to emphasize what you say. Then immediately either drop card on your hand, or use it to sco op up hand.

Day 23 – November 23

One-hande d Add-on

Aces are face down on the table, deck held face down in Dealing Position, little finger holding a break under top cards to be added. As right hand makes ges ture that accompanies explanation, left hand turns back up and picks up Aces fro m the table. Immediately right hand comes over deck, seizes Aces in End Grip and in the action add s broken cards to bottom of Aces. Rig ht stays in situ with its pregnant packet as left hand puts balance away.

Day 24 – November 24

Carto mancy Lecture Cull

As you explain the meaning of certain cards take them out and place them face up on the table in a packet. You can in this way do a little lecture on cartomancy and at the same time cull and stack abo ut a do zen cards. As you place specific cards on the table openly, you can cull secretly a lot more cards fro m the res t of the deck...

Day 25 – November 25

«A play does not take place on the stage, but in the mind s of the spectators.» (Nelms, «Mag ic and Showmanship», p. 2)

Day 26 – November 26

Invulnerability

No matter how often and how egreg iously the secrets of magic are revealed, the passage of years, a change of context, and the power of a splendid perfor mer can rekindle an old principle to create a perfor mance miracle.

Day 27 – November 27

Clarity, Clarity, Clarity

Spend exactly enough time on each po int to make it clear. Any less will be dull because it is confusing; any more will be dull because it conveys no information.

(Nelms, «Magic and Showmanship», p. 291)

Irish Coffee

Day 28 – November 28

An Irish Coffee is the gas tronomical

analogy of the duality principle of life: darkness (black coffee) and light (white cream), hot and cold, liquid and firm, slim and fat. When you sip the coffee (never use a straw!), the hot, liquid, dark coffee penetrates the cold, firm and light cream, the two elements merging in an act of loving com munication, and then create a synergy that is more than the sum of its parts. The result is a unique sensual and memorable experience. Goo d Irish Coffee always remind s me of goo d Artistic Mag ic.

Day 29 – November 29

Table Magic – To o Many

Here is an excellent piece of advice fro m Patrick Page: When there are many tables to do, the problem is that a few tables will be the las t and they are wondering why you’re not coming to them. Some people even get upset by that. Page sugges ts doing one quick trick at every table at the beg inning and to say that you’ll be back soon for more. Then go back to each table and do longer sets.

True Progress

Day 30 – November 30

«Artistic progress happens by mo ving fro m one level to another, often suddenly, after a certain kind of knowle dge triggers the advancement to the hig her level. In our field, this progression to a hig her level is accomplished, not thro ugh the learning of new magic mo ves or techniques, but thro ugh the assimilation and unders tanding of theories, tho ughts and concepts.» (Dai Vernon)

Day 31 – December 1

Seeing the Invisible

Can you see the white triangle? Yes? It does not exist… You can therefore see something, which is not. Come up with a magic trick of which this image is the visualization.

Day 32 – December 2

Cho ose or Take the Classic Force

Talking abo ut the Classic Force, Robert-Hou din maintaine d you sho uld say, «Take a card», rather than «Choose a card», so as not sugges t the freedo m of cho ice. Vernon on the other hand sus tained one sho uld say «Choose/select a card», and not say, «Take a card», as the latter would cause antagonism. Two masters, two opinions. What do you think?

Day 33 – December 3

Reversed Card in Fan Force

Force card is reversed 2nd fro m bottom of face down deck. Spread card s face down between hands and have spectator touch a card, which is then immediately outjogged. Turn card s below and abo ve face up. As you push outjogged card flush, ang le-jog it to the right, and then fan deck to display the force card as apparently only face down card in face up deck. (Fro m a letter of Alex Elmsley to Dai Vernon, 26-12-1956)

Day 34 – December 4

Excellence in Cooking…and Mag ic «Simple doesn’t mean easy. I can describe simple cooking thus: Cooking that is strippe d all the way down to those procedures and those ingred ients ind ispensable in enunciating the sincere flavor intentions of a dish.[...] I don‘t cook . I use my head, but I cook fro m the heart, I cook for flavor.» (Marcella Hazan)

Serial Practice

Day 35 – December 5

To practice a trick that requires a set-up, prepare several decks and set them asi de. Now take one deck after the other and practice the trick in a series. This is a great practice technique, which Arturo de Ascanio taught me over 30 years ago.

Magic Chair

Day 36 – December 6

Point to a chair – if possible one that looks unusual. Explain that whoever sits on this chair is able to perfor m miracles, even if he or she doesn’t know how they are done. What is the miracle you can think of?

Day 37 – December 7

Gupta’s Law

«If it so unds to o go od to be true, it always is.» (Ricky Jay as Gupta in To morrow Never Dies)

Pretty Flo urish

Day 38 – December 8

Hold the deck face down in Elevated Dealing Position, with the forefinger pressing agains t the underside of the deck, really bending the cards length-wise. Releasing the hold of the left thumb results in the cards spring ing face up into the awaiting rig ht hand. With practice you can spring the cards back and forth.

On Lecturing

Day 39 – December 9

If you lecture do not say, «Most mag icians do it so and so (wrong ).» Those listening are most mag icians and don’t want to be told they’re stupid. Say, «When I started out in mag ic I would do it like this.» Demons trate the wrong way, saying, «One day I realize d that this is of course wrong, because…». End up by doing it the cor rect way, saying, «Since then I always do it this way, and this really looks better, don’t you think so?»

Day 40 – December 10

The Experience of Magic

«A magic perfor mance [work of art] is not something that refers to an experience, it is an experience.» (Roberto Giobbi reading Mark Rothko)

Day 41 – December 11

The To m & Jer ry Force

Go od to force one of two decks (or any two objects) – once. «These two decks have names. One is Tom, and the other is Jer ry. Do you prefer Tom or Jer ry?» «To m.» «OK, that‘s this one!» Give him the deck you want to force. (Karrell Fox)

Day 42 – December 12

The Co mplete Quote & Source

«Do you like card tricks?» «No, I hate card tricks,» I answered. «Well, I‘ll jus t show you one.» He showed me three. (W. SOMERS ET MAUGHAM, fro m his short story «Mr. Know-All».) For complete text go here: http://maugham.classicauthors.net/knowall/

Day 43 – December 13

Approaching a Table

Here’s is an opening idea when you want to do magic at a table. Hold up a bill asking, «Excuse me, does anybody have change for the telephone?» Before they can answer, the bill is folded and visibly turns into a portable phone, «That’s OK – this is a smart bill…». I leave it to you to solve this simple problem.

Magic World

Day 44 – December 14

Bartender mag ician par excellence Scotty York was known to ask a spectator where he came from. Upon receiving the answer, e.g. Leonville (a small village), he would take out a small globe on a stem from his pocket, rotate it a few times and ask, «Where would that be?» For Mr. York it was a goo d sight gag. Can you come up with a piece of mag ic to top the gag and that uses it just as a prologue? Could the globe be opened and contain something? How could that which is insi de connect to the fact that it is «inside the world»?

Knotty Hank

Day 45 – December 15

Tying a knot into a handkerchief is an old ploy to help remember things. Can you come up with a piece where you tie a knot maybe in some or all of the corners?

Day 46 – December 16

Pragmatic Sense of Humor

«I’m ver y happy when it rains, because if I’m not happy, it rains anyway.» (Karl Valentin, Bavarian comed ian, 1882-1948)

Day 47 – December 17

Magic Around the Clock

What does this image sugges t to you?

Day 48 – December 18

One-handed Fan Force

Hold deck face down in Dealing Position, the left little finger holding break abo ve force card. Rig ht hand takes deck at outer end, thumb on back fingers on face, as left little finger converts break into step. Im me diately rig ht hand does a one-hand fan – the force card is more expose d and is likely to be taken – or use as key card if force fails.

Day 49 – December 19

Performing as a Vocation

«W hen someone asks me if perfor ming is my job, my answer is, No, I perfor m so I don‘t have to get a job!» (Tina Lenert)

Day 50 – December 20

Matching Trick Set

Create a menu with a starter, a main course and a dessert. Ins tead of (or better together with!) a matching wine set, think up three matching pieces of magic, to be done between each course, and maybe an extra one for coffee (or tea). Invite 6 guests to this «magic menu»…

Day 51 – December 21

A Knot in a Handkerchief

Place the deck in its case in the center of a handkerchief that lies open on the table. Gather the four corners, knot them together and give everything to a spectator to hold. This is an intriguing image and the start of a piece you are go ing to come up now.

Day 52 – December 22

Price & Value

«N owadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.» (Oscar Wilde 1854-1900!) Some things stay always the same…especially people.

One-Liners

Day 53 – December 23

Take a book on one-liners (or check internet) written for mag icians, comedians and other professions. Never mind the lines themselves, as most are terrible, but imagine the situation you or somebo dy else could be in when delivering them. Does it sugges t a trick? Sounds like a lot of work, but it is perfect to be done during one month – during dead bathroo m time…

Day 54 – December 24

Lift Shuffle Ace Pro duction

4 Aces on top of deck. Start an Overhand Shuffle, running the 4 Aces, and then lift them behind the balance as you continue shuffle until ‘stop’ is called. Im me diately drop all cards except the lifted Aces, which are retaine d between thumb and fingers. Mo ve rig ht hand for ward and flip-fan Aces face up. Go od to pro duce a selection, too.

Day 55 – December 25

Atrocious Simplification

Sometime ago, someone said, somewhere, something to the effect that if you had a trick with three sleights, and then eliminated one of the moves, you would have a better trick. Then, if you worked out a method to acco mplish the effect with one move, you had a darned goo d trick. And, if you could do the trick without that last move, you would have a miracle. However, I have found that if you eliminate that last move you usually wind up with a mathematical atrocity. (Ed Marlo in his foreword to The «Cardician»)

Day 56 – December 26

Mind Map of Lecture on Contro ls Done with SimpleMind App

Day 57 – December 27

To Act Or Not To Act

«You have to bring yourself in, in some way, otherw ise it’s jus t text.» (Klaus-Maria Brandauer on acting )

Day 58 – December 28

Thoroughly Satisfied

There is great satisfaction in learning something new, but there is even greater satisfaction in learning how to do something you already know better. Whenever you practice, try to do it a little better than las t time.

Day 59 – December 29

His tor y Begets Understanding

Most card sleights we are using in magic nowadays come fro m the gambling table. When do ing a card sleight, try to think of how its original use could have been – this will give you insight into how to better execute the sleight in question.

Day 60 – December 30

Making Any Magic Meeting A Mini Convention

Whenever you get together with a few magic friend s sugges t that each one sho uld do a for mal set of ca. 20 minutes. This could be a talk on any subject relating to magic, a trick, a book/DVD review etc.

Feedback

Day 61 – December 31

Let me know how you liked this month and abo ut which subjects you wo uld enjoy receiving more ideas and inspiration.

Day 62 – January 1

How to Install Knowledge

When you hear or read an idea or piece of advice, chunk down and find an example, and chunk up to for mulate the overri ding principle. Then find an application in another context. To be applie d fro m now on to all Secret Tw itter Tweets for maximum profit.

Magic in Space

Day 63 – January 2

Instead of pro ducing something at the fingertips, reach into an imag ine d magical space – in the air, under the elbow, through a ring, into a mirror – and «pluck» it fro m there. Imag ine magical spaces.

Credo

Day 64 – January 3

«There are no bad tricks, only bad magicians.» Really? Make a lis t of what you believe to be 5 go od tricks and what you believe to be 5 bad tricks, and then verbalize the difference. Yo u have a new cre do.

Day 65 – January 4

Cons truction Check

Take a trick yo u do and check if it has a pro logue, a development, at least one conflict, a magical resolution with a clear climax and an epilogue.

Day 66 – January 5

Triumph Shuffle Push-in Subtlety Vernon did not push in the rig ht-jogged cards with the flat rig ht hand as it mig ht look in photo 5 on p. 24 of Stars of Mag ic. He use d the flat rig ht hand to give apparently several lig ht taps to the rig ht end of the protru ding packet, but really the left forefinger slowly pushed the top card to the rig ht, and it looked as if the cards were square d. (To ld by Howard Hamburg)

Day 67 – January 6

Co ver for Palm & Replacement

A goo d and simple way of covering a palm fro m bottom or top, is to firs t ribbon spread the cards on the table, or between the hands, or make a fan: assembling the cards afterward s not only afford s excellent cover, but it also technically facilitates the palm. Try different handlings and palms. Also works for Palm Replacement!

Secret Letter

Day 68 – January 7

This painting by Jean-Baptiste Siméon Chardin (1699-1779) purportedly shows a dis tant cousin of Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser writing him a letter abo ut his latest finding. Can you guess what he is writing?

Mental Practice

Day 69 – January 8

Listen to music that relaxes you. Imagine yourself doing a trick as well and as beautifully as possible, but never unrealistic. Then imagine the reaction you would like to receive. This is mental practice. Combined with hands-on practice and rehearsal, as well as honest fee dback fro m real-life perfor mance it will yield great results.

Day 70 – January 9

Jornadas Carto magicas

Juan Tamariz leading the (magic) way at the yearly Card Conference in San Lorenzo de El Escorial near Madrid, Spain. Foto

Memorable Echo

Day 71 – January 10

In Greek traged ies a cho ir use d to echo dramatic happenings in a play. Be your own cho ir and find a way to resonate the effect a few mo ments after the climax, thus helping the aud ience to intellectually and emotionally assimilate the impact and remember the experience for a longer time.

