Pagliacci

MTV Crap

2009-02-14T16:57:00.002-05:00

This is beautiful magic: it's well thought out, perfectly choreographed, and gorgeous to watch. America's Best Dance Crew had an "illusion challenge week," with Franz Harary giving/teach each group an illusion to incorporate into their dance routine for the week.

The video of this group's routine (which incorporated a Floating Ball) has spread like wildfire over the Web - proof that people really do love a good illusion and being astonished:

Flirting with Magic

2008-12-23T23:55:00.003-05:00

Watch and learn.

New Reality Crap

2008-07-02T04:46:00.002-04:00

Evidently, casting has begun for a new reality show to find the next great box jumper:

http://newyork.craigslist.org/stn/tlg/734159799.html

With the "success" of Celebracadabra, I can't imagine a show about magicians' assistants getting too popular. Thoughts?

Street Crap

2008-04-15T01:38:00.000-04:00

Oh street magic... how easy ye are to parody. (Stick around until the end.)

The Crap is Right

2008-04-09T02:30:00.003-04:00

Formerly "the Internet's Most Downloaded Woman", Cindy Margolis is finally revealing her secret talent to the public.

No, not that talent, you perv.

She's on CBS' new reality TV program, Secret Talents of the Stars, and for her secret talent she's performing magic.

I have no idea if she's going to be good or not, but I'm hoping for three things: (1) she doesn't debase magic ("Wow, magic is so easy!"), (2) she (or CBS) doesn't give away the secret of whatever trick she's doing ("Whoops!"), and (3) it involves cleavage in some way.

Besides, the real magic is that she looks absolutely nothing like the way she was born:

(Picture from http://www.idontlikeyouinthatway.com)

iCrap

2008-04-02T02:06:00.003-04:00

itricks.com = "Magic News, information, & culture"
itrick.org = "100% Free Sex-Trick Management Software For Gay Men"

Coincidence? I think not.

THE RETURN

2008-03-19T20:56:00.002-04:00

In two weeks...

PAGLIACCI. IS. BACK.

Set your alarms for the return of all that Pagliacci sexiness you've been missing.

Stash your card clip, hide your sponge balls, and lock up the doves - one of the original bloggers of magic is returning.

Stay tuned.

Wine Magic

2007-10-03T20:31:00.000-04:00

Awesome video - make sure you watch until the end when he really goes for the impossible.

VIDEO: Harry Anderson

2007-09-25T15:50:00.000-04:00

Magic on the Nintendo DS

2007-09-05T03:15:00.000-04:00

Well, if you like combining technology and magic, you should look into purchasing as Nintendo DS, as a new game called (appropriately enough) "Nintendo Magic" is coming to the U.S. will not only teach you magic but will transform your DS into a magical prop! Actually makes me want to get a DS now (already have the Wii and it's incredible!)...

Click here for the article.

Uncle Magic!

2007-08-06T17:22:00.000-04:00

Enjoy.

Glad This One Isn't a Joke

2007-06-29T18:42:00.000-04:00

Actually glad to have stumbled on to Jim Sisti's blog.

I've always liked Jim's work (the Magic Menu sticking out foremost in my mind), so it's pretty cool to see a sort of travelogue of what he's been up to. Definitely worth the read.

It's also interesting to note that it's directly linked to from his official website, jimsistimagic.com, which - for the pros out there - gives you an idea of how someone can creatively market themselves on the Internet.

This Must Also Be A Joke

2007-06-27T14:57:00.000-04:00

Magic Phil Phan just started a blog... to sing his praises of Magical Phil. I have a strong feeling the two Phils are the same...

Anyways, here's a great excerpt:

"We shouldn't let out our Jewish friends, too. You could tear out a page of the Torah, burn it, and have it reappear in an envelope that is in your pocket the whole time! That would be cool! Of course, you would have to have someone sign the torn Torah page before you burn it. That would be awesome!"

First of all, the Torah doesn't have pages - it is one long scroll. Second, unless you can restore the Torah at the end, ripping a page out of it is extremely disrespectful and sacrilegious. Actually, I think a Jew would be totally appalled by this trick. It's not a question of not understanding the Jewish religion - it's simple logic: you should never rip out pages from someone's holy book (if it's the Torah, the Christian Bible, the Koran, etc.).

This Better Be A Joke

2007-06-27T04:32:00.001-04:00

No, seriously, if the blog, A Magician's Tale, is not a joke I think I may cry. I just don't want to believe that there are people claiming to be professional magicians who are like "Magical Phil."

Here's a few of my favorite quotes (and trust me - there are a crapload more):

- "Anyway, the other thing that I discovered is that the club I've been working at is not what it seems. Now, I don't want anyone to take offense at this, but I found out that it's a gay club. Now this explains a lot of things...It also explains the pictures that 'Magician X' sent me and why he kept inviting me back to his house. He wasn't there again last night so I guess, since he saw me with Kylie, he's decided I'm a lost cause... which, I think, is just as well." (from April 30th post)

- Which makes this post from April 16th go from "nice" to "absolutely hilarious":

"Once I had finished we had a good long chat again and he explained that he has been doing cigarette tricks for almost 40 years!!! He said he entered his cigarette routine in a competition years ago and won. He also told me he had done an act dressed as the bikie from the Village People, which explains one of the pictures he emailed me.

I told him about the trouble I had with the balloon swallowing and he explained that I had hit my "gag reflex" (which I thought was a joke, you know, a gag, but he was being serious). He showed me some techniques for relaxing my throat and explained that my throat and mouth need to be in a straight line.

Again, he wanted to chat more over at his place but I explained that, although I'm a professional magician, I do have another job too"

- And finally (until tomorrow when I write a little more about this):

"ALSO - I am NOT getting my magic from YouTube anymore. I get it from www.learnmagic.org okay?...Look, I'm out there performing okay? Where are you???"

Vomiting, Magical Phil. Vomiting because statements like that make me extremely, extremely nauseous.

Nightmare at the Improv

2007-06-24T05:17:00.000-04:00

Comedian Dennis Hemphill lampoons that classic of magic, "Night at the Improv." Hilarious.

This Just In!

2007-06-04T04:31:00.000-04:00

Casting for the blockbuster movie based on the Mandrake the Magician comic strip in underway and they've just cast Criss Angel as Mandrake!

From FilmWad.com, via Cinematical:

A real life magician playing a magician in a movie? Never, you say. Think again, we say. It looks like television's second favorite magician (The first one starts with "David" ad ends with "Blaine"), Criss Angel, will be starring in an upcoming adaptation of the depression era comic series, Mandrake the Magician. The film, which will be loosely based on the comic strip, based on Mr. Mandrake, a magician with special hypnotic powers who likes to duke it out with mad scientists and criminals. Sounds pretty tempting, in a ridiculous way.