Day 72 – January 11

Make Humor Feel Spontaneous

When prono uncing a humoro us line, do not look into the aud ience, but look at one specific spectator and direct the line at him. This feels more spontaneo us and will cause a much stronger reaction.

Subtle Invasion

Day 73 – January 12

When performing at a table, do not enter the aud ience’s territor y immediately. Use an interesting welcome address and/or start by performing an effect in your hands. Following this put something on the table, or give one or several spectators something to hold. Only now start to move «their» objects on the table to gain performance space and provide better visibility. You have thus elegantly «conquered» their territor y and beco me part of the gro up.

Day 74 – January 13

Yes, Yes, Yes – We’d Lo ve to See Yo ur Magic!

When you approach a table ask a few questions to which you know you are going to get a positive answer. «Di d you enjoy your dinner so far ?» «May I join you for a little show-time?» etc. This creates a positive field and will allow you to smartly lead over to your perfor mance.

Day 75 – January 14

A Case for a Bo ok

Display a book. Saying something abo ut its author and content will be an excellent icebreaker. Open the book, and it turns out to be hollow, a box containing one or several props. What’s in the box and what will you do with its content? A small book mig ht contain a sing le performance piece, a large book a who le act.

Qi

Day 76 – January 15

When executing a sleight that has no exterior reality, such as a pass or a palm, do so while breathing out. To breath in signals getting ready, to hold the breath concentration, to breath out relaxation. Use this knowle dge as a concept of misdirection.

Day 77 – January 16

Arc of Su spense

The closer you come to climax of an effect, the your mo vements sho uld it is the equivalent to a of the voice. (To ld to me by Juan Tamariz at Escorial in 1985.)

the broader become – crescendo

Day 78 – January 17

Making Magic Alive

Bring the objects you are using to life: use personification (cards are cannibals), sound s (snap a card), mo vement (spin a card), attribute characteristics («This half-dollar is know as the Kennedy half do llar and was firs t minted in 1964.»), etc.

Space direction

Day 79 – January 18

Greater Mag ic (p. 274): «The goo d stage manager builds his important ensembles fro m left to rig ht.» Application: if you nee d 4 packets in a row before you, deal them fro m your rig ht to your left – intuitively you would do it in reverse. But the aud ience is use d to looking fro m left to rig ht (reading), so this feels better to them.

Final Thoughts

Day 80 – January 19

To get a final applause, especially in close-up, announce the finale. Make the final effect recognizable as such.

Magic Pics

Day 81 – January 20

It is a well-established fact in the psycho logy of perception that motionless images stay better and longer in the memory than mo ving ones. Therefore, whenever you want a situation, a fact or a position to be remembered, create a «picture» and keep it for abo ut 3 seconds.

Day 82 – January 21

Mnemonic Eraser

Display an eraser and explain that you erased an important message with it. Can the eraser remember what it did - does it have a memory? What piece of magic using cards, coins or anything else can you come up with, starting fro m this premise?

Let It Be Seen

Day 83 – January 22

Althoug h it is true that black spot cards are easier to perceive fro m a dis tance, it is also true that a Spade is often confused with a Heart, and a Club is unfamiliar to some. My advice: in parlor or stage situations force a low Heart spot card. A Heart is a universal symbol and will be recognize d and remembered even by a person who doesn’t know cards at all. My favorites are the 2H and the 4H.

Day 84 – January 23

Craftsman Vs. Artis t

Picasso once sai d, «The craftsman does what he can sell; the artist sells what he does.» What are yo u, and what wo uld yo u like to be?

Day 85 – January 24

Artis t’s Challenge

A piece of art is so mething that when yo u look at it yo u get the feeling that it co uld not have been done in any other way. Now take the tricks fro m yo ur repertoire and look at them…

Basics

Day 86 – January 25

Writers, painters, musicians ask themselves what the elements are that express their art for m. What does it depend fro m that what one does is consi dered art? Make a lis t for magic and explain it. Then apply it.

Day 87 – January 26

«Watson, Details Are by Far the Most Important Thing!»

In the «Three Ball Transposition» (Dai Vernon/Silent Mora) John Tho mpson has the 4 balls in his right tro users pocket. The necessity to take them out gives him a reason to unbutton his jacket, which is then left open to facilitate the handling. This is the level of detail that helps make a perfor mance artistic. (See DVD «Co mmercial Classics of Mag ic»)

Day 88 – January 27

Inter rupt to Emphasize

When do ing a triple cut fro m the hand to the table – real or fake – drop the first two packets, pause saying something («…to shuffle is go od, but cutting is better…»), and only then drop the las t packet on top. Also works for other sleights and procedures!

z

Who & What?

Day 89 – January 28

Tamariz once made the po int to me that there is a big difference between one’s «person» and one’s «personality». The person is who one really is, the personality what one pretends to be.

Day 90 – January 29

z

On Co medy 1 – Vernon’s Credo

«Comedy born of bewilderment is the only co me dy that sho uld be in magic.» (Dai Vernon)

Day 91 – January 30

z

On Co me dy 2 – More Than Just a Laug h

«A laugh is the shortest distance between two people.» Co me dy is a means to co mmunicate and to deceive, both leading to artistic as tonishment.

Day 92 – January 31

z

On Co me dy 3 – Take anyone, please!

«Take my wife, please.» Henny Yo ungman – ver y funny. «Take a card, please.» Anonymous magician – not funny at all.

Inspirational 1

Day 93 – February 1

«Firs t do the necessary, then the possible, and suddenly you will find yourself accomplishing the impossible.» (Francis of Assisi)

Inspirational 2

Day 94 – February 2

«Don’t look for perfection, excellence is eno ugh. But by aiming at perfection, you will attain excellence.»

Day 95 – February 3

Inspirational 3

«Asko dakit bizitzen bald in ba dakit.» Yo u know a lot when yo u know how to live. (Basque pro verb)

Day 96 – February 4

To Show a Deck to be Normal

«Dai Vernon asked a spectator to shuffle the deck and to make sure it didn’t contain any Jokers. Deck was turned up and Jokers remove d. He often did this when he wante d spectators to see that the deck was a normal deck of cards.» (To ld to me by Howard Hamburg)

Day 97 – February 5

We dge Break Botto m Palm

Spread deck between hands, eye count bottom 4 card s, and as spread is closed, right little finger obtains Wedge Break abo ve them. While deck is momentarily held by right hand - thumb on top, fingers on face - left hand gestures. As left hand comes back and takes deck into Dealing Position, bottom palm is executed thusly: right hand turns back up to take deck in End Grip - in the action broken packet is turned anti-clockw ise into left hand Classic Palm, pivoting on left forefinger. Palm may also be executed immediately after the spread is (Lar ry Jennings) closed.

Denis Behr: That's from Jon Racherbaumer's "Card Finesse" Refined One-Hand Palm

Day 98 – February 6

Marlo‘s Ruse for One-hand Top Palm

Rig ht hand holds deck face down in End Grip, but right ring finger and little finger are curled in, so that back of outer joint of these fingers touches back of deck. Deck‘s right side is lightly tapped on tabletop, and as deck is bro ught back to horizontal position, the 2 bent-in fingers are extende d a little. This ang le-jogs top card, which can then easily be one-hand palmed. (Fro m: Marlo Without Tears)

Day 99 – February 7

Problem: The Lo ve Letter

Deck is thoroughly shuffled. Spectator cuts deck and fro m that point spells name of his cur rent love - card that falls on las t letter is set asi de. Perfor mer shows love letter that contains billet- do ux. Text is read and is seen to contain name of card spelle d to.

Day 100 – February 8

A So lution for Lo ve Letter

Use 4-way-out device, e.g. Himber Wallet with 2 double envelopes. 4 force-cards alternate with 4 x-card s. Add ing 3 x-card s on top gives a 10-card leeway to cover almost any firs t name. Set-up on top of deck and forced with e.g. Criss Cross Force. Can be prepared impromptu by culling 4 force-cards, and then setting them with Partial Slo ugh-off Faro and Injog Shuffle.

Clip Palm Reverse

Day 101 – February 9

Deck face down in Dealing Position. Right hand takes deck in End Grip as card s to be reversed are pushed ca. 1.5cm to the right and clipped between ring and little finger, right thumb preventing them from separating from deck. Side-jogging and clipping is done as left hand gestures. When left hand comes back to take deck bacvk in Dealing Position, right thumb releases clipped card s, which separate in v-fashion on left side from the deck. Left forefinger enters gap between the packet and balance of deck, while other fingers slide over face of packet. Close fingers as right hand lift deck to Elevated Dealing Position. There it can be squared or lightly riffled at outer end.

Day 102 – February 10

Half Pass Substitute

The Braue Reversal can effectively replace a Half Pass – bes t use d for a quarter or a third of the deck. Once deck has been turne d over, spread top cards and cull a card to bottom for co ver.

Day 103 – February 11

Curio us Bo ok

H. Keith Melton and Robert Wallace, The Official CIA Manual of Trickery And Deception

Day 104 – February 12

Brainwave Interpretation

Dai Vernon’s Brainwave, in Paul Fox’s variation with a differently colore d back, is one of the ver y bes t think-of-a-card pieces. Here is a presentational idea told to me by Luis Gavilondo, orig inally fro m Cuba, now living in Spain: Show deck with autographs of famous people on the back. One back is empty, «For you!» Have him autograph back. Any card is named… and turns out to be exactly the card signed by the spectator!

José Alves de Castro: less contrast with the white part of the deck?

Re d or Blue?

Day 105 – February 13

A False Deal or a Pass executed with a red-backed deck is less visible than the same sleight done with a blue-backed deck. Experts such as Dai Vernon, Fre d Robinson or Howard Schwarzman agree d on that. Can yo u imag ine why?

Day 106 – February 14

Andswer to re d & blue? Shortest Wavelenghth Hig hes t Frequency

Electric co ol Co lours Balance Magnectic warm Co lours

longest Wavelenghth Lowest Frequency

Giobbi Co mic Giobbi caricature by Marcelo Grela (Argentina):

Day 107 – February 15

JR Russell: How is your cat?!

Day 108 – February 16

Give or Take?

Dai Vernon, in his lectures, when do ing a co in vanish, always sai d, «It is better to take, than to put?» Do yo u know why? (See my answer on pp. 135 of my bo ok «Confidences», there called «The Rossini Insig ht».)

Smooth Co ins

Day 109 – February 17

The techniques in some coin tricks require well-worn coins. If you can’t find the cor rect coins or if those you have are not worn eno ug h, try this: Rub the coin on a grind stone using a figure eig ht mo vement – this makes the coin uniforming ly smooth.

Day 110 – February 18

May the Force Be With Yo u

When do ing any type of force rather than going immed iately into the forcing action, mark the force card off with an injog, a step or a crimp. Set the deck on the table and say something, introduce a pre diction or show an interesting object, and only then pick up the deck and immed iately go into the force.

Day 111 – February 19

Card to Pocket Ruse

Card is palme d in your rig ht or left hand. Before taking card out fro m one of inner breast pockets, both hands lig htly pat the chest fro m the outside, and only then does palming hand reach into pocket to pro duce the card, or do a transfer inside the jacket. Jim my Grippo use d this ploy with much success.

Magic & Art

Day 112 – February 20

Magicians cultivate an art where the imag ination creates a parallel universe to the real universe and where miracles and astonishment is constructed. Conjuring is an art of creation and interpretation.

Day 113 – February 21

Magic is a Reflection of the His tor y of Civilization

Think of ten important innovations and/or innovators in the his tor y of civilization. Looking at them you sho uld be able to come up with at least one magic piece that exemplifies or incorporates or uses as a pro logue one of these ideas.

Day 114 – February 22

Ask the Masters

Take any trick you already do very well, and then ask yourself, «How would Fred Kaps have done this? What would Dai Vernon have added to it, or taken away?» Take any of the Mas ters of mag ic who inspire you and try to look at your trick thro ugh their eyes. What do you change? Add itional benefit: This will force you to study some tricks by the Mas ter and try to understand his beliefs and criteria when coming up with solutions to specific problems. Ideally you’ll also delve into his biography.

Day 115 – February 23

So lution for Last Card in Card s up Sleeve/Pocket

The las t card doesn‘t want to go. Ask, «Oh, you‘ve selected a card, haven‘t you? What was it?» The spectator names his card, and you turn over the las t card you‘re holding to reveal it to be precisely his selection – that’s why it did not go!

Day 116 – February 24

Flip Over Deal Flo urish Co unt

This is a ver y little known flo urish count by Steranko and ver y pretty if well done: Hold the deck with the rig ht hand face down in End Grip. The pad s of the left fingers drag the bottom card to the left, and as soon as the upward pressure point of the left fingers passes the left edge of the deck’s left side, the card will flip over and land face up on the table. (Can be use d with Gli de!)

Day 117 – February 25

Buck le Co unt Timing – Change the Mo ment

When false co unting a card packet as less use a Do ubleBuck le ins tead of a normal Buck le, so that the 3rd to las t card will be the do uble and the las t 2 cards will be singles. Break may be prepared before the co unt starts.

Day 118 – February 26

Legendar y Magic

Explain to yo ur au dience that for centuries there has been a legendary trick, the effect of which is retold fro m generation to generation, but nobo dy has seen it perfor me d to this day. What co uld that be? Yo u are the first who can perfor m it.

Day 119 – February 27

Not So Child ish

If yo u want to see a magician establish genuine rapport with his au dience, watch any successful children’s perfor mer.