Controversy is sure to surround the production methods, which as of this writing call for a "limited use" of CGI to enhace Mr. Angel's performance. Seems a bit like taking Viagra before a porno shoot. Probably done, but never talked about. Could this bekon a backlash from Criss Angel's devoted fans and magician apprentices? God we hope not. I really don't think that the world could possibly handle a full scale magician uprising. Yowza!

What do you guys think about this casting?

Just a Thought

2007-06-02T19:03:00.000-04:00

Can some magician out there use contemporary music as the background for their manipulation act?

What about John Mayer? Or Rufus Wainwright? Or Rooney? Or the Dandy Warhols?

Ideas anyone?

Criss Crap

2007-05-16T01:11:00.000-04:00

Criss Angel is now dating... Cameron Diaz?!?

It seems Criss has joined the ranks of David Blaine and David Copperfield in terms of magicians who have dated extraordinarily attractive women.

From the hilarious WWTDD:

People.com says that magician Criss Angel is maybe sorta dating Cameron Diaz now. They went out Saturday (pictured) and Monday night in Las Vegas, and Diaz was supposed to go back to LA Sunday but decided instead to stay until today. All of which should be humiliating for Diaz but doesn't appear to be. People says:

The pair began their evening with dinner at the Bellagio's Prime steakhouse, then rode to the Mirage in Angel's Rolls Royce for the 10:30 p.m. performance of Cirque du Soleil's Beatles tribute LOVE.
The smiling duo walked arm-in-arm into the theater through the main entrance, and throughout the show, a witness tells PEOPLE, "They were snuggling with each other and he was making her laugh. They seemed really happy."
After the final curtain, the pair headed backstage and greeted the cast until just before midnight before leaving through a side door and disappearing into the night in Angel's car.

Criss Angel ranks somewhere around "good" as a magician, but Cameron Diaz is borderline retarded, so this should work out nicely. He probably pulled a quarter from her ear and now she thinks he's come here from a distant world to learn about love. But Criss might wanna go slow with the tricks. Last week a guy opened a lighter and she screamed "SORCERER!" while throwing stuff at him. That went on for 10 minutes.

"Oh Crap!": When Magic Tricks Go Wrong

2007-03-06T14:14:00.000-05:00

Here's a really interesting link, with 8 videos of magic tricks going horribly awry:

When Good Tricks Go Bad

What the Crap?

2007-02-19T20:01:00.000-05:00

According to an article on the Hollywood Rag, Dutch magician, Hans Klock (his official website is here is teaming up with Carmen Electra to put on a magic show at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino (formerly the Aladdin, home base for the now-Luxor-fied Criss Angel).

Carmen Electra + Magic show = Every 13-year-old magician's wet dream

New Feature: Weekly Warm-Up

2007-02-18T12:08:00.000-05:00

I frequent a lot of blogs (mostly tech blogs, like engadget.com and techeblog.com) and a few of them have a really cool feature called the "Warm-Up" (like nintendowiifanboy.com - oops, I'm giving away my secret passion). I'm going to modify it slightly (make it once a week instead of once a day), but the idea is the same: I post a question and everyone posts their opinion in the comments section about it. It's a neat way to see how everyone in the magic world feels about an issue.

Weekly Warm-Up: How is the Internet (blogging, Youtube, etc.) changing magic? Is it for the better or for the worse?

Getting My Crap Together

2007-02-16T17:05:00.000-05:00

Check out the brand-spankin' new look for Pagliacci! What do you guys think?

(Plus, I fixed the bug that's been making it difficult to write comments. It should work perfectly now.)

Barry and Stuart Video Clips

2007-02-09T11:16:00.000-05:00

After reading a post on Magic Unlimited about Barry and Stuart, a duo of Scottish magicians who are part Derren Brown and part Penn and Teller, I did a little digging and found some fantastic magic videos. (Also, if you'd like more information on these magicians, you can check out their official website or just cruise on over to the Wikipedia entry on them.) I haven't been this excited about watching a magician's (or magicians') clip since Cyril (this blog being the place where the videos were popularized). Here are some choice clips:

Stuart learns how to say something backwards so that - in reverse - you get quite an eery effect (it's known as "backmasking" - thanks Wikipedia!). Also, notice how the effect is still magical - even though you've seen the trick's end, you're still surprised by its beginning. An amazing two pieces.

Reverse Magic 1

Reverse Magic 2

The Coffin trick (creepy, Derrin-Brown-esque mentalism)

Stuart and Barry also put together a special called The Magic of Jesus in which they performed some of Jesus's miracles through magic. Here are three clips from that show:

Walking on Water

Raising the Dead

Catching the Many Fish

Barry and Stuart had a sequel to The Magic of Jesus called Tricks from the Bible. Here's a trick from that special:

The Ten Plagues

* I will say I was uncomfortable with this trick, as the spectators were, in my opinion, mistreated. You'll also notice the similarities (even in the staging behind the screen with Penn and Teller's bee production illusion).

Barry and Stuart are really funny, especially in the way they work as a team. Here are three comedy pieces:

Mugging

Corpse Disposal Kit

Smoking is Cool

Porno Magic Trick (NSFW)

And last but not least, one of my absolute favorites...

African Charity

Secrets of Comedy: The Contrast Rule

2007-01-31T19:16:00.000-05:00

A recent study published in the APA's Monitor on Psychology found that all things funny can be boiled down to one factor: contrast. The most obvious forms of contrast are physical, visual (a fat man trying to put on a really tiny bikini, for example). But there can also be contrast with expectations (you expect the joke to end one way, but instead you are surprised with how much the actual ending constrasts with the predicted ending).

Here's the take-away rule: the more contrast, the more funny.

Now, I'm not saying this is a hard-and-fast rule (in fact, a lot of good comedy is funny because it breaks rules), but it is a good thing to keep in mind when trying to make a joke funnier.

Example:

Carl Andrews has a funny spongeball bit in which he places three sponge balls in the spectator's hand (they think it's two) and places an "invisible" sponge ball in his own hand. Then he makes motions and says things that seem to insinuate that the sponge ball will actually materialize in his hand. The punchline occurs when he opens his hand and says, "Vanished!" (Directly afterwards, he directs the audience's attention to the spectator's hand, where the invisible ball not only rematerialized, but joined the other two visible balls.)

How can we use the contrast rule? The longer and more involved the sequence is in which the invisible ball is placed in the magician's hand and the longer the build-up is before the "appearance" (which turns out to be a vanish), the funnier the bit. It's one thing to say "Hey, there's an invisible ball in my hand - look it's gone!" It's a whole different things to say, "I'm going to put this invisible ball in my hand. Did you see anything go into my hand? You sure I didn't sneak anything in here? Because in a moment, you're going to want to remember whether or not I had time to sneak in a regular sponge ball. So watch this - no funny moves - a few snaps and... you're not going to believe this... VANISHED!" The audience is expected the appearance of the ball, so the more you can make this their expectation (by building it up), the greater the contrast with the actual ending. The greater the contrast, the greater the funny!

Criss Crap

2007-01-10T15:25:00.000-05:00

First, in case you guys didn't know, Criss is now working at the Luxor Hotel, where he'll be filming the third season of Mindfreak and putting on a $200 million stage show (that figure makes it the most expensive Las Vegas show ever). The negotiations for the stage show are not complete yet, but, despite an article on iTricks (read it here), my sources tell me that things are looking positively. (You can also check here for more info.)

Also, check out this article: Criss Angel Attacked in Vegas by 200 Pound Dominatrix. Fun stuff!

Michael Jackson Crap

2007-01-04T18:25:00.000-05:00

Is it just me or is this patent for Michael Jackson for an "method and means for an anti-gravity illusion" look familiar? Did this idea get ripped off from a magican or have we all been doing Michael Jackson's trick for years without knowing it?

Psychic Crap

2006-12-15T03:14:00.000-05:00

It's people like Sylvia Browne that show us why we need people like Houdini and Penn and Teller to call their bullshit.

Sylvia Browne Screws Up Big Time on Montel Williams

Blaine Crap

2006-11-29T02:37:00.000-05:00

The funniest magic parody I've seen in a long, long time. Watch the video to the end!

Getting Back on the Horse and Crap: A Preview

2006-11-23T13:49:00.000-05:00

Well, I think my little "blogging vacation" is at its end - it's time to post again!

What can you look forward to in the next few days?
- How to be funny (from the stand-up comedy perspective)
- How to do a trick 5,000 times and not get bored with it
- Going from close-up magic to stage magic

I've also got a few surprises up my sleeve, so start checking back more often, y'hear?

P.S. If there's something you'd like me to write about, send me an e-mail at i_am_pagliacci@hotmail.com.

Looking Glass Contest Winner

2006-10-28T16:54:00.000-04:00

The winner of the Looking Glass Contest is...

John (of Magic Utopia) fame for his great paddle move-mirror routine! (Expect an e-mail from me soon!)

Looking Glass Contest Deadline

2006-10-16T01:38:00.000-04:00

The contest will end Friday, October 20th, at 12 noon. Make sure to send in your submissions by then!

The Looking Glass Wars Contest

2006-10-07T15:49:00.000-04:00

The Looking Glass Wars turns the classic story of Alice in Wonderland on its head: the story we know as Alice in Wonderland was Lewis Carroll's rendition of what Alyss told him; however, we find out at the beginning of the book that Carroll got it all wrong. Turns out Alyss is actually from Wonderland, having been transported to Earth to protect her from her evil aunt, Aunt Redd. With the help of Hatter M., can Alyss save Wonderland?

Like the book, Wicked, which re-invented the world of Oz for our generation, The Looking Glass Wars attempts to do the same thing to Carroll's world of fantasy.

If anything, the depiction of playing card soldiers should fuel some creative thought for new presentations of your favorite card tricks. (A trick involving dueling cards? A war of cards maybe?)

Well, it just so happens that I have an extra copy of The Looking Glass Wars, as well as the soundtrack CD. I'm going to give it away through the blog through the following contest:

Submit a trick (method and presentation) dealing with the theme of Alice in Wonderland and/or The Looking Glass Wars. Check out the website for the book for further inspiration.

The best trick (judged on originality, creativity, and incorporation of the "Alyss" theme) wins the book and the CD!

Send all entries to i_am_pagliacci@hotmail.com.

A New Leaf

2006-10-03T01:41:00.000-04:00

I have really exciting news - a media company contacted me and asked me to give away a book and CD as a means for promoting it. The book is The Looking Glass Wars, which puts the story of Alice in Wonderland in a completely new perspective. The CD is a soundtrack inspired by the book, which is pretty cool.

So, look forward to the next post in a day or two, when I tell you guys, my loyal readers, how you can win these wonderful prizes!

I Am Sorry

2006-09-13T00:46:00.000-04:00

There's an old saying: "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." When I started this blog (as young and naive as I was), my biggest mistake was not abiding by that piece of wisdom.

Being anonymous (to some degree) allowed me to say negative, hurtful things without any real consequences. The problem is, looking back, I realize I got pretty carried away. Particularly, my comments about the overweight magician on Ellusionist (one of my first posts), Danny Hustle (a post from about a year ago), and Max Maven (more recently) were completely out of line. I have apologized before about these posts, but I feel I need to do so again - I can't apologize enough for some of these posts.

It was extremely callous and cold-hearted of me to publish the things I did, especially considering that I did not know any of them personally. In fact, months after writing the post about Danny Hustle, I actually met Danny. Having met him, I sincerely wish I could take back the negative post I wrote about him - it was ill-informed, inaccurate, and completely uncalled for. Danny is one of the sweetest and kindest guys I know and I am honored to be able to call Danny a friend. Knowing that I caused him pain creates a tremendous pain in me that I will have to deal with for a long time.

I meant for this blog to be helpful to magicians - to provide an uncensored look at an art that I am passionate about. I deviated much from that path and I am very, very sorry. Ruthlessly tearing into people for no reason is not a way to help the art, something I should have realized before I made any of the hurtful posts I did.

So, I'm going to hang up my hat for now. I'm not saying the blog is over for good, but I need to take a break and re-evaluate what I want to accomplish with this blog. The very last thing I wanted to do was hurt other magicians, so I need to stop for a while while I figure out how to avoid ever doing that again.

[NOTE: I'm in the process of deleting these horrendous and offensive posts. If I've forgotten one, please e-mail me so I can take them down.]

Coprophobia: Fear of Crap

2006-08-30T10:02:00.000-04:00

Ever wanted to know what the fear of magic is called? Well, now you know: it's rhabdophobia. (You can check out the Wiktionary definition here).

Plus, if you want to be treated for a phobia that significantly impacts both your personal and business life, click here - you'll find out how to treat this horrible disease!

Here are other real phobias I think you should be on the look out for:

Arachibutyrophobia- Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.
Asymmetriphobia- Fear of asymmetrical things.
Aulophobia- Fear of flutes.
Bolshephobia- Fear of Bolsheviks.
Chronophobia- Fear of time.
Consecotaleophobia- Fear of chopsticks.
Dutchphobia- Fear of the Dutch.
Ephebiphobia- Fear of teenagers.
Genuphobia- Fear of knees.
Lachanophobia- Fear of vegetables.
Lutraphobia- Fear of otters.
Octophobia - Fear of the figure 8.
Optophobia- Fear of opening one's eyes.
Zemmiphobia- Fear of the great mole rat.