Philosophical

Day 120 – February 28

Ascanio and I were once talking abo ut the difference between a magician and other artists. He sai d to me, «An architect builds a house and can then forget abo ut it – he mo ves on to his next project. A magician, on the other hand, is like a gardener who must constantly take care of his plants. He has to take care of each trick and technique so it gets better and better.»

Pit Hartling: The theatrical linking of a cause with an effect that has no basis in physical reality but that in our hearts ought to. Teller

Day 121 – March 1

«Define Yo ur Terms, Ladies & Gentlemen!»

How wo uld yo u define «conjuring», in one sentence, for the dictionary?

Simone Venturi: Also quoted in The Secret agenda! :)

Day 122 – March 2

Definition 1

«Mag ic is an exploration of the aesthetics of mystery.» (Max Maven)

Day 123 – March 3

Definition 2

«Mag ic is the theatrical art of creating the illusion of impossibility in an entertaining way.» (Charles Reynold s)

Day 124 – March 4

Definition 3

«Mag ic is the perfor ming art of wonder.» (Roberto Giobbi)

Dr y Fingers

Day 125 – March 5

If you have dry fingers, try «Sortkwik», a finger mo istener. The small dispenser can be easily car rie d. Dai Vernon and other experts swore by a hand lotion called «Chamberlain’s Go lden Touch Lotion», Grippo use d a viscous liquid called «Corn Huskers Lotion». Klause and Skinner sai d they had trie d everything before settling on «Paper Crème». (To find do internet search.)

Day 126 – March 6

The Pause That Refreshes

Delaying actions can slow down a trick, but if well done increase the fascination, because they leave the mind the necessar y time to develop ideas and emotions, as well as making it more difficult to the astute spectator to find out the secret.

Day 127 – March 7

Slow Magic & Slow Fo od

The type of magic tricks use d nowadays as well as the pacing of their perfor mance reflects the culture of fas t foo d and MTV. Nonetheless deception, being the intellectual foundation of astonishment, often works better if done at a slower pace.

Etymology

Day 128 – March 8

Etymo logy is the linguis tic discipline that researches the origin of words. Some of the stories abo ut word origins sound like they were made up, and some of them are, but what a nice story to tell they make... Using Wikipe dia, Wiktionar y or any other means at your disposal, look up the etymo logy of interes ting words and use them to introduce a piece of magic of yours.

Day 129 – March 9

Economy of Mo vement

Enter «fo lding a T-shirt in 2 second s» into your search eng ine and watch how a T-shirt can be folded in one single mo vement. Question: Can you find procedures in magic – visible and invisible which usually take several consecutive mo vements, and then reduce them into one single mo vement?

Day 130 – March 10

Draw a Card Trick

A pencil and a deck of cards have alot in com mon. As everybody knows pencils are full of drawings, you only have to let them out by drawing the line … And a deck of cards…

Day 131 – March 11

Co me dy of Er rors

Show your «last cigarette» in a cigarette case. Have a card selecte d and sprink le some «magic salt» on its back to make it disappear. It doesn’t, but upon turning it over its face is seen to be blank… Empty the salt shaker… it contains tobacco ins tead of salt… Break open the cigarette, and there is the selection rolled up!

Day 132 – March 12

Bo oks on Demand

I prefer to read large documents on paper than on a screen and to have them in my librar y. Using any books on demand ser vice (e.g. lulu.com), you can have large PDFs printe d and bound for little money. Manually add a saddle with author & title for the bookshelf.

Day 133 – March 13

Inventor Versus Creator

The terms «to invent» and «to create» are often use d synonymously, which lead s to the belief that if you are not an inventor you are not creative. To be creative doesn’t only mean to be an inventor, it can also mean to be a creative interpreter, like a classical musician, who doesn’t nee d to be a composer. Two examples of outstanding mag icians who were not inventors, but great creative interpreters are Michael Skinner and Fre d Kaps. You are creative, too!

Charging West: Sounds like an interesting start to "magician in trouble" where the minutes change to solve the problem.

Magic Minutes

Day 134 – March 14

Hand a spectator pencil and paper, and ask him to take minutes of what is about to take place. Ha may use abbreviations, e.g. «D» for deck, or «S1» for spectator number one etc. Help him as he goes along. Here is an example: 1. D shuffled by S1 2. D cut by S2 3. D spread an S1 takes a C 4. ….. Come up with a trick using this presentational theme (it doesn’t have to be a card trick…).

Day 135 – March 15

Don’t Make Me Laug h!

Giobbi telling Bernard Bilis and Aurelio Paviato that the Tenkai Palm cannot be used invisibly… (Lisbon 1996)

Israel Belchi: Realistic magic: Juan Tamariz, Ficcional magic: Gabi Pareras.

Day 136 – March 16

Schoo ls of Thought

In painting we dis tinguish between naturalism, realism, impressionism and a large etceterisms. Looking at magic, wo uld you be able to identify different «schoo ls of tho ught»? How wo uld you define the relative philosophies? And which magicians wo uld be their major exponents?

Day 137 – March 17

The Difference Co unts

When you want to buy something it doesn’t matter what it cos ts, it only matters what it cos ts more than what you wo uld have bought anyway. If the d ifference is neg lig ible, buy the more expensive – in most cases it is better!

Day 138 – March 18

The Show Corner

When aske d to do table-to-table magic or walkaround magic try to convince your hos t to have a show corner where guests can come by and you perfor m at a regular schedule. Do different acts à ca. 15 minutes each. (The Conjuror, ca. 1807, Jean Franço is Bosio)

Day 139 – March 19

Out-Faros Are Not So In

«A friend of mine picked up a deck of cards and sai d he was going to show me a faro trick. I took out a gun and shot him.» (Charlie Miller, «Pallbearer‘s Review», Vol. 5, No. 1, p. 292)

Make shift Word s

Day 140 – March 20

Ask a close friend or somebo dy fro m your family to tell you whenever they hear you use any «ah», «ehm», «right», «isn’t it» and other makeshift words. When you drop one, watch out for other ones! You can also record a few perfor mances – that will be eno ugh. It will teach you to listen to yourself and know why you say what and when.

Triang le

Day 141 – March 21

Chess is a game of pure strategy, dice are use d in games of pure luck, and games with playing cards use strategy and luck. Look at the photo and come up with a trick.

Day 142 – March 22

Favorite Non-magic Bo oks 1 Einstein, Albert, «The Quotable Einstein», ed. by Alice Calaprice, Princeton University Press, Princeton 1996. The title says it all.

Day 143 – March 23

Favorite Non-magic Bo oks 2 Bliss, Edwin, C., «Do ing it now», Futura Bo ok, London 1983. This book has helped me to be less of a procrastinator. Many practical ideas on how to work smarter.

Day 144 – March 24

Favorite Non-magic Bo oks 3 Menuhin, Yehudi, «Conversations With Menuhin», St Martin’s Press, New York 1980. Psychotherapist and music critic Robin Daniels talks with Menuhin abo ut music, talent, inspiration, perfor ming, practice and many other subjects which have so much to do with magic.

Day 145 – March 25

Ars Es t Celare Artem

The true challenge in magic – in many senses resides in making the difficult look easy and effortless. It sho uld never look as if we had learned what we do.

Day 146 – March 26

Perfection is Made up of Details

The great Russian painter Bruloff once cor rected the painting of one of his pupils. Looking at the change d drawing in astonishment the pupil sai d, «How strange, you‘ve jus t change d a trifle, but it has become something else!» Bruloff replied, «Art starts where this trifle beg ins.»

Day 147 – March 27

Thoughts on Technique and Style

The handling and management of a technique is a language and defines the perfor mer’s style that becomes the means of expression. It is important to have something to say, and to do it in a fascinating and beautiful way by appealing to the head and to the heart.

Day 148 – March 28

A Map Inside the Card s A special deck of cards with a map hidden INSIDE the layers of the paper! It doesn’t nee d to be a map, and it doesn’t nee d to be a card…

Day 149 – March 29

On improvement 1 «Goo d is better than original.» (Paul Arden)

Day 150 – March 30

On improvement 2 «Some tricks are killed by impro vements.» (Al Baker)

Day 151 – March 31

On improvement 3 «Striving to better, oft we mar what‘s well.» (Shakespeare, King Lear, act 1 scene 4)

Self-Locating Card s

Day 152 – April 1

US Playing Card Co. launched a new deck for mag icians. Any card taken fro m the deck and kept outside of it for at least 5 second s will pro duce message on its face «THIS IS YOUR CARD!» Order directly fro m www.usplayingcard. com/custo mcards (5th item fro m top).

S THI IS R YOU D CAR

Day 153 – April 2

This is Yo ur Card!

Sor ry for yes terday ’s April Foo l. However, it wo uld not be too difficult to reproduce mentione d effect with nor mal cards. Can you?

Day 154 – April 3

Information, Understanding, Skill

In order to understand and ins tall a theoretical concept, whenever yo u co me across one, find an application in one of the tricks yo u already do.

Day 155 – April 4

Orig inal Prop hecies

Think of 10 unusual ways of making a pre diction, rather than writing it on a fo lded billet (e.g. a card with a go lden back, a phone call etc.).

Day 156 – April 5

Lo oks Simple, But is Not

Miguel de Unamuno sai d, «Adoro la co mplejidad interna cobijada en la simplicida externa.» I love internal co mplexity hidden within external simplicity. This is the type of magic I like most.

Day 157 – April 6

Outstanding Overhand False Shuffle

A truly exceptional Overhand False Shuffle is «The Gordon Bruce False Shuffle» in Peter Duffie’s «Five Time Five: Scotland». Persi Diaconis has use d a similar shuffle for years, developed independently.

Day 158 – April 7

On the Barnhart Fan Steal

Take a look at «The Barnhart Fan Steal» fro m «Marlo in Spades». Ins tead of using the Classic Palm try taking the card in Flat Palm as you tap the card into the fan. Now the rig ht hand car ries along the card as it mo ves to the fan’s left side to close it clockw ise, thereby disengaging the card fro m the fan and depositing it on top of the deck.

Day 159 – April 8

Broken Co unts & Displays

When doing a counting or displaying technique, such as a Ham man Count, Flustration Mo ve, Buckle/Push-off Count etc., try to pause for a second or two, or even breaking it into two actions. Example: When doing an Elmsley Count count the firs t two cards, drop them together on the table, and then drop the las t two cards singly on top.

Day 160 – April 9

Everybody Can Become Talented «Work creates talent.» (R. y Cajal) This is one of the hidden, but most important benefits of practice and rehearsal. (Ramòn y Cajal, 1852-1934, Spain, me dical doctor, Nobel prize 1906)

Picasso’s Opinion

Day 161 – April 10

«Ah, goo d tas te! What a dreadful thing. Tas te is the enemy of creativeness.» (Pablo Picasso)

(Pablo Picasso, Two Girls Reading, 1934 oil on canvas)

Day 162 – April 11

Q & A 1

Stupid ques tion: «Can yo u actually make a living fro m magic?» Smart answer: «N o, but fro m the fees.»

Day 163 – April 12

Q & A 2

Smart ques tion: «W hy do yo u do magic?» Maybe not so smart but short (and true!) answer: «Because I do no longer know anything else.»

Day 164 – April 13

Q & A 3

Well-meant Ques tion: «Did yo u invent all this?» Po litician’s answer: «W hy do yo u want to know?»

Spirits

Day 165 – April 14

«It has been scientifically pro ven that it is possible to com municate with the spirits. However, it has not yet been scientifically pro ven, that they answer.» Does this pro logue trigger images of a captivating trick in your mind?

Magic Wisdom

Day 166 – April 15

«Before you practice, understand, but after you have understo od, practice.» (unknown Zen Master)

Day 167 – April 16

Witho ut Haste, But Witho ut Pause

Discussing Hofzinser at 5am at Tamariz’s home near Cadiz, Spain. (Paviato, Giobbi, Tamariz).

Day 168 – April 17

Erdnase Sw ings on Top

Erdnase’s blind (running) cuts to retain the top stock (Erdnase, p. 41), can be adapte d for in-the-hands handling by using Swing Cuts and Overhand Shuffles: Swing cut top portion into left hand, and then continue swing cutting until cards run out – retain break abo ve 1st packet. Bring deck into Overhand Shuffle position, shuffle off to break and throw the res t on top.

Day 169 – April 18

Erdnase Sw ings on Botto m

Erdnase’s blind (running) cuts to retain the bottom stock (Erdnase, p. 42), can be adapted for in-the-hands handling by using Swing Cuts and Overhand Shuffles: Swing cut small portions into left hand until you reach bottom packet to be controlled – drop this on top, retaining break. Bring deck into Overhand Shuffle position, shuffle off packet abo ve break in the 1st shuffle action, and then shuffle off rest nor mally.

Day 170 – April 19

To Iron a Silk Without an Iron

If yo u can’t iron a silk: Wet the silk and stick it flat against a mirror – it will co me out perfectly flat.

Day 171 – April 20

Do Not Take it Easy

To master something difficult is one of the greatest gratifications of life; Poincaré speaks abo ut a «joy of comprehension», and Vernon of a «pleasure of mastering».

Charging West: The most perfect and simple ACAN.

Heavenly Magic

Day 172 – April 21

You enter a coffee shop and there sits…Dai Vernon. It doesn’t seem possible, since the Professor has mo ved to another world in 1992, but there he is. You sit with him and he does a card trick for you that foo led those up there so badly, they decide d to send him back on earth. What could he possibly have come up with?

Likeable Genius

Day 173 – April 22

«How is it possible that nobody unders tands me, but everybody likes me?» (Einstein) Go od quote when you are asked, «How do you do this?» Co me up with 5 other ways to answer this question intelligently.