(These all come from The Phobia List, which only lists phobias found in actual dictionaries or reference books.)

New Video Clip: Fire Crap

2006-08-16T19:53:00.000-04:00

Like Snakes on a Plane (which I can't wait for!!!), the title of this video tells you all about what's in it while still compelling you to watch it:

Wannabe Magician Sets His Face On Fire

America's Got Crap... No, Really

2006-08-02T01:22:00.000-04:00

So, despite having started out as a means for "finding the next Siegfried and Roy" (to quote Simon Cowell, who helped create the show) the two magicians in the competition who made it to the semi-final round - Elliot Zimet and Nathan Burton - were both eliminated and will not make it to the final round.

If you'd like to see the video clips though, click here and scroll down to the third week.

Trailer Crap, Part II

2006-07-23T13:05:00.000-04:00

The trailer for a second magic-themed movie is finally out: check out the trailer for The Prestige (directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale) here!

Trailer Crap

2006-07-21T19:20:00.000-04:00

The trailer for The Illusionist with Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, and Jessica Biel is now up. Click here to check it out!

Restaurant Magic: Tips or Salary?

2006-07-16T18:47:00.000-04:00

There's an interesting debate among restaurant magicians about whether it's preferable to work solely on tips or to take a salary in lieu of accepting tips. Here's a list of the pros and cons of both:

TIPS
Pros:
- More restaurants will hire you. (Since you don't work on a salary, the restaurants have nothing to lose in terms of having to pay an entertainer.)
- Magician may work harder than usual, as his/her take for the night is directly related to his/her work.
Cons:
- Restaurant may lose business, as patrons may resent being "hustled" by a magician during their meal.
- Magicians have no guarantee of making a decent living.
- Waiters become upset having to compete for tips.

SALARY
Pros:
- Makes for a more relaxed restaurant (no hustling) and more relaxed magician (no worry about tips).
- No competition between waiters and magician.
- Magicians know how much they're making in advance.
Cons:
- Magician may find it harder to get a job. (Many restaurant owners may be hesitant to spend upwards of $200-300 to have an entertainer in their restaurant.)

As you can see, it's better for everyone - the magician, the restaurant owner, the wait staff, and the customers - for a magician to work on a salary. I'm not advocating that magicians don't take tips at all; in fact, I would argue that the "Rule of 3" (refuse the tip twice but accept on the third offer) is a nice solution that allows the magician to be ethical but not offend a customer who just really wants to tip (although a magician should, at least for the first few nights he/she works, consider adding those tips to the wait staff tip jar as a goodwill gesture).

If you're still not convinced, consider this: how do you feel when a homeless person asks you for money of the street? You feel really guilty if you don't give the person money and swindled if you do - a negative emotion either way. Magicians working for tips create the same scenario - the typical customer feels guilty turning the magician away and then feels hustled when he/she is guilted into tipping. It's better for the performer and the audience when there's no guilt about tipping involved.

A bonus: explaining this reasoning to the manager of a restaurant has actually helped me secure a few restaurants jobs, as the manager recognized the thought I had put into it and the professionalism I exhibited by doing so. In the long run, getting $200-300 a night guaranteed is much better, I think, than taking a risk each night, regardless of how sure I am of my skill.

Crappity Crap Crap

2006-07-08T15:00:00.000-04:00

Crappity crap crap - I haven't posted in about 2 weeks! Argh!!!

The reason is this: I took off a few weeks from magic. I was feeling a little burned out, so I felt that it was best for my magic career to not do magic for a small while. I finished up my longstanding gigs, made sure not to accept any magic bookings, and put away my magic books and magazines. Now, after this period, I feel really, really refreshed. I feel excited again about performing magic, as well as learning and creating new magic.

Plus, I can't wait to get back into the groove of posting!

We have a whole slew of new Mindfreak specials to watch this summer; from what I've seen so far, I'm pretty pleased with the upgrade in quality of the series. The show is much better edited and more coherant - you can really tell that Criss and his team learned from past mistakes and has moved past them.

Also, have you seen the latest MAGIC Magazine? Cyril is on the cover as "magic's first cyber-celebrity." Hopefully, this blog - which was the first to really post about Cyril, identify him, and locate many of his videos scatter on the Internet - helped contribute to Cyril's cyber-celebrity.

I also noticed that Max Maven wrote the article who, if you remember, has been a reader of my blog. (He responded to my Protocol of the Elders of Zion post.) Max is a great magician and brilliant magical thinker - he's also a damn good writer. Check out Max Maven.com - it's pretty neat.

See ya soon!

Useful Crap

2006-06-22T16:50:00.000-04:00

Here's a useful link - Google Magician Directory - which contains a list of many magicians by geographic location. If you're not on the list, get back on the ball and submit your site to the Open Directory!

What's interesting about this directory is that it allows you to see a ton of different magicians' websites, allowing you to pick and choose and make the best website for yourself.

Here's a list of things you can learn from these magicians' sites:

- Spend the money and get a real web address. For example, David Caserta's web address is http://www.angelfire.com/ma/magicdave/, which is just not professional. He'd be much better off with magicdave.com, don't you think?

- Make sure your page loads quickly. If that means deleting all of those stupid Flash movies you have before your page loads, then do it! For example, Craig Stone (who break the first rule and has a web address that's too compliacted) has an animated intro and then another one when the first intro is over and the page itself is loading. Don't waste your potential clients' time.

- Don't put too much crap on your page. SIMPLE is the key word. That's why I love sites like Ryan Oaks' and David Olivers'.

I'll have some more tips for you tomorrow. Please e-mail me me suggestions or magic sites (really good or really bad) to i_am_pagliacci@hotmail.com - I'd love to get more input for the next post!

Ali Grap

2006-06-17T01:06:00.000-04:00

Ali G on David Blaine: "Can G-d do better stuff than David Blaine?" "So ain't G-d just like an overhyped David Blaine?"

Check out the whole interview here: Ali G Discusses Religion.

America's Got Crap

2006-06-14T04:36:00.000-04:00

Quick spoiler: Sylvester the Jester will be on the new NBC show, America's Got Talent. Cross your fingers that he gets further than any other ego-driven magicians who thinks he or she's "got talent" but actually is fodder for editors to create a "worst of" reel.

By the way, like Last Comic Standing, this NBC "reality" show actually recruits professionals to "audition" so that the shows aren't total crap. (You wouldn't want to actually see 20 completely new comics, would you?) Thus, we can at least rest assured that there will be a few pros like Sylvester the Jester representing the magic community.