HOW?

Day 174 – April 23

Don’t Try To Understand, Enjoy!

Journalist: «Do people understand your art?» «Can you hear the bird Picasso: outside sing ing?» Journalist: «Yes.» «Do you like it?» Picasso: Journalist: «Yes.» «Do you understand what Picasso: he is saying?» Great stor y to tell when you are asked, «I don’t understand how you do that.»

Day 175 – April 24

Five Steps to Creative Problem So lving

1. Define the problem 2. Assemble all the information. 3. Co me up with many solutions. 4. Incubate, res t, and relax. 5. Evaluate which idea is bes t.

Day 176 – April 25

Spectator’s Peek For Left-handed

Hold deck in right-hand Dealing Position. Riffle outer end with left fingers until stop is called. After spectator has seen card, close gap at outer end, but pad of right middle finger takes break on deck‘s left side. Immediately left fingers press down on the outer end, opening up break at inner end, portion abo ve break sort of see-saws with right middle finger being pivot. Immediately take right little finger break as deck is moved up in Elevated Dealing Position.

Day 177 – April 26

No Sw itch Deck Sw itch

Show a sealed box with a dozen new decks (normally - 6 red s, 6 blues). Each deck is set up for a trick (see «How to Prepare a Sealed Deck» in The Art of Switching Decks, p. 21). Explain that for each trick you are going to use a brand-new deck, similar to the casinos, which change deck after each game to prevent marking of cards on the fly, a concept you mig ht briefly explain.

Day 178 – April 27

Multilingual Magic

Have several card s selected by as many spectators. Reveal each card in a different language and/or in the typical way of this country (body language!). You don’t really nee d to speak these languages, you can take popular words and put them into nonsense sentences such as, «Ma che Papa con spag hetti e tortellini, tante grazie Corleone - ciao bella e tutti frutti.» Doesn’t mean a thing, but everybo dy will take you for the political advisor of Berlusconi.

On thinking 1

Day 179 – April 28

«Few people think, but everybo dy wants to have an opinion.» (George Berkeley)

On thinking 2

Day 180 – April 29

«A mo ment‘s tho ug ht wo uld have shown him. But a mo ment is such a long time, and a tho ug ht is a painful process.» (A. E. Ho usman)

On thinking 3

Day 181 – April 30

«Man has three ways to learn: first, by thinking, that’s the noblest, second, by imitating, that’s the easies t, third, by experience, that’s the most bitter.» (Confucius)

Max Maven: When you ask spectator a question, *listen* to the answer.

Day 182 – May 1

Stage Behavior

When yo u have a spectator up and yo u ask her a ques tion and/or she talks, freeze and let her have the attention.

Day 183 – May 2

FFF – The Face-up Fan Force

Take shuffle d deck back and fan face up. Notice force card and by adjusting fan expose it a bit more. If necessary, cut deck to get force card into the approximate central position. Ask spectator to extend his rig ht arm, stretch out his forefinger and to drop it on face of the fan. Imperceptibly mo ve fan in such a way that his finger drops on face of force card. (From Tho mpson, My Bes t, p. 12)

Do uble Ace

Day 184 – May 3

«Dai Vernon met Nate Leipzig after the latter had come back fro m a cruise. Leipzig handed Vernon a new deck and asked him to do a trick for him. Upon opening the deck, Vernon noticed it contained two Aces of Spades. To the end of his days the great Nate Leipzig never forgot what young Vernon did for him on this occasion with his own deck.» I’ve often wondered what I would have done in the same situation. And you?

One Hand, Ma!

Day 185 – May 4

If you injured yourself and can only use one hand, turn to the DVDs and books of the Argentinean Mas ter René Lavand. And one of the great classics of card literature, Hugard’s and Braue’s Expert Card Technique, starting on page 275 has a complete chapter on the subject. But no nee d to break an arm, you could simply say, «Let me perform my next piece with only one hand, so you can see there is no sleight-of-hand.» Put the other hand in the pocket and procee d.

Logical Signature

Day 186 – May 5

Ins tead of having an object signed (card, coin etc.) ask the spectator to think of a «secret number» for it, fro m 3 to 6 dig its, like a PIN Co de, and to then write it on the object.

Three Packet Force

Day 187 – May 6

Force card is 2nd from bottom of deck. Do Vernon’s Cold Deck Cut so that you end up with bottom 1/3 on top, holding break with right thumb. Cut this top third forward, and then cut abo ut half of balance in front of that. You have three packets in a diagonal row fro m your position to abo ut one o‘clock, with the middle packet having force card on bottom. Force this middle packet. Ask spectator to bur y top and bottom card, and then to look at the packet‘s bottom card.

Day 188 – May 7

Envelope Fro m the Future

Show a stamped and postmarked letter that has the date in the future. Method: scan the postmark, store it in Photoshop, and change it each time to the date required. Then put the envelope with the stamp into the printer and print.

Day 189 – May 8

It Can’t Get Any Simpler, Can It?

With how many different ways of obtaining a break under the top card of the deck held in Dealing Position can yo u co me up? My lis t has 20 metho ds.

Break 1

Day 190 – May 9

Hold deck face down in Dealing Position. Right hand cuts a packet from the top to table. As right hand comes back to seize packet remaining in left hand, left thumb pushes over top card for abo ut the width of its border to the right. This packet is immediately slapped on top of tabled packet by right hand, which then picks up completed deck and places it back into Dealing Position. In the process top card remains side-jogged, and when it is squared with both hands, left little finger obtains break underneath it.

Break 2

Day 191 – May 10

Hold deck in Open Dealing Position in ver y relaxed position; it will be strongly bevele d to the rig ht. Gently close hand squaring the deck. Left thumb res ting on top card will make it stay in place, thus obtaining a similar result as if pushing it off, but without actually mo ving it. In squaring process left little finger can obtain break under it.

Break 3

Day 192 – May 11

When turning the deck end-over-end, the rig ht fingers pull the now top card slightly inward, allow ing the rig ht thumb to steady the top card at the inner end, as the left hand lowers the balance and the left little finger obtains a break under the top card.

Teacher-Stu dent If you want to better understand a trick, teach it to someone else.

Day 193 – May 12

Ian Kendall: Careful, that's how most books get written...

Day 194 – May 13

Test of the Pu dd ing

When you think you’ve understoo d a trick, try to write it down as if to publish it in a book of yours.

Day 195 – May 14

Burg lar From Another World

Yesterday a burglar broke into my magic stu dio and sto le all I had … but he replaced everything with exact duplicates! (With apologies to Steven Wright) Interesting way to start a trick…

Day 196 – May 15

To Sw itch Card in Sandw ich During Lift Shuffle

Card to be switche d in is on top of deck. Place sandwich on top and start shuffle: Run 1st face up sandwich card, run face down sandwiche d card on top, as you run the next face up sandwich card, lift the other two, run the 4th card, drop the 2 lifted cards on top and shuffle off the rest. Give deck a cut and ribbon spread. The sandwiche d card has been switche d.

Day 197 – May 16

Extende d Elmsley Co unt

Ins tead of do ing the Elmsley Co unt with jus t 4 cards and hid ing 1, do it with a small packet of cards, hid ing several cards, thus fulfilling the same function as a Ham man Co unt or the Veeser Concept. Try with Jordan Co unt dynamics, too.

Secret Add-on

Day 198 – May 17

Keep card(s) to be added back in card case when initially taking out deck. After spectator has shuffled deck say that you’ll put it into case so nobody can tamper with it – then insert it below card(s) secreted in case so these are now on top of deck. After positive insertion repeat that spectator himself shuffled card s, that he himself cut the deck and that he shall now himself take deck out of case. They will believe implicitly that he has himself put it into the case. Use for any trick requiring small set-up, or proceed with Criss Cross Force etc.

On Practice

Day 199 – May 18

«I am not only responsible for maintaining the standard of my technique in playing the vio lin as long as possible I must also strive to improve it, to make it more accurate and smooth in order for it to continuously meet my expectations as a means of expression.» (Yehud i Menuhin)

Day 200 – May 19

Memories of the Past Ron Wohl finds nothing to complain… (What mig ht I have been showing him?)

Day 201 – May 20

Stuart Gordon Do uble Lift

Learn the Do uble Lift by Stuart Gordon, as it can be helpful in several situations, especially when handling the do uble within a packet. Sources are: • Genii, May 2004 • Jennings, Lar ry, The Cardwrig ht • Kaufman, Richard, Jennings 1967

Day 202 – May 21

Intriguing Bit of Bu siness

At the start of his Cups & Balls, Michalel Skinner says, «I’ll pull my sleeves back, so you won’t think anything is up here. And I’ll also remove my rings and my watch, so they do not dis tract your attention fro m the events at hand.» (Michael Skinner, Classic Sampler, p. xiv)

Day 203 – May 22

«Taxono my of Cuts» False Cut Explain that there are four categories of cutting a deck: 1. hand-to-hand; 2. hand-to-table; 3. table-to-table; 4. table-to-hands. As you demons trate each do a false cut or a «synergis tic false cut» (one cut prepares for the next…).

Day 204 – May 23

My Solution to Yesterday’s Problem

1.Do straight cut in hands, retaining break. 2. Cut the deck at the break to the table. 3. Do the firs t part of Vernon‘s Cold Deck Cut, retaining break with left thumb. 4. With rig ht hand cut packet abo ve break into left hand, and then complete cut.

Day 205 – May 24

«Demonstration» Deck Switch

Have deck in use shuffle d, cut & placed in card case. Tell spectator to put it in his tro users or coat pocket. To demons trate, empty your own pocket of a few things, placing them on table, pull lining out, showing that there is nothing in the pocket, put lining back, place deck in use in pocket, take it out again and give spectator. In this action the deck has been switche d. Simply use a false pocket (see tomorrow).

Day 206 – May 25

Impromptu False Pocket To show a tro users pocket apparently empty, have an unfo lded handkerchief in the pocket and pull out its center – it looks as if the pocket’s linen had been pulle d out.

Day 207 – May 26

Minor Works of Magic

There is merit in also stu dying the minor works of the Great Masters of magic as they contain their genius, but are less complex and more often than not technically less demand ing, therefore they are more accessible to even the beg inning stu dent.

Day 208 – May 27

Understanding Vernon’s Tw isting Mo ve

The reason Dai Vernon came up with the Twisting Move for his «Tw isting the Aces» [Ganson, Lew is, Dai Vernon’s More Inner Secrets of Mag ic, p. 5] was to bring the Ace packet fro m Dealing Position to a position at the left fingertips to do the Elmsley Count. Make sure that there is a reason for everything you say and do – it will make your perfor mance more artistic.

m

co s. co

Day 209 – May 28

The Misprints

M

ag

ic

tru

«These cards have been totally misprinte d: they put the backs where the faces belong. Fortunately they put faces where the backs sho uld have been...» This deck is certainly go ing to behave in strange if not to say magical ways.

Day 210 – May 29

Im modes ty 1

«I’d gladly admit my faults, if I had any.» (anonymous)

Day 211 – May 30

Im modes ty 2

«People used to say I’m ar rogant. To day I’m perfect.»

Day 212 – May 31

Im modes ty 3 «If I was mo dest, I would be perfect.» (Ascanio)

Day 213 – June 1

Humorous Intro

To intro duce (almost) any trick: «People who like this sort of thing will find this is the sort of thing they like.» (Abraham Linco ln)

Day 214 – June 2

Quick Mental Calculation (e.g. for Memorized Deck)

When nee ding to add or subtract a number, split it up and do the calculation in two steps. E.g. if you must add 17 and 25, split up 25 into 20 and 5. Then firs t add 17 and 20, equals 37, plus 5 equals 42. Or 49 minus 25, firs t calculate 49 minus 20, equals 29, minus 5 equals 24.

Day 215 – June 3

Ordering Disorder

Make a list of 10 actions that do not alter the order of the deck while appearing to do so. Example: Insert top card into the center of the deck, but contro l to the bottom or top (E.g. with Tamariz Perpendicular Control or Side Steal) – or even take a packet ins tead of a single card.

Monge Shuffle

Day 216 – June 4

Hold a packet of cards face down in your left hand. Deal the firs t card into the rig ht hand, deal the 2nd card on top of it, deal the 3rd card under it, deal the 4th card on top, deal the 5th card under it and so forth. This is a mathematical shuffle and is called the Monge Shuffle. Look up its uses on the internet.

Beer Bar Bet

Day 217 – June 5

Five glasses are standing in a row on the bar counter. The three central glasses each contain a drink, while the glasses on each end are empty. You bet that by mo ving jus t one glass, and only one, you can get the glasses to alternate empty, full, empty, etc. Try as they mig ht, they won’t be able to do it, unless they know the secret, which I’ll tell you tomorrow.

Day 218 – June 6

So lution to Beer Bar Bet

Take the glass in the middle, drink its content, and then put it back in its original place. You’ve mo ved jus t one glass and now they are standing in alternating order! At worst you lose, and then will have to buy everybody a drink. In reality you never lose, because in either cases you gain the appreciation of your drinking buddies.

Day 219 – June 7

Telephone Rings, SMS Arrives

Imagine you are in the course of performing a piece and suddenly your mobile phone rings or announces the inco me of a text, image or film clip message. • Who is calling? • What does he or she say? • In what way does the caller have an influence on the continuation and maybe end ing of the piece you are performing? • If it’s a text, an image or a film clip, what could that be?

Spo onerisms

Day 220 – June 8

Spo onerisms are to language what a transposition is to magic – the exchange of letters or syllables, similar to a tip of the slung, I mean a slip of the tongue. Here are a few nice ones: butterfly – flutterby; plaster man – master plan; rental deceptionist – dental receptionist. And here is a blue one you’ll have to guess: She showed me her too l kits...

Day 221 – June 9

A Theory is a Theory is a Theory All mo dels are wrong, however, some are more useful than others. Or as the Tao Te King already admonishe d, «The map is not the territor y.»

This is not a cigar, let alone Magritte‘s pipe!

Roberto Giobbi © by Magic Communication

Fishing Ruse

Day 222 – June 10

When doing «fishing» use a red-backed deck. You can then say, «Yo ur card is red!» Use an affirmation, not a question. If the spectator says, «Yes», goo d, if he says, «No», you immediately follow-up, «Of course it’s red, red on the back… they are all red, but some are dark-red.» The laugh will make them forget that you missed, or at leas t make it look as if you had done it on purpose to get a laugh. But you’re now down to 50%...

Day 223 – June 11

A Magician Prepares

In his lecture Vito Lupo says, «If my body is prepared, my mind is prepared.» He then does a series of physical exercises for the body and the hands (shake hands, «ro ll» fingers, rub hands etc.). This is a goo d ritual agains t ner vousness before a perfor mance and can become an anchor for excellence.

Day 224 – June 12

Ambitious Card Mo ve

Drop ambitio us card face down on table. Right hand slides top half of deck to the right, as left hand hold ing its packet in Dealing Position starts to turn inward. Tips of left fingers slide along face of right hand packet and slip it face down on the bottom of the now face up left packet. Left hand reaches for tabled card and picks it up underneath. Immediately left hand turns back up displaying ambitio us card (with x-card hidden beneath). Right hand puts its packet on table, and then turns double face down on left-hand packet. Drop top x-card on tabled packet, ....

Day 225 – June 13

Piggy Bank Magic

Show your Piggy Bank and explain that you’ve saved the coins in it for a ver y special trick. Open (or break!) the Piggy Bank and perfor m the miracle with which you are going to come up now.

Day 226 – June 14

Magic Co mpetition

Imagine you jus t participated at the World Championship of Mag ic and won the firs t prize in card magic (or any other category). • What was the trick you use d to open your act? • What was the trick that you use d to close your act? • W hat was the trick with which you foo led the jur y and the aud ience?

Day 227 – June 15

Rig ht Hand Grip on Gambler’s Cop

Seize deck at inner rig ht corner with rig ht hand, as left hand retains bottom card(s) in Gambler‘s Cop. The fact that forefinger and ring finger are holding deck on face, apparently preclu des that cards could have been subtracte d fro m there. (Ponsin in Nouvelle Mag ie Blanche Dévoillée, 1853)

Denis Behr: See also "Cut Palm" in "Cards Hit" by Jerry Sadowitz for this great cover.

Day 228 – June 16

Co ver For Top Palm 1

Card to be palmed is on top. Injog shuffle by chopping off abo ut half the deck, injogging next card and then shuffling off. Let deck slide into Dealing Position and in squaring card s obtain left little finger break under injogge d card and abo ve selection. Immediately triple cut card s to the table, starting by cutting abo ut half the card s abo ve the break, then all card s at the break, and when right hand seizes last packet, in order to drop it on the other two, top palm is execute d.

Day 229 – June 17

Co ver For Top Palm 2

Ho ld deck face down in Dealing Position in readiness for top palm (for several cards left little finger ho lds break). With rig ht hand pull up left sleeve, and then take deck in End Grip, executing palm, as left hand pulls up rig ht sleeve.

Elmsley’s Dinner

Day 230 – June 18

When four magicians dine with Elmsley: the firs t guest eats twice, while the third gets nothing. (photo by Aurelio Paviato, Escorial 1995)

Day 231 – June 19

Card Tricks Are Boring… Are card tricks really boring? No, only boring magic is boring, regardless of the ins trument use d. What is the opposite of boring magic?

Not To Bore

Day 232 – June 20

The opposite of boring magic is fascinating magic. How then wo uld you explain the difference between boring and fascinating magic?

Day 233 – June 21

The Card That Finds Itself

Many card tricks consist in having a card selected and then finding it in some impossible looking way. Most of the time the card is found by the perfor mer himself. Sometimes this daunting task is delegated to an assisting spectator. But have you ever heard of a card that finds itself? Tip: Have you ever heard of self-help decks?

Day 234 – June 22

Vernon’s Ruse on the G. W. Hunter False Overhand Shuffle

Dai Vernon recommends to break down the shuffle in an unsteady count (Expanded Lecture Notes, p. 14, «The G. W. Hunter False Shuffle»). This is not very clearly described. Tamariz told me to use two different rhythms in the two shuffle sequences. In the first shuffle e.g. use 5 and 2, in the second shuffle run 3 and 4, so that the two shuffles do not appear the same, and an astute spectator doesn‘t think that you are simply reversing the shuffle (which, of course, you do).

Day 235 – June 23

Hunter Combination False Shuffle

Do first part of G. W. Hunter False Overhand Shuffle with Vernon’s ruse: undercut half the deck, run 5, pause & gesture, run 3, throw rest injogged on top. Let deck slide in Dealing Position, and then cut deck to the table at break. «This is not going to be your uncle’s boring card trick…» To illustrate reverse deal 8 cards in a face down packet on the table. When packet is replaced on top, order of deck is re-established.

Day 236 – June 24

Miscall Discovery & Location Ruse

Unbeknownst to the spectator you know his card. Deal cards face down on table until <stop> is called. Look at card and instantly name spectator‘s card, «Your card was the Nine of Spades, correct?» Lose card in deck. Immediately say, «Oh, let me show you something with your card.» Spread deck face up and toss 9S face up on table, «Your card was the 9S, correct?» Repeat wording as used initially when you miscalled card; this will have a retrograde effect and help convince aud ience that before you really got their card.

Sleight-of-Mind

Day 237 – June 25

Since the magic effect takes place in the mind of the spectators, it follows that the scientific stu dy of it is psycho logy, and that it is necessar y to stu dy this subject as much as the topic of sleightof-hand. «Art and Illusion» by Gombrich is an imaginative start.

Nervousness

Day 238 – June 26

When perfor ming use a specific eau de toilette and use it only before you perfor m. The smell becomes an anchor of excellence and successful perfor mance. This is particularly strong, because smells go directly to the lymph system without go ing throug h the screening process of thinking.

Day 239 – June 27

Problem: The Creation of a Deck of Cards

The Birth of a card or of a deck: Show QH & KH, and then JH appears in between, then the Aces, then the rest of the deck.

Pragmatic 1

Day 240 – June 28

«You have to take things as they come. But you must take care that things come in the way you want them.» (Willi Ritschard, Sw iss po litician)

Pragmatic 2

Day 241 – June 29

«Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.» (Sign hanging in Einstein‘s office at Princeton)

Pragmatic 3

Day 242 – June 30

«A go od plan today is better than a perfect one tomorrow» (General George Patton)

Applause

Day 243 – July 1

People who have been entertained want to applau d. Go over your act and decide where the applause sho uld come. Do not beg for applause – if they applau d spontaneo usly, they for m a hig her opinion of your act. (Nelms, «Magic & Showmanship», p. 308/309)

Max Maven: But regarding the photo: Leipzig would not have carried sponge balls, for several reasons.

Day 244 – July 2

Leipzig’s Magic Tray

Vernon tells that Nate Leipzig (1873-1939) would always car ry some props with him to do impromptu magic. On coming back home he would put everything in a small tray, and then put them in his suit when he would leave the house again. I’ve always loved this dea.

Pit Boss Stop

Day 245 – July 3

In some casinos the pit boss, i.e. the person who supervises a gaming table, calls «stop» as the dealer is shuffling the cards, thus making it impossible for players, who are trying to track cards, to rely on a specific number of shuffles. What card piece can you come up with, that uses this as a premise?

U.N. Known: That's an easy one. It is excellent performers, authors and teachers like yourself who keep magic alive.

Day 246 – July 4

In Spite of All

Conjuring has survive d centuries of exposure and trivialization. Why do yo u think is that so?

Forgotten Erdnase

Day 247 – July 5

Hopping the Cut: When deck is cut, slide lower packet across table into left hand, and then place second packet on top in the same way. NOTE: packets may be picked up by right hand instead of slid ing them. Move is made quite openly, carelessly and without has te, and is surprising ly regular in appearance. If noticed it can be attributed to tho ughtlessness.

Creative Lo oking

Day 248 – July 6

Michelangelo, when asked how he conceived his marvelous sculptures, use d to say that he would look at the block of marble, «see» the statue inside, and then simply chip away whatever was superfluous. Take any ins trument - a deck, a coin etc. - look at it. What do you see inside? Now set it free! Do the same with imaginary situations.

Day 249 – July 7

Seems obvio us, but isn’t… The success of any routine depends largely on how easy it is to follow. (Nelms, «Mag ic & Showmanship», p. 245).

Veni, Vi di, Vici

Day 250 – July 8

Arguably the shortes t utterance in the history of civilization was Caesar’s «I came, I saw, I won (conquere d)». Such brevity, for such an accomplishment (???) is amazing. Does this inspire an effect, a metho d, a presentation, or maybe an anecdote? Gaius Julius Caesar (100 – 44 b.C.)

One-liner

Day 251 – July 9

by Gus tavo Otero Cascada

(© Gus tavo Otero, all rights reserved)

Trick Sche dule

Day 252 – July 10

On a train ride I looked at the train schedule and wondered if I could come up with a trick that has a «trick schedule», such as: 7:34:00 deck is shuffle d & cut 7:34:30 card is taken, shown to all and replaced 7:35:05 a spectator cuts the deck into 3 packets …

Bo ok mark

Day 253 – July 11

If you publish a book with a dus t jacket, a prospectus or similar printed matter, the print sheet is often larger than what is actually nee ded. Ins tead of throwing the discard away, have it printed, too and have it cut to the size of a bookmark. This makes for a nice give-away with advertising appeal.

Day 254 – July 12

The Card Magic App

There are apps for almos t any human need. What if the cased deck was the USPCC’s latest «Card Magic App»? How wo uld yo u open it? What co uld it do?

Max Maven: You've gone to the wrong New World restaurants.

La Sobremesa

Day 255 – July 13

In Spain they have a unique expression: la «sobremesa», literally «over-the-table», and by that they mean the conversation taking place «over a table» after a meal. I feel sorr y for my friends in the New World, who rarely experience such moments, since the waiter presents you with the bill as soon as you’ve put your last bite into your mouth.

own magicians… «sobremesa» among unkn

© Gema Navarro

Day 256 – July 14

On Improvement

Real impro vement adds meaning by enriching either the theme or the treatment. Padd ing and digressions are not impro vements. (Nelms, «Mag ic & Showmanship», p. 252)

Day 257 – July 15

Second To None

Use a deck of Bicycle «Second s». What kind of presentations does the ter m «Second s» suggest to yo u?

Day 258 – July 16

For Stage Magic

When apparently ho ld ing so mething in a fis t, do not curl the fingers, but keep them straight.

Max Maven: Advice is correct; reason is not. Losing eye contact for a moment is OK. Bending is awkward. Dip keeps back straight&vertical.

Day 259 – July 17

Sto op, Don’t Bend

When you drop something in a parlor or stage situation, put yo ur foot next to it, and then take a step for ward as yo u sto op (not bend!) to pick it up – yo u can thus maintain eye contact with the au dience.

Oink, Oink, Oink!

Day 260 – July 18

When using an envelope apply a seal to it, better three seals. It makes the envelope look more important and it visually states, «This envelope closed – really closed!»

Day 261 – July 19

What a prologue!

Gu datrigakwitl, the Hig h Go d of Californian Wiyote-Indians, accord ing to their belief, created man without earth nor sand, but by simply wishing for it: he brought his hands together and separated them…

(Comment: conjuring, 1st semester… but what a presentation.)

Day 262 – July 20

What is a Magician?

The magician is a fascinator, a surrealist among the performing artists.

Day 263 – July 21

Entertainment vs. Showoff The primary purpose of the honest conjuror is to pro vide entertainment. BUT: Entertainment is broader than amusement. (Nelms, «Mag ic & Showmanship», p. 252)

Day 264 – July 22

Cross Referencing

Hold an object in your rig ht hand looking into the aud ience at your left, change over the object to the left hand show it to the left as you look to the rig ht. Vito Lupo in his lecture calls this «Cross Reference».

Future Magic

Day 265 – July 23

Mental Problem

Day 266 – July 24

Effect: Spectator is asked to think of any 4-d igit number. Mentalist then riffles through blue deck and asks spectator to think of any card he sees. Data is written on business card and buried in blue deck. Mentalist takes red deck and gui des spectator’s wrist over it, pulling out 5 cards. First 4 cards equal 4-d igit number, 5th card is same as tho ught of card!

Day 267 – July 25

Dr. Jaks «Rasputin»

Yes terday’s effect as well as its clever (and hig hly gaffed!) solution was originally published in Ed Mellon’s magazine «Mental-Wise», Vo l. 5, No. 1, July 1961, under the title of «Rasputin» and was, accord ing to Mellon, Dr. Jaks’s favorite effect.

Day 268 – July 26

Hig hly Reco mmende d

An excellent book is: Landes, Michael, Jack McMillen. Available only as PDF fro m lybrar y.co m. Since I prefer paper copy for this type of reading, I had mine printed and spiralbound by lulu.co m (or any «print-ondemand» business) for less than $20.