Rest in Crap / Surviving Crap

2006-05-31T10:57:00.000-04:00

Just to give you an idea about where the current magic blogging community is heading, here's a list of magic blogs that have folded (I define folding as "haven't posted in at least a month or two if not longer/declared dead by the blog's author"):

- A Magician's Journey
- Cardopolis
- Comrade Conjuror
- Escamoteurettes
- Freely Mental
- High on Magic
- I Saw Scott
- Magic Circle Jerk
- Magic Hurts
- Magic Interviews
- Magia Libre
- Magic Mafia (3 times)
- Magic Meta Belog
- Magic Monitor
- Magic ReBlog (oh wait... just wishful thinking)
- Magic Watch (which, coincidentally, started out as an anti-Pagliacci blog)
- Magic Whack (2 times)
- Magician X
- Man in a Boy's World
- Phantom Notebooks
- Public Access Blog
- Real Magic Reviews
- Ruses
- Sarcastic Magician
- Wizards Ball

Here's a list of the blogs that are still around (I'm not including commercial blogs like those run by magic stores):

- Coming Through the Haze
- Glenn Bishop's blog (although he's folded 3 of his own blogs already)
- I, Magician (although it died briefly when Andy joined Magic Mafia, but was resurrected after Magic Mafia's 2nd death)
- In My Opinion
- Intensely Magic
- MagicEnigma (although if you read the last few posts, the blog is approaching death)
- MagiCentric (which was formed after Magic Rants was folded)
- Magic, Illusion, and Data Management (does it count on this list if a third of the blog is supposed to be about "Data Management"?)
- Magic Spank
- Magic Unlimited
- Magic Utopia
- Pagliacci
- Peacelove's Musings
- Phantom Notebooks
- Why Am I Stuck in Magician Hell?

So, out of the 40 magic blogs created since the beginning of the blogging revolution, only 15 remain. In other words, about 2 out of every 3 magic blogs started has folded by now.

[Quick note: the percentage of blogs that have survived - 37.5% - may actually be higher than it should. I was able to create a list of folded blogs by looking at blogs' blog rolls and seeing which links were dead or linked to dead blogs. However, this method relies on bloggers not updating their blog rolls enough. Also, trying to find things that no longer exist can be difficult. Therefore, the real number is probably more like 10-25%.]

Why did I compile such a list? First, it's time somebody acted as a sort of magic blog historian - this list is a tiny first step in the right direction. Second, it's to show you how crazy this fickle world of magic blogging is. I've been around for longer than any blog on the living list (except for MagiCentric and Coming Through the Haze), so I'm really thankful to all of my readers who have stuck around this long. As I've said before, you ain't seen nothin' yet!

Juggling...Err...Crap Still?

2006-05-27T13:57:00.000-04:00

Check out what juggling in the 3rd dimension really looks like here. It's a video of juggler Greg Kennedy juggling in an 8-foot transparent cone. This is like the Zombie. Except without the *wink* special something *wink*. And with five times more balls.

End of Crap

2006-05-23T18:21:00.000-04:00

This is not a post declaring that my blog is over, although you were a little scared there for a moment, weren't you? (Admittedly, though, the magic blogs that still are around are quickly becoming an endangered species.) In fact, if the number of my posts will be changing at all in these coming months, they probably will be increasing (watch out d-bags of the magic world!). I'm contemplating switching up my practice of using the word "crap" in the subject of each post. To be honest, it wasn't (at least at the beginning of this blog two years ago) supposed to be that way. My first three posts just happened to have "crap" in their titles and I thought it would be funny to keep it going. Over a hundred posts later (actually, I have no idea how many posts I've made - it's probably over two hundred at this point) and I'm still using "crap" in the headline for every title. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but I've found a way to fit "crap" into almost every title. I'm getting a little bored though and would like your help - what's the new word I should use? Use the comments section to enter your idea - you just may help determine part of the title of my next hundred posts. (And don't say "shit" or "poop." At this point, enough magicians on the 'Net are speaking out of their ass that I don't need to add to the problem. Oh, and for the love of Mary Magdalene's alleged husband, please don't suggest "Magic.")

Magic Special ReCrap

2006-05-15T22:53:00.000-04:00

In case you missed David Blaine and Keith Barry's magic specials (or want to relive some of the best moments), I've assembled some of the best clips from each right here for your viewing pleasure:

David Blaine - Bends Jail Cell Bars

David Blaine - Roulette

David Blaine - The Tooth Trick

David Blaine - The Breath-Holding Record Attempt

Keith Barry - Blindfold Drive

Keith Barry - Spike

What did you think of these clips? What did you think of these specials? Use the Comments feature!

Curb Your Crap

2006-05-15T02:34:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorite clips about magic from one of my favorite television shows, Curb Your Enthusiasm. So, what makes someone a magician?

Blaine Crap

2006-05-14T18:34:00.000-04:00

Comedian Ben Gleib tries to top David Blaine's stunt...

http://www.collegehumor.com/movies/1689423/

Bible Crap

2006-05-12T03:22:00.000-04:00

What does the Bible say about magicians?

Check out this link to see it all explained...in Lego: The Brick Testament: The Occult.

Penguin Crap

2006-05-02T01:34:00.000-04:00

Oh Penguin. Check out this post. I had to stifle a chuckle when I read, "You're the man, Ehrich." Funny thing is, "Ehrich Weiss" is most probably not a real name, considering that it was the name of a performer who eventually became famous under the stage name of "Houdini." Yeah, that Houdini.

How to Be Happier

2006-04-21T13:31:00.000-04:00

This isn't a magic-related post, but I promise you that if you keep on reading and do these activities you will be a much happier person. I don't want to make it sound like these are the magical keys that will automatically make you happy; all three of these activities require thought, endurance, and consistent action for them to work. Try them all! You'll be amazed at how much better you feel.

1. Start a gratitude journal. Every night before you go to sleep, write a list of everything you're thankful for. Doing so will making you feel better and begin to change your perception. The goal is to become a merit-finder, to find the good in everything. Things don't always happen for the best, but you can always make the best of things.

2. Start a habit log. Pick one thing you'd like to do more of (get more sleep or more exercise are good ones). Make a chart or calendar and post it in a space that you and those living with you can see. If you can stick with this activity for 21 days, there's a good chance that it will become a habit. (The habit I'm trying to create currently is push-ups and sit-ups. I do them everyday and record how many I can do. I feel better, stronger, and am on my way to a six pack!)

3. Be more mindful. It's very easy to be distracted, but try to really be in the present moment from time to time. Try to savor the moment. For example, next time you go out to eat, try savoring every bite. You'll feel fuller, more satisfied, and enjoy the meal more.