Curiosity

Day 269 – July 27

In a standard deck of cards, the JS & JH have a mustache, but only one eye, while the JD & JC have two eyes, but no mustache. That makes an intriguing introduction to a trick yo u are now go ing to co me up with.

To o Much Talk

Day 270 – July 28

Avo id anecdotal or informative material unless you feel sure that it wo uld interest the spectators as conversation even if they did not expect any experiment or demonstration. (Nelms, “Magic & Showmanship”, p. 256)

Day 271 – July 29

Recom mended Non-magic Bo ok Jos tein Gaarder’s «The Solitaire Mys ter y» (translate d into many languages). An incred ibly imaginative book, that lingers in the mind long after the las t page has been read.

Day 272 – July 30

Paradox Pred ictions

«You’ll know the future once it ar rives; before that forget it.» (Aeschylus, father of Greek trage dy)

Day 273 – July 31

Stu dy the past if yo u wo uld define the future

If you are do ing card magic, for ins tance, learn the basic facts abo ut the his tor y of playing cards. Go og le «history of playing cards» and enjoy! Apply to other branches of conjuring, too.

Repeat After Me

Day 274 – August 1

«Everything has been sai d before, but since nobody listens, there is nothing for it but to keep saying it again.» André Gide, Nobel Prize in Literature, 1869-1951

Day 275 – August 2

Symbo ls & Sub-text in Classics of Magic

Fairy tales and mag ic tricks, especially the classics, have one thing in com mon: they have a sub-text and a clear symbolic meaning. If you take Red Little Hoo d and tell it differently it probably loses its symbolism and stops to make sense. Therefore be careful whenever you want to change aro und a classic of mag ic for the sole purpose of being «original».

Day 276 – August 3

Magic Books for Laypeople

Charlie Miller sugges ted to read magic books directed at the public. Although the metho ds use d will often be cru de, the effects are not. Recognize the effects, maybe combine them, and add expert metho d and presentation – you mig ht get a miracle.

Day 277 – August 4

The Greed Strategy

If you want to effortlessly bor row a bill (banknote), start by taking one of your own of the same denomination you nee d, and then transform it into a hig her denomination bill. There will always be somebo dy who asks if you could do the same to his bill…

Day 278 – August 5

H H H

Balducci’s Three Hs

To stage the Balducci Force (force card is on top of deck): Explain that Head, Heart and Hand, the 3 Hs of holistic education, are a unity, and that the Hand always does what the Head and the Heart tells it to do. Have spectator cut off, turn over and replace ca. 1/3 with rig ht hand (Head), then cut off ca. 2/3 with left hand (closer to the Heart). Ribbon spread and have 1st face down card taken (Hand).

Day 279 – August 6

Safe Overhand False Shuffle

This False Shuffle has a ver y nice Gestalt - you shuffle 3 times, and then cut: Deck in Overhand Shuffle position. Under cut half, run 4, throw res t on top, injogg ing it. Undercut at injog, run 7, throw and injog. Undercut at injog, run 3, throw and injog. Let deck slide in Dealing Position, cut at injog to table. (Frank Lane in «Two Hours With Frank Lane»)

Vintage Deck

Day 280 – August 7

Decks of cards have a year in which they have been printed and packed, so technically they are vintage decks. Like wines or cigars there are better years and worse years. Maybe you could make a vintage list, similar to wines, which lists the average, goo d, ver y goo d and excellent years… (marry year to trick…).

Day 281 – August 8

For Yo ur Eyes Only

How many eyes does a standard deck of 52 Bicycle cards have?

Max Maven: Joker and Extra Joker add 28 more eyes, raising the total to 696.

Day 282 – August 9

Answer to «For Yo ur Eyes Only»

Here is the breakdown: Jacks 12, Queens 16, Kings 14, all backs: 52 x 12 = 624, total: 666… But if you ad the two eyes of the statue inside the AS, it is 668!

Day 283 – August 10

Yo u Lo ok, But Yo u Don’t See

Most of us have been looking at their cards for years, maybe decades. Based on yes terday ’s insight: look at each ind ividual card carefully, and then at the extra cards, as well as at the card case. I pre dict you will discover over a do zen details you did not notice before…

Small Print

Day 284 – August 11

If you take a regulation Bicycle Rider Back deck you will notice that on the flap there is a text in «small print». Few magicians, let alone laypeople, have ever read this. Take this to your advantage and use it as a pro logue or bit of business in a trick you think up now.

Day 285 – August 12

Truth – Opinion?

«All artists are liars, who help us recognize the truth.» (Picasso) «All hard-core mentalis ts are liars, who help people stay ignorant.» (Roberto Giobbi)

Day 286 – August 13

How To Improve One’s Magic

1. Work in so litude. 2. Work in a group. 3. Work with the Master.

Day 287 – August 14

Magician’s Way to Say Grace

When magicians meet and have a meal, ins tead of saying grace one magician gets up and does a trick. What co uld that be?

Day 288 – August 15

Happy Customers

Day 289 – August 16

Mnemonic Locator

Ribbon spread deck in mnemonic order face down on table. Have spectator touch a card and turn it face up at its place. Then ask him if he prefers the card abo ve or below it - ask him to look at it as you turn your head away: you know his card. This mig ht look ter ribly obvious, but isn’t to a layperson.

Day 290 – August 17

Mnemonic Locator Plus

Handling same as yes terday, but tell spectator that he may look at the card to the rig ht or left of the face up card. Turn away, so you do not know which one, but you know it must be one of two. Albeit only one option more has been introduce d, this feels ver y «free».

Day 291 – August 18

A Force… Sort of

«The next piece is by Mo zart. I hope you like it, because if you don't there is absolutely nothing I can do abo ut it.» Victor Borge, Kopenhagen, 1909-2000

Day 292 – August 19

Magic Outside of the Theatre

Doing mag ic outside of a theatre makes spaces come alive in a different way. A mag ic perfor mance done in an otherw ise ord inary space – hotel, res taurant, shopping mall – creatively changes the experience abo ut this space. An artistic perfor mance brings another context to the space it takes place and makes us look at it in a different way. There are no non-places for artists, there are no taboos.

Day 293 – August 20

Misundersto od

Whenever you write something abo ut a difficult or contro versial subject - be this in a simple letter or in a complex essay - you can safely assume that most will misunders tand you. The reason for this mig ht be that most have made up their mind abo ut this subject before they even start reading.

Conscio us Act

Day 294 – August 21

I believe in the nobleness of conscious acts. If somebo dy leaves the house and leaves the lig ht on because he’s forgetful or neg ligent, it is something else than if he leaves it on deliberately to simulate his presence in order to keep burglars away.

Day 295 – August 22

Trivial in an Important Way

In the 1995 movie «Smoke» Har vey Keitel asks how much the smoke of a cigar weights. How much does a playing card weight? One bicycle Rider Back card is 1.62g, a deck of 52 card s 84.24g. I found this an interesting exercise, as it made me aware of the fact, that there mus t be so many questions I have not yet asked. This one mig ht be a trivial question – or maybe it isn’t – but how many important questions have I missed? That, at leas t, is an important question!

On Yo ur Marks

Day 296 – August 23

If a spectator says, «Yo u are using marke d cards.» Answer, «Forget that. Marked cards are out – nanotechnology is in.» If you judge it appropriate you can explain how to detect marke d cards and show the «riffle tes t».

Philistine

Day 297 – August 24

If the spectator asks, «Can you do that again?!» Answer, «You probably want to find out how I do it. Yo u see, if you find out, I will look stupid. If you can’t find it out, you’ll look stupid. Either way one of us will look stupid. So I won’t do it again and we’ll both look ver y smart.»

JR Russell: 'somebody has to pay!'

Day 298 – August 25

Not So Orig inal Reques t

If the spectator asks, «Can you make money?!» Answer, «Yes, I can. But it will be charge d to your account.»

Day 299 – August 26

The Usual Ques tion – An Unusual Answer

If the spectator asks, «Can you make my wife disappear ?» Answer, «Yes, I could, but it won’t be of any use – she’s got a secret twin sis ter.»

Day 300 – August 27

Goo d to Remember

«Goo d card tricks, brightly done, are an inexhaustible entertainment, whereas any card trick ill done renders its perfor mer a social pes t.» (Henry Hay in «The Amateur Mag ician’s Handbo ok»)

Day 301 – August 28

Fifty-two Card s But Just Two Eyes

Ask: «Do you know why it is so difficult to unders tand a card trick? Because a deck of cards consist of 52 cards, but human beings only have two eyes.» Can you do a card trick with jus t two cards? Or one card? Or four cards, if you have two spectators? Or with as many cards as the spectator have eyes?

On Details 1

Day 302 – August 29

«To lose the detail, means to lose the whole.» (Leonardo da Vinci)

On Details 2

Day 303 – August 30

«If yo u don't understand the details of yo ur business yo u are go ing to fail.» (Jeff Bezos)

On Details 3

Day 304 – August 31

Beware of the person who can't be bothered by details. (William Feather, 1889 - 1981)

Change Plane

Day 305 – September 1

To have a card selecte d spread the cards between your hands, turn your head away and hold the deck vertically with the faces toward s the spectator, «Choose a card you like, please.» What does this handling chance fro m the viewpo int of the spectator ? What possibilities does it open for the perfor mer?

Jo in In

Day 306 – September 2

Occasionally you may ask the aud ience to applau d your assisting spectator. When the aud ience applau ds, you, too, applau d the spectator.

Day 307 – September 3

Sticky Made Easy

To make a card with parts of its face or back being sticky, firs t take an old card and punch a few holes in it at the points nee ded for the application. Put it squarely on the card to be prepared and then spray with removable glue spray.

Day 308 – September 4

Impromptu Daub

To get daub in an impromptu way to mark the back or sides of the cards, dip your finger into coffee and apply it to the card. This co mes obviously fro m the gaming table, as so many things in card magic do.

Check It Out

Day 309 – September 5

«The Locator Three of Clubs» (p. 152) in Bill Simon’s Effective Card Mag ic is an excellent trick. The effect is that a spectator takes any Three and inserts it anywhere into the deck, which is ribbon-spread face down on the table and locates his selection. Not only is this a straightfor ward and memorable effect, the method uses multiple solutions, a concept pioneered by Dai Vernon and one of his most important contributions to mag ic.

Mo dernism

Day 310 – September 6

«The decline of the waistcoat [vest] has affected magic more than the invention of com munication satellites.» (Henry Hay in «The Amateur Magician’s Handbo ok», revise d ed ition 1971)

Day 311 – September 7

Lead ing Attention

The perfor mer's own interes t is his chief device for contro lling attention. The intelligent use of contrast pro vides another technique for contro lling attention. Anything that contrasts with its sur roundings will draw the eyes of the aud ience (mo ving object, vivid colors, striking a match). (Nelms, «Magic and Showmanship», p. 189)

Day 312 – September 8

Scripting Disas ters

To make a «Disas ter Script» use 3 columns: in column 1 write each step of what you do, in column 2 write what could go wrong in this step, in column 3 write possible solutions.

Day 313 – September 9

Carlyle’s Law

In his lecture Dai Vernon use d to quote Francis Carlyle saying, «If you can’t describe what a magician does, the trick is no go od.» Tamariz starte d to call this «The Law of Carlyle».

m

Day 314 – September 10

co s. co

Escuela Magica de Madrid

M

ag

ic

tru

The Spanish Constructivist School of Tho ught is an artistic mo vement within mag ic that stu dies the practice and theory of mag ic in regard to how and what a conjuring perfor mance causes in the spectator’s mind. The goal is to achieve total deception, and as a consequence pro duce fascination (emotions) and interest (intellect) to achieve beautiful astonishment in a unique mo ment of com munion.

Day 315 – September 11

Magic and Philosophy

Magic is linke d to philosophy in many ways. Last but by no means least experiencing a performance of conjuring will shake apparent securities.

Day 316 – September 12

To Get to a One-d igit Number

«Name any number fro m 1 to 52. Since we nee d a one-digit number for this experiment, we will add the dig its.» Regardless of which number the spectator names, you’ll end up with the require d 1-d igit number. Another rationale, «We nee d a mag ic number. Please name any number fro m 1 to 52. Since mag ic numbers only have one dig it, we will add the dig its of your number to arrive at it.”

Day 317 – September 13

To Force the Number 26

Place 12 cards, Ace to Queen, in order. Hold packet face down (Ace is top card). Run six cards, throw res t on top. Charlier Shuffle (face up!) and have spectator cut packet as often as he likes. Deal cards into three packets. Value of cards in each packet (J=11, Q=12) will ad up to 26. (Richard Vollmer)

Day 318 – September 14

Self-Deception

Whenever yo u can safely do so, let the au dience draw its own conclusions. Rather than saying, «I’m shuffling the cards», call attention to the action with a funny line, some bit of business etc. (Nelms, «Mag ic and Showmanship», p. 202)

Day 319 – September 15

Professional’s Credo

«The true professional artist at all times knows what the au dience is thinking.» (Dai Vernon)

Day 320 – September 16

Convincing Deal Force

Force card is second from top. False shuffle and cut, then have spectator deal card s face down in a packet on table. As soon as he deals firs t two card s, tell him thathe may reshuffle card s held in hands, and that he may deal gro ups of card s, and also he may deal card s from any part of deck. When he stops have him discard balance of deck, take tabled packet, bury the top and bottom card for safety, and then look at the bottom card - this will be force card. Have him shuffle all card s together…

Axiom of Art

Day 321 – September 17

«Perfection is not achieved when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to take away.» (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)

Black Art

Day 322 – September 18

Wear black underwear when you perfor m. If your zip happens to be open partially, there will be much less of a «flash».

The Great Flydini (Steve Martin)

Auto-Fo oling

Day 323 – September 19

A painter can create a painting, look at it and be please d. A musician can compose and play a piece and enjoy it. But a magician cannot perfor m a trick and foo l himself. Is this absolutely true?

Can you come up with a trick that foo ls the perfor mer althoug h he knows its secret?

Day 324 – September 20

Bo dy & Mind

Pantomime is not limite d to the hands; it includes the face and body as well. It also includes your mind. In fact, what you do with your mind is even more important than what you do with your hands. (Nelms, «Magic and Showmanship», p. 281)

Day 325 – September 21

Thoughtful Deck

Show a deck of cards – maybe with an unusual back design and/or in an interes ting looking card case – and say, «This is a deck where the cards know what you are thinking…» What an intriguing statement... How is that?

Day 326 – September 22

Simplify Co mplexity

«You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a ver y, ver y long cat. Yo u pull his tail in New York and his head is meow ing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And rad io operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat.» (Einstein)

Day 327 – September 23

Stating the Obvious?

As yo u intro duce each prop, identify it by name. No matter how co mmonplace it is, never assume the spectators can recognize it. (Nelms, «Mag ic and Showmanship», p. 280)

Unknown

Day 328 – September 24

Giobbi lecturing at 31 Faces North in Toronto to a gro up of unknown magicians…

Day 329 – September 25

Horoscope and Other Beliefs

«Do you know those people who read the horoscope in the newspaper, saying they don’t believe in it, but still read it to pro ve to themselves that it isn’t true?» Continue, «With what you are abo ut to see now, it doesn’t matter whether you believe it or not…» Come up with a trick to match these opening lines.

Day 330 – September 26

Spectator Peek Force

Go od if you mus t force same card on several spectators without they seeing each other’s card: Using Spectator’s Peek have 1st spectator peek at card and hold little finger break under it. Approach 2nd spectator and repeat procedure - it will be quite easy to stop at break, thus forcing card abo ve it. Repeat for next spectator. Eventually control to bottom with Overhand Shuffle («Post-peek Overhand Shuffle Control» in Card College 1, p. 74).

Day 331 – September 27

Mine is Bigger Than Yo urs

Bicycle Rider Backs have different sizes: Jumbo, Standard Poker Size, Standard Bri dge Size, Miniature. Place the decks in their cases one next to the other. What interes ting trick can you come up with by looking at this image?

On Art

Day 332 – September 28

«The means of expression can beco me so exquisite that yo u wind up expressing nothing.» (Dai Vernon)

On Openers

Day 333 – September 29

A go od opening number sho uld gain attention, establish the personality of the perfor mer and the atmosp here of his act, and convince the au dience that the act will be worth watching. (Nelms, «Magic and Showmanship», p. 237)

Skill Kills

Day 334 – September 30

«The mo ment the skill of the artist is perceive d, the spell of the art is broken.» (Macaulay)

Day 335 – October 1

Simultaneo us Magic

In simultaneous chess a Chess Master plays against a number of players by go ing from player to player and making his mo ve. Can you come up with a simultaneous magic piece?

Fresh Force

Day 336 – October 2

To force one of 4 face up Kings say, «Here are 4 Kings: one is fat, one is thin, one is tall, and one has a naughty twinkle in his eye. Which one do you want?» Have him pick a characteristic, and then simply give him the one you want to force, «The fat one? OK, that’s the King of Hearts!»

Day 337 – October 3

Add-on With a Gag

Dribble or spring the cards from hand to hand looking at spectator with an inquiring look, «1...26...52, correct?» Regardless of what he answers, say, «No, one is missing...» Reach into card case, take out one (or more...) missing card(s) and ad it to deck. Proceed with whatever you planned (e.g. Criss-cross Force). Instead of in case, cards to be added can also be in pocket, wallet etc. For some applications it mig ht be wise to briefly false shuffle and false cut deck at this point.

Day 338 – October 4

Interdisciplinar y Truth

«Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupid ity; and I'm not sure about the universe.» (Albert Einstein) Applies universally, unfortunately also to magic.

Denis Behr: See also "PushBack Deal" in "Tools of the Trade" by Chuck Smith.

Nth Deal

Day 339 – October 5

Method of dealing 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th or even 7th card from top: Hold deck in Dealing Position and as soon as you know which card should be dealt - e.g. the 5th - obtain break under 5th (e.g. Pinkie Count). Left thumb pushes over entire 5-card-block as if dealing one card. Immediately right hand seizes block at outer right corner, middle finger on index of 5th card, thumb opposite on back of top card and forefinger at outer end near corner. Right thumb pushes top 4 card s back to left as middle finger extracts 5th card. This is kind of Pinch Grip and is very easy and safe. Immediately take card and sail to table.

Day 340 – October 6

Force Verbal Strategy

Whenever you nee d to force a red (or black) card: «I’m sending you a card. First I'll send you the color red or black. Which one did you receive?» If cor rect, «OK, that's exactly what I sent you.» If wrong, «We nee d to practice this a bit more - I actually sent you red.»

Turkducken

Day 341 – October 7

«Portemanteau» words, or «mots valise» (e.g. smog fro m smoke and fog ) are quite magical in themselves. What idea does that sugges t?

Day 342 – October 8

An Idea for Turkducken with Cards

«A deck of cards contains red s and blacks, the red s contain Hearts and Diamond s, the Hearts contain spot and picture cards, the picture cards contain female and male cards, the male cards a King and a Jack, and the Jack contains, of course…»

Day 343 – October 9

Magic is Surreal

Mag ic is to the perfor ming arts what sur realism is to the fine arts. Photo by Tho mas Barbèy

Day 344 – October 10

Putting Simplicity Into a Co mplex (Mag ic) World «Ever ything sho uld be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler.» This Einstein quote, to me, expresses in a nutshell what great magic construction – technical, dramatical, psycho log ical - is abo ut.

Day 345 – October 11

Haymow Shuffle

Explain the Haymow Overhand Shuffle Run-up (2x+1, x-1, x, 1, 2x) and thus openly set-up 5 cards. Since the shuffling procedure is a set sequence, 25 cards can be stacke d-culled. As a bonus, the order and position of the bottom 27 cards are not dis turbed. (See Dai Vernon’s «Poker Demonstration»)

Miraskilled

Day 346 – October 12

When discarding the red-black pairs after they have been shown, configure the red s and the blacks in the discard so that they can be strippe d out in a series of shuffles and cuts at the end when all the cards are assemble d. This was firs t mentioned to me by Max Maven when discussing advanced variations on Stewart James’s Miraskill, but is a polyvalent concept.

Day 347 – October 13

To Replace Palmed Cards - Applause, Applause

Cards to be replaced are palme d in rig ht hand. After spectator has counte d some cards on your left hand, look at her and then into aud ience, saying, «Thank you! Let's give her a nice round of applause.» To illustrate tap cards in your left hand in applause ges ture with the rig ht hand, thereby replacing cards. (Dai Vernon lecture Munich 1982)

Raj Madhok: Kurotsuki anyone?

Day 348 – October 14

What is a go od year ?

The Ro mans had a cus tom of throw ing different colore d stones into an urn every day; a white stone if they’d had a lucky day, a black stone if they’d had been unlucky. At the end of the year, they added up the stones to figure out if it had been a lucky year or an unlucky one.

Day 349 – October 15

Creative Problem So lving

«Do not wor ry abo ut your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater.» (Einstein) The further you progress in magic, the more complexity you’ll recognize, the more questions you’ll ask and the more problems you’ll have to solve. This requires creativity and is the true path to originality.

Day 350 – October 16

Ar mpit Ho ld-o ut

When pulling back sleeves, leave palme d card(s) under armpit and regain later. To regain either repeat actions, cross your arms or turn your back to the aud ience with a pretext (e.g., «Lo ok at the card and show it to everyone; I don’t want to see it…»).

Day 351 – October 17

Dramatic Reverse

Take a trick yo u already do, or have invented for this purpose, and start its performance at the end go ing through to the beg inning. Is this possible at all?

Wonder

Day 352 – October 18

«People travel to wonder at the height of the mo untains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of rivers, at the vas t compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and they pass themselves by without wondering.» (St. Augustine)

Day 353 – October 19

Fan & Replace

Card s to be replaced are in Gambler's Cop. Place deck into left hand and im me diately execute two-handed fan, co vering palmed card s. In closing fan, card s are adde d to botto m of deck.

Day 354 – October 20

Psssst, It’s A Secret

What is Kaufman telling Giobbi that Elmsley is not allowed to hear ?

Day 355 – October 21

Triakophobia

Triakop hobia is the fear of numbers - the science of it is triakology. It is said that magic tricks with numbers and lots of co unting proce dures are an effective therapy against it…

Day 356 – October 22

To Replace Palmed Card s Jiggle Replacement Deck is held in Dealing Position, cards are palme d in rig ht hand. Use an action similar to the «Jigg le Pass», and in the action of the «jigg le», the palme d cards imperceptibly fall fro m the rig ht hand on top of the deck.

Day 357 – October 23

Eins tein on Magic

Einstein said, «One of mankind’s greates t problems is a perfection of means, and a confusion of ends.» To me this so unds as if he was talking about magic…

Day 358 – October 24

Virtual Mosaic Portrait By Ken Knowlton, based on a photo by Zakary Belamy, consisting of snippets of the ca. 60 books in 6 languages by Roberto Giobbi:

Day 359 – October 25

Art & Change

«Art cannot change the world, only people can. But art can change people.» Can this ever be applied to magic? Maybe it already can. How and why?

Day 360 – October 26

Small is Beautiful

«Any intelligent foo l can make things bigger, more co mplex, and more vio lent. It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction.» (E. F. Schumacher, author of Small is Beautiful)

Day 361 – October 27

Fre d Robinson on Botto m & Center Dealing

Here is what Fre d Robinson personally taught me in London, DEC 1982: Do the nor mal deals toward s the rig ht, but when you do the False Deal turn toward s the left. 1. This hides the dealing action with the back of the rig ht hand. 2. The left hand, which holds the deck, draws it away fro m the dealing rig ht hand, which holds onto the card and draws only slig htly.

Day 362 – October 28

The Card Act of Hofzinser’s Grandfather

Show your aud ience the photo of Chardin’s painting depicting Hofzinser’s grandfather perfor ming a card trick for children. Do you know what he is abo ut to do? What could his card act of abo ut 20 minutes have been (in ca. 1750)?

On Magic 1

Day 363 – October 29

«The magic must be ver y goo d, but the artist nee ds to be better than the magic.» (René Lavand)

On Magic 2

Day 364 – October 30

«A lot of work is require d to make something look simple.» (Anonymo us) One-liner camel by Picasso

On Magic 3

Day 365 – October 31

«So mebody hands him a deck of cards, he throws away the crutches and flies away with the magic.»

Day 366 – November 1

What is Meaning in Magic? «Showmanship brings out the meaning of a perfor mance.» (Nelms, «Mag ic and Showmanship», p. 9) Is there more to it?

Day 367 – November 2

To Force 16th Card Fro m the Top

Ask spectator to cut off «about half the deck» (he must cut minimum 16 and maximum 32). Do an Anti-Faro by outjogging every second card and discarding the injogge d cards. Repeat until only one card is left - this will be the force card. Bonus: Assume the 4 Aces are positoned at 1, 2, 4 & 16, then the top card of firs t 3 discarded packets will be 3 Aces, and the 16th is the fourth Ace.

Day 368 – November 3

Unconscio us Co mpetence

The centipede was happy, quite Until the frog in fun Sai d, pray, which leg comes after which? This set his mind in such a pitch He lay dis tresse d in a ditch Figuring how to run. (anonymous)

Day 369 – November 4

Sig ht Gag For Children

Stand on a chair and put both hands into tro users pocket. Suddenly pull out both hands and show each one holding a sock. Pull up tro users legs and show your socks are missing. Ver y funny if done for small children.

On Practice

Day 370 – November 5

«I am not only responsible for maintaining the standard of my technique in playing the vio lin as long as possible - I must also strive to improve it, to make it more accurate and smo oth in order for it to continuously meet my expectations as a means of expression.» (Yehud i Menuhin)

Day 371 – November 6

OOTW Presentation Idea

When presenting «O ut Of This World» use a metrono me and have spectator deal the cards to the rhythm of it. There are free apps for smartphone and tablet (e.g. iBeat).

Day 372 – November 7

The Climax is Only a Climax…

«N o matter how breath-taking the climax may be, it comes at the end. Hence it has no effect on the interest while the trick is go ing on.» (Nelms, «Magic and Showmanship», p. 36)

Spare Card

Day 373 – November 8

An uncut sheet of playing card s has 8 rows with 7 card s each, totaling 56 card s. A deck nor mally consists of 52 card s plus 3 card s (mostly 2 Jokers plus an advertising card etc.), totaling 55 card s. One card is left over, which the cutting machine in the factory auto matically discard s this card is thrown away. This is an excellent way to justify extra card s assembled in a packet that have strange properties...

Day 374 – November 9

Act Differently

If you want to do something better, you have to do it differently. It is one thing to understand the meaning of an utterance, but it is a completely different thing to transform it into a skill. Think abo ut how you can do that whenever you read an idea you want to ins tall.

Day 375 – November 10

The Magic Tester

For a year I use d to be a res taurant tes ter. Could there be a «Magic Tes ter» giving fro m one to five stars to magic tricks? How abo ut starting with a one-star trick, that everybody sees throug h, and then say, MAGIC w «Let me now sho you a five-star magic piece!»