FearCrap

2006-04-17T01:15:00.000-04:00

I'm not even going to rip on Steve Fearson for this; I'm just going to re-print the e-mail he sent out to everyone on his mailing list:

Subj: Sometimes magic hurts.
Date: Saturday, April 15, 2006 12:38 PM
From: hello@downloadmagic.com
----------------------------------------------------------------
You're probably one of the best visitors I've ever had to my site.

Sure, I'd love to keep you all to myself. But I can't give you everything you
need. I don't know if you realize this, but you have the potential to become a
very talented magician.

I'm just going to say it..

You deserve more.

There's another magic site that's run by a guy named Brad. He's a good guy, I
know he's going to treat you well.

>> http://www.ellusionist.com

Spread your wings and fly little bird.

Friends always,

Steve
http://DownloadMagic.com

I wish I knew what was going on with Fearson and Ellusionist - this is just bizarre.

Family Crap

2006-04-06T00:41:00.000-04:00

South Park is the most brilliant show on television (okay, so maybe The Office comes close, along with Curb Your Enthusiasm).

You have to download the latest episode of South Park, Cartoon Wars, which you can do here. Keep in mind that knowing about the Tom Cruise-Scientology fiasco concerning South Park is a must if you want to truly, truly appreciate the genius of this episode.

MoCrap

2006-04-03T14:04:00.000-04:00

According to the latest Steve Fearson e-mail (which reminds me: why the hell did I sign up to be on his e-mail list? Oh yeah, so I can find out about goofy shit like this.) this site is the "future of magic."

First of all, Steve, how many times can the future really arrive? I mean, once we've arrived in the future (as we supposedly did for the reinventation of your hook-up with a rave light, the publication of the "Station Manager" document, the introduction of your self-vanish, and the supposed dawn of "Messiah Magic," to name a few times) there's no re-arriving. So stop trying to push us into the future - work on improving magic in the present first.

Second, are you really, really sure that a blog with shitty quality pictures and even shittier quality videos is the future of magic? Really? Plus, a few of those videos (the ones with edited titles and music, as well as fade-ins and fade-outs) plus professional quality pictures (some are even credited!) are clearly not from mobile phones. So just admit that this new "Mobile Blog" is just a trash dump for videos and photographs that couldn't be uploaded elsewhere. If this (for example) is the future of magic and communication between magicians, then boy are we fucked.

P.S.: I realize that I tend to get carried away with my rants and that - on occasion - I can get really mean. So, I'll temper this anti-Fearson rant with a pro-Fearson compliment: Fearson is a great magical mind and a brilliant magic marketer. I really question, however, the excitement he's showing about this "MoBlog."

David Copperfield Facts

2006-03-28T02:59:00.000-05:00

Some facts you may not have known about David Copperfield:

1. When David Copperfield levitates, David Copperfield does not fly on air - air flies on David Copperfield.

2. There is no such thing as existence. There is just a list of people David Copperfield chooses not to vanish.

3. Kings are higher than queens, aces are higher tha kings, and David Copperfield is higher than anything else.

4. How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? David Copperfield knows.

5. David Copperfield challenged Meir Yedid to see who had more fingers. David Copperfield won by five.

6. David Copperfield gets a triple word score on every word he plays in Scrabble. Every word.

7. Death once tried to escape David Copperfield. It failed.

8. David Copperfield's pass is invisible.

9. David Copperfield has a name for each of his fingers. He picks his nose with Howard Thurston.

10. Houdini and David Copperfield once made a bet to see who could hold their breath the longest. Houdini died.

Updating Crap

2006-03-19T00:35:00.000-05:00

Last week and this coming week have and will be really crazy, hence the recent dearth of posting (although, to be perfectly honest and with no hard feelings to other bloggers, I'm still posting with greater regularity than many of the blogs out there). However, I thought I'd let you know and prepare you for the weeks ahead, when Pagliacci comes back full force.

Things to come:
- David Copperfield facts (think Chuck Norris facts and you'll see where this'll be going)
- More inspirational quotes (no, seriously, they're for you to think about life and magic)
- How to make more money doing magic while working less (some simple advice that could hopefully net you bigger paychecks)

See you soon - check back often!

Inspirational quote of the day: "Be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

Magic in A Minute Crap

2006-03-14T02:34:00.000-05:00

Hey, they've finally opened up the official site for Mac King's new line of Fundex toys. Swing over to http://www.magicinaminute.com if you're curious. (Actually, I'm pretty impressed with the quality of these props and the amazing look of the packaging. I'm also impressed by Mac King's interaction with kids - he really seems to enjoy being with them, which is not always the case for those performing for children.)

Profound quote of the day: "Make the most of every sense. Glory in all the facets and pleasures and beauty which the world reveals to you." - Helen Kellar

Video: Jason Latimer on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

2006-03-01T02:56:00.000-05:00

If you haven't seen Jason Latimer perform, prepare to be amazed. He's a FISM world-champion and, after watching this video, you'll see that he definitely deserves it:

Identity Crap

2006-02-26T15:03:00.000-05:00

While I try to withhold my identity on this blog, I'm well aware that many magicians in this community know exactly who I really am. I've told many of my magic friends about the blog; I have no problem admitting who I am at a show, convention, or jam session if I'm asked by people I like and respect. Using a nom de plume not only gives me a little security but helps separate this magic stuff from my career (I would prefer my clients not be able to Google my name and stumble on to this, as they may not understand much of the magic humor or enjoy the dirtier humor). I stand by my opinions; I believe that, in the instances I was excessively harsh (the "Protocols" incident comes to mind) I have issued my own personal apologies. I really do love and respect the art form and I hope that those who do know me personally see that, too.

As such, my policy about my identity is this: if you'd like to know who I am and I know who you are, send me an e-mail and I may just tell you everything you'd like to know about me. Please don't be offended if I don't reveal my identity to you right away; doing so is a matter of trust and it takes time to build real trust.

I really appreciate everyone who reads my blog (and those who don't) and respect your freedom as a magician. It is my sincerest hope that you feel the same way about me.

Fake Crap

2006-02-23T21:44:00.000-05:00

Part II of "GoldmaGIC":

From this...

to this...

Smelly Crap

2006-02-22T02:24:00.000-05:00

What do you get when you cross Todd Goldman's controversial, subversive, and darkly humorous work:

with Pagliacci's magic-related wit and skill at Photoshop?

You get this:

Logically, if most magicians are boys (according to one article, women comprise only 7.5% of the Society of American Magicians) and boys are smelly, then magicians must be smelly. If you're a male magician reading this (and you probably are unless you're Ticklish Girl from High on Magic or Sue-Anne Webster from Magic Unlimited), give your armpits a good sniff. Just doing my part to make sure magicians the world over shower.

Thumb Crap

2006-02-13T00:45:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty sure that 50 Tricks with a Thumb Tip doesn't have any mention of using a thumb tip as a life-saving device, but, thanks to Bill Bixby, the star of the television series, The Magician (which did not rely on camera tricks but Bixby's skill as a magician), we can add a 51st trick that just may save your life one day:

The Crap-tastic Tale of the Shirt

2006-02-12T16:11:00.000-05:00

Chris Britt, the blogger behind Magic Interviews (a blog I strongly encourage you to visit, as it contains some amazing interviews with the top names in magic), e-mailed me an excerpt from 1939’s “Patter and Rhyme” book. (For my previous entry on political correctness and old magic books, click here.) It's an entry for the torn-and-restored Chinese Laundry Ticket and is pretty un-PC by today's standards. Enjoy.

When your secretary engaged me for the programme here tonight
To look my best was my desire, I aimed to be just right;
So to the Chinese Laundry with my shirts I did retreat
And in Exchange for shirtee, Charlie Chink gave me receipt.

I took the laundry ticket home as fast as I was able
But should have had more sense than leave it lying on the table,
For Junior got a hold of it and had a ripping time—
He tore it in a hundred bits, or perhaps ‘twas ninety-nine.

I guessed my shirt was gone for good, but hurried round to see,
And sure enough old Charlie said “No ticket, No Shirtee”;
I said “Well, here’s the pieces, can’t I claim my shirt with these?”
And Charlie said “Me show you just how smart are we Chinese”.

He took the pieces in his hands and squeezed them for a while—
“Now watch me very closely” said old Charlie with a smile;
He spoke some funny Chinese words that were all Greek to me,
But when he spread his hands apart, all I could say was GEE.

I said “Boy, that’s a dandy trick, that’s one I’d like to do”,
But Charlie said “Me no explain, me give Shirt back to you”.

Magic Works Crap

2006-02-12T00:45:00.000-05:00

Would you like to download .pdfs with the secret instructions for many of Tenyo's most classic effects? Before I tell you how to do it, let me fill you in on a little history (from Tenyo World):

Milton Bradley, a leading American toy maker, began in 1993 licensed sales of Tenyo products under the "Magic Works" brandname. Advertised nationwide on television, these products soon became bestsellers in the U.S. market. Soon thereafter, Milton Bradley's parent company, Hasbro, undertook to market the line throughout the world. Mark Setteducati created the idea of Magic Works.

As it turns out, Hasbro upload the instructions to all of its products, including Magic Works. Therefore, using the list on the Tenyo World page to get the name of the Magic Works trick from the Tenyo trick, you can visit here (scroll down to "Magic Works") and download the corresponding .pdfs and learn how the tricks are done.

It's unfortunate that these secrets are publically available (I assume that the instructions to Mac King's tricks most probably will be, too, as the Fundex Games, Inc. site has a similar page and philosophy), but we might as well take advantage of it. You probably can't build any of these tricks with materials you currently own, so being able to see how these tricks works should make you a more educated consumer of classic Tenyo magic.

Crap

2006-02-10T02:50:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling really shitty, so allow me to rant.

I'm in a horribe magic rut and I'm trying to figure out why.

It could be oversaturation. Magic has taken over much of my life - it's my hobby, my passion, my profession. Many things I do outside of magic inevitably lead back to it. I want to step away for a while, but I can't: I have professional obligations and there's too much magic information in my head to not make the connections between my non-magic activities and my magic activities.

It could frustration. I've seen so many inspired magic acts recently that I become angry I'm not further along in my magic than I think I should be. I want to do stage magic so badly, but I fear I have neither the finances, resources, or space to even begin working on an act.

It could be other magicians. I'm getting more and more depressed by the current state of magic each day. There is so much shit out there that it's hard to justify the small amounts of treasure scattered among it.

I love the art of magic. I really, really do. But sometimes I get so frustrated, angry, depressed by it that it really hurts.

There's a point where I wonder about the reasons to perform magic in the first place.

I refuse to take part in an art who's only object is to inflate the artist's ego. That's not what real magic is about, but that's what a lot of magic out there is.

I also refuse to take part in an art in which the art itself is only a means to acheive a goal and not the goal itself. I'm finding that magic is becoming more of a vehicle for me than an end; I'm using it to get a laugh, for example, which makes the magic secondary to the jokes it allows me to perform. That's not what art is; that's not what magic should be.

In sum, the magic of magic is slipping away from me. I can't see it any more. Why the fuck do we do it? Clearly, we can't do what we give the illusion we are doing, so why do we even pretend? Our audiences aren't stupid; they know they're being tricked. What does creating the question of "How did he/she do that?" help anybody? Paul Harris talks about our role as "astonishment guides," but on what basis does he draw these conclusions? His reasoning stems from a basic conception of how our mind works, one that clearly isn't founded on any psychological proof.

What does fooling somebody really do? Why do I, as an audience member, get out of being stumped?

"That's so amazing. I can't believe that just happened. I didn't think that it was possible, but you just performed something rather cool." Am I supposed to now think, "So now I know that thhings that seem impossible aren't always, so I'll keep that in mind in my life"? No! You think, "That's a clever magician. I'm really fooled. He/She did a great job outthinking me."

Actors create worlds upon the stage; magicians tend to be irrevocably tied to our own. Where's the vision, the message, the great expressiveness of magic?

Crap.

Video: David Copperfield

2006-02-01T02:01:00.000-05:00

Let's start out with a nice montage of many of the startling illusions and escapes David has done in the past:

Now, let's take a closer look at one trick David has tried many times in many ways, Sawing in Half. The staple of many an illusionist's show, David has taken the effect to a whole other level. Twice.

First, when he performed Death Saw. In addition to a unique method (have to love the angle of the table on the stand, which makes the trick seem that much more impossible), the dramatic moments of the trick have been revised. The girl isn't being tortured and cut through; rather, David is in an escape gone horribly wrong. The added touch of the time reversing itself to fix the error is awesome - finally, a magician makes good use of his powers.

Second, when he performed the Laser Cutting. Updating the effect yet again, David streamlined his entire presentation. There are less boxes and less props. The final walk down the ramp looks like trick photography, but it is most assuredly not. Also, check out the little touches David has added to Fearson's routine: the laser "accidentally" striking the pole is one example. Finally, pay careful attention to the music cues and lighting cues, which are absolutely perfect.

Video: Cyril's Stunning Transfer Illusion

2006-01-29T05:31:00.000-05:00

Holy crap - this has to be one of the most well done illusions I have ever seen on video. Watching this I felt like a laymen for a moment, which is a feeling I rarely get anymore.