Day 376 – November 11

Go od Magic & Go od Magician The secret of all goo d magic, Arturo de Ascanio once sai d, is Practice, Med itation and Love («practica, me ditación y amor»). And he also sai d that a goo d magician nee ds Hands, Head and Smile («manos, cabeza y sonrisa»). (Paviato, Ascanio, Giobbi, Benatar at Escorial ca. 1985)

Classy Pen

Day 377 – November 12

Use an elegant looking marker to have cards signed. Sharpie has inexpensive markers in an all-chrome casing. For elegant pens that can contain a Sharpie marker (any color – remember green is bes t in most cases) see also: http://www.sherpapen.com

Day 378 – November 13

Practical Classy Pen

In reference to yes terday’s «Classy Prop»: Since the Sharpie dries out if kept inside the pen too long, I car ry them together in a leather pencil case and assemble them when necessary.

Day 379 – November 14

The Formula for Magic Tho mas Keller, one of the world’s top chefs, says: d ients great ingre paration + great pre _______ _________ od = great fo

Can you find an equally simple for mula for magic?

Day 380 – November 15

Multiple Lift Get-ready

Hold deck in Elevated Dealing Position (!) and riffle up the inner end with the right thumb obtaining break under necessary card s. If more than two are nee ded, look down for safety, justifying this by saying e.g., «Yo ur card is somewhere in the deck…». Immediately follow by lowering deck to nor mal Dealing Position, looking up and riffling outer end, «…but I swear I have no idea which one it is.» Introduce a positive insertion before doing the lift.

Day 381 – November 16

Art & Artis t

Refer ring to an utterance once made by Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968), I wo uld say, «I believe not so much in the art of magic, but I believe in magical artists.»

Day 382 – November 17

Artis t’s Genealogy

Choose a magician you admire and then stu dy his life and work. Research who influenced him, and also whom he influenced. Stu dy the life and works of those, too. And so on, creating a genealog ical tree.

Ian Kendall: Heh. You wouldn't believe the flak I got on a forum for saying this last year :)

It’s the Lo ok

Day 383 – November 18

When obtaining get-ready for Double Lift, look at aud ience. Look down as right hand approaches top card to be turned over. Look up as you flip card face up. Look again down at card, naming it, after it has landed safely on deck (with or without break). Look up when turning double back. Finally look down when dealing it to table. Apply insight gained fro m this to other techniques.

Day 384 – November 19

It's All About Sharing

«If I give you a Do llar, and you give me a Do llar, we both have again a Do llar. But if I give you and idea, and you give me an idea, we both have two ideas.» So wrote Harlan Tarbell in his legendary «Tarbell Course in Magic», and that's what it is all abo ut - sharing knowledge, experience, enthusiasm.

On Art

Day 385 – November 20

«Everybody is an aritst.» Josep h Heinrich Beuys (1921-1986)

Day 386 – November 21

Magic Atmosphere

«Atmosphere contro ls the state of mind in which the spectators view yo ur performance.» (Nelms, «Mag ic and Showmanship», p. 30)

Day 387 – November 22

Quality Contro l

In order to find out if a deck of cards is complete at the end of the manufacturing and assembling process in a card plant, the deck is weighted. They can thus determine if a card is missing or if there is one too many; in this case the deck is automatically discarded, des troyed and the materials recycle d. (Seen at Heraclio Fournier card plant, hig h-security division for casino playing cards, Vitoria, Spain)

Day 388 – November 23

Little Known Ambitious

A card is reversed on bottom of face down deck. Cut top half of deck to the table. Turn top card of lower half face up. As it is turned face down, use Double Deal to take & turn top and bottom cards together. Deal top x card on tabled packet, drop res t on top – show Ambitious Card back on top. (Bill Kalush in Lorayne’s «Apocalypse», p. 1616)

Murder

Day 389 – November 24

I had one of my best steaks at Chicago Cut Steakhouse. But as a starter I took «Lobsterscargot”, being Maine lobster tail pieces with parsley-garlic-butter, gratiné with cheese! This was a gastronomical crime: you could taste everything, except the lobster, the most expensive and important ingredient. Most comedy is the gratiné cheese of magic…

Magic Murder

Day 390 – November 25

In reference to yesterday’s entry on gastronomical murder, I am reminded of Vernon’s now famous utterance on the formal aspects of magic: «The means of expression can become so exquisite, that you end up expressing nothing.» It also reminds me of some salad dressings, which are toppings rather than marriage-brokers - especially in the New World…

Day 391 – November 26

Recommended Non-magic Book

Chandler, Charlotte, «Hello, I Must Be Going», Doubleday & Co., New York 1978. This biography about Groucho Marx in particular and the Marx Brothers in general must be one of the best pieces about this comic genius. The great thing about the book is that you will not even notice how much you learn because it is so much fun and still get more out of it than if you read a self-help book.

Day 392 – November 27

Letter From a Fan

Explain that you occasionally receive letters of fans. Take one out and read a few amusing remarks. Then say your fan wrote a list of cards, which are his/her favorite cards, and asks if you could do a trick with them. Have a spectator read out the list and take them out (this can be a hard to remember set-up…). Furthermore, as you do, you can arrange the rest of the cards into reds & blacks, or any smaller groups.

Day 393 – November 28

Details Are No Detail «Attention to detail is the essence of expert showmanship.» (Nelms, «Magic and Showmanship», p. 137)

Day 394 – November 29

Replace «Surrealism» With «Magic»

«Surrealism provides humanity with a metho d and a mental approach favorable to the investigation of areas that have been deliberately ignored or despised, and yet are of direct concern to humanity.» (René Magritte, «Lifeline» lecture, 1938)

Day 395 – November 30

Double Lift Substitute

Ribbon spread deck face up on table, but side-jog top card to the right. Take any card from spread chosen by spectator and scoop up spread with it: this brings card second from the top, where it can be re-shown with a Double Lift. Several cards can be side-jogged...

Day 396 – December 1

Innocent Handling

«The most effective metho d of deceiving attention consis ts in handling all devices casually (...and all techniques, I sho uld add). Casual treatment sho uld be applie d to everything that may aro use suspicion.» (Nelms, «Magic and Showmanship», p. 202)

Day 397 – December 2

Free Lecture Notes for Every Lecture Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) on the subject of travel gui des says: «For every traveler who has a taste of his own, the only useful gui debook will be one which he himself has written.» It seems to me that this tho ught applies one to one for anyone attending a lecture.

Day 398 – December 3

Smart Card Easel

Use yo ur smartphone or tablet as an impro mptu stand to display one or several cards. Can yo u think of other everyday objects to be use d as a stand?

Day 399 – December 4

C’est la Classe!

I use d to think that class comes fro m the props I was using and the dress I was wearing. Today I believe that it is the other way round: for mal aspects are merely an expression of somebo dy who has class to beg in with – class comes fro m inside and has various ways of expression. (Unfortunately and to some degree it also works the other way round… but «they» notice.)

Day 400 – December 5

Mo ving at the Table

«W hen yo u reach for something while seated, rock for ward on yo ur hipbones. Watch yo ur feet in the same way as when yo u are stand ing.» (Nelms, «Mag ic and Showmanship», p. 307)

Day 401 – December 6

Po or Man’s Bang

If you nee d to pro duce a «bang» sound (Henry Christ’s «Dead Man’s Hand»!), take a blis ter sheet use d to wrap and protect objects in parcels. Use the big ones with a diameter of abo ut half an inch. Cut out one such blis ter, hide it in your hand, and then pop it at the appropriate mo ment by simply pressing with your thumb.

Eins tein

Day 402 – December 7

Albert Einstein was an ingenious man. It seems that he liked ingenious magic, so he must have liked card magic… it is sai d he use d to perfor m a few excellent card tricks for his nep hew, and it is sai d that they were «relatively goo d»… What do you think he perfor me d?

Day 403 – December 8

In Lieu of the Crimp

Ins tead of using a crimped card as (key card) locator, use one of the advertising cards, or a reversed Joker, abo ve or below a selection. After a shuffle spread throug h the deck and discard the «unnecessary cards», thereby sur reptitiously contro lling the selection.

Max Maven: Nonsense!

Timing

Day 404 – December 9

«W hen an action acco mpanies a speech, they should start and stop together.» (Nelms, «Mag ic and Showmanship», p. 289)

Priorities

Day 405 – December 10

The 5 pillars of a goo d magic perfor mance, in order of relevance: • Person (the real YOU, not a role) • Effect (strong & memorable) • Method (elegant & impenetrable) • Stag ing & Presentation (fascinating, intelligent & com municative) • Handling (artistic)

Day 406 – December 11

Be Authentic

«N o line, however clever, is go od unless it so unds spontaneous.» (Nelms, «Mag ic and Showmanship», p. 269)

Day 407 – December 12

Keller’s Ri ddle

Tho mas Keller in his foreword to «ad hoc at home» asks, «W hat is the difference between salt & pepper ?» What do you think? And how wo uld you relate it to magic?

Day 408 – December 13

Answer to Keller’s Ri ddle Salt enhances the pro duct’s inherent characteristics (flavors), pepper is a spice that is put on top and adds a flavor. Ascanio maintained that technique (method & handling) and presentation are like salt & pepper.

Day 409 – December 14

The Magic of a Card Game

Take a book on card games, find an unusual one, and then create a card routine aro und it. The presentation could explain how the game works, its history, strategy, etc., and then have a kicker or magical end ing similar to a many gambling routines.

Max Maven: Um, I think I agree.

Day 410 – December 15

Art is Purposeless

Artistic magic doesn’t want to car ry away the aud ience into another world, but rather show the world fro m another point of view. A secondary effect mig ht be that they are entertaine d, however, this is not the primary goal. (Roberto Giobbi, inspired by Max Maven’s «Parallax» column in MAGIC magazine) Agree – Disagree?

Day 411 – December 16

Punchy Prologue to a Pred iction «Pred ictions sho uld be avo ide d, especially abo ut the future.» (Mark Twain)

Day 412 – December 17

Sunday Magic

For those who practice magic every day with deter mination and a plan: on Saturdays and Sundays practice so mething witho ut im me diate use or purpose.

Great Idea

Day 413 – December 18

There is a printing technology that allows 20 different motifs to be printe d on a set of 20 business cards – see eu.moo.co m or click the attache d link: http://eu.moo.co m/about/ printfinity.html

Day 414 – December 19

Memorizing Lines

«Remember the continuity, a few key phrases, and the point. Reword the res t each time. You thus retain spontaneity.» (Nelms, «Magic and Showmanship», p. 273) Questions: Does this mean we sho uld use a script or not? Does one exclude the other? Can we write a script and still not «use» it?

Day 415 – December 20

It Is No Picnic

Imperceptible licking technique by anonymous perfor mer at a magic co mpetition…

Waste Jokers

Day 416 – December 21

Show a bunch of Jokers, explaining that you use d to throw the Jokers away fro m each new deck. But recently you have found an incred ible use for them. Have you really? What abo ut the guarantee card and the other cards that you use d to remove fro m the deck each time you opened a new pack? How convenient that you have finally found a use for them, too, haven’t you?

Day 417 – December 22

Injog or Outjog?

Dai Vernon repeatedly claime d that an outjog is better than an injog. Why do yo u think is that so?

Speech

Day 418 – December 23

«The impression that yo u make on an au dience depend s almos t as much on yo ur vo ice as it does on yo ur word s.» (Nelms, «Mag ic and Showmanship», p. 274)

Day 419 – December 24

A Favorite & Useful Quote

«Festina lente» (fro m Greek: speude bradeos). Literally it means «hurry slowly». It implies that activities sho uld be perfor me d with a proper balance of urgency and diligence. If tasks are rushed too quickly then mis takes are made and goo d long-term results are not achieve d. Work is bes t done in a state of flow in which one is fully engage d by the task and there is no sense of time passing.

Day 420 – December 25

Ho liday Quote

I’m not a religious person, in the sense that I don’t believe in a Go d, neither am I a believer in New Age sur rogates, but I certainly believe that our life is do minate d by our tho ughts and acts, and that we are responsible for them (most of us, most of the time).

Day 421 – December 26

Display of Dexterity

There are many differ ences between craft and art, but I believe that two major ones lie therein that art transcend s an open display of dexterity and an im me diate utility.

Day 422 – December 27

Fantas tic Foreword s

Reread only the foreword s of some of your books. Among my favorites are: Persi Diaconis in «Revelations» (1984 ed ition), Stephen Minch in «New Era Card Tricks» (2004 ed ition), my own in «Card Co llege Vo lume 3» and in «Secret Agenda».

Diploma

Day 423 – December 28

After having performed your miracle, ably assisted by a spectator fro m the aud ience, you hand the latter a diplo ma sum ming up in detail what she did and how impossible the outcome was. What an excellent way of extending the mag ical experience in time and allowing your assistant and anybody she shows the diploma to, to relive an extraordinary moment in the person’s life. To what piece of yours would you best apply this idea?

Day 424 – December 29

To Slim a Card

To roll a playing card into a cigarette or to get it into a similarly tig ht place, try using the ultra-thin cards ins tead of a normal card. Even if you later give it away, due to its altere d state, it will hardly be recognize d as a special card, let alone aro use suspicion.

Untitled

Day 425 – December 30

JR Russell: feels like the ending of the Truman Show• • now what do I do without my daily tweet!

Day 426 – December 31

Possibly My All-time Favorite Quote «If yo u see a worthy man, imitate him. If yo u see an unworthy man, examine yourself.» (Confucius)