Daily Video

2006-01-29T05:03:00.000-05:00

Now that YouTube.com has enabled Pagliacci to post videos, I'll be posting about one magic video a day for you to enjoy! (Make sure to click on the little arrow in the bottom left hand corner to play each video. Clicking on the large "Play" button in the center takes you to YouTube to play the video, which is unnecessary, since you've can actually watch these videos WITHIN the blog!)

Here's your first THREE videos:

Cyril's magic with hamburgers has made its way around the magic blogging circuit, but his extraordinary routine with a coffee sign, a marker, and a few coins has rarely been seen:

Typical Cyril: taking a known trick (Dean Dill's explosion) and adding to it until it becomes an absolute miracle:

Again Cyril ups the ante on a known trick. This time it's Card Through Window...on a submarine:

Check back soon for some more magic videos!

Inspirational Crap

2006-01-26T17:29:00.000-05:00

Japanese magician Shoot Ogawa has said that the way to make your magic more appealing is to "watch popular things, T.V., movies, music. They're popular because people like them, so, if your magic includes elements from them, people will like your magic, too." (I paraphrase a bit.) I have found a few videos on the 'Net, all of which have been are continue to be popular, that I think are particularly funny, poignant, or downright kooky. Enjoy these clips and see if you can learn some pointers about setting the mood with your magic.

- Ultimate Showdown - One of the most catchy tunes I've heard in a while, the video that accompanies it is well done and rather funny. Notice how random pop references can be funny if well-timed. While not everybody is going to know who everybody in that video is, those who do will laugh extra hard. Mike Bent, a great kid show and all-around magician, said that he will insert jokes that only 1 or 2 people may get. Eventually everyone will get "their" joke; these jokes are often the funniest and most memorable for the audience.

- "Hurt" by Johnny Cash - The most poignant and moving music video of all time. Director Mark Romanek has combined stark, revealing footage of an aging Cash, interior shots of a flood-destroyed tribute to Cash, and actual footage from Cash's career. Even more haunting, June, Cash's wife, makes an appearance at the end; she died soon after, followed by Cash. As MTV wrote in an article about Cash, "Many music videos tend to be about escape and illusion — the illusion of fame, wealth, sex, glamour and fantasy. The video for Johnny Cash's 'Hurt' isn't about any of those things. It deals with a theme not so common in music videos: reality."

- "Hooked on a Feeling" by David Hasselhoff - Holy shit. What happens when you combine David Hasselhoff, the worst green screening you've ever seen, and salmon? The most ridiculous, poorly produced, non-sensical music video. Ever. How do you take a normal person and make him into a surreal character? Just do everything this music video's director did.

Watch This

2006-01-16T18:40:00.000-05:00

There's a new blog called Magic Watch, which seems really promising to me. The first post includes a mission statement that I really respect:

Magicians seem to have a knack for taking a good thing and making it bad. The magic blog is a case in point. From a very promising beginning, established by the fertile mind of "Andy" with his Magic Circle Jerk, the enterprise has degenerated nearly to the point of collapse. Magic blogs aren't much fun to read anymore, and they certainly aren't very informative, ironically enough, about magic.

That's why I've decided to throw my hat into the ring, so to speak. I'm not arrogant enough to believe I have all the answers, or even very many of them. I do believe I can offer an unbiased look at magic bloggers and what they're doing, and hopefully evaluations of what's good and bad in magic without the usual cut throat rancor.

I come to you with no pretensions concerning my abilities; I'm not the best magician in the world, and although I'm a serious student of the art and a semi-professional performer, I don't earn my living solely from magic. So many magic bloggers attempt to paint themselves as highly successful magicians that I think this distinction is important. I'm like many of you. I do the occasional show, but for now the dream of becoming a full time professional has had to take a back seat to the realities of earning a living. Maybe someday.

These will be my opinions for what they're worth. Maybe along the way we can learn a thing or two.

The second post, Girl Magic, addresses me, my e-book, and this blog. He's asked me to respond to his post, so here goes.

There are three major contentions he has, so I'll address each in turn.

I can't help but wonder why, if you have a name in magic and are filming a television special, you would choose to sell something anonymously instead of using your real name. I don't know about you, but name recognition plays a role in the magic I buy, and I'm much more likely to buy something authored by say David Regal than an unknown, let alone an anonymous author. The only justification I can imagine for authoring a work and selling it anonymously is that the work isn't something you would want to have your name associated with. That's hardly an incentive to buy it.

It's a point well taken. I choose to write anonymously to protect not only myself, but all of the wonderful and talented magicians I work with and work for. I know many of the horror stories associated with criticizing another magician or his/her product, so I decided that, in order to allow myself the freedom to be as brutally honest as possible, I had to remain anonymous. My first writings on magic and girls occured on this blog and my first mention of the project was on Pagliacci as well. Therefore, publishing my book under my name (which may have increased sales of the book) would have also revealed my identity, potentially threatening my reputation and the reputation of all the people I work with. Would I have been able to sell more e-books and sell them at a higher price? Possibly. But the upside of this is that the readers get a professional e-book for what "such a small sum," as you note. I see that as a tremendous positive.

Another problem is that he's claiming an unverified expertise. Supposedly Girl Magic will help you be more successful with the opposite sex. Well, I think it's only fair to offer some assurance to the buyer that the author is successful with the opposite sex. For all the consumer knows, in reality Mr. Pagliacci has never had a date, let alone is proficient at using magic to meet girls. Of course this problem would have been avoided had he published the work under his real name and he really has enjoyed great success with the opposite sex.

As I wrote in my response to the first point, it's important to me to protect my identity. The connection between my blog and a book on magic and girls would have eventually been made, so I was forced to publish the book under my anonymous moniker. I have, in fact, based the book on much of my experience (which I've had plenty) and the experience of close, trusted friends who I've known to be very sucessful with women. Also (although only people who have bought the book know), some of the points are backed up data from psychological studies on attraction, another good source for learning about how to pick up women. Would I like to share real stories about how these techniques have worked personally? Yes, but then again, I may be revealing enough to give away my identity. Let's just say I've been very fortunate.

Even more of a problem, in my opinion, is that by buying the work the consumer is admitting that he's a geek, so to speak. I don't think anyone wants to buy a product that makes him feel bad about himself.

I completely disagree. Both Steve Pellegrino and Tim Ellis addressed this concern of your in their reviews of Girl Magic when they noted that the advice found in this book could apply to any social situation. Even if you're 50, married with kids, and have no desire to pick up women with magic, the routines taught in this book should be enough to warrant purchasing it. $5 for four solid routines right out of a professional repertoire? That's a pretty awesome deal. Besides, this book is also for people who want to improve theie game - not just for people who don't think they have game at all. Buying this book only reveals that the magician purchasing it knows a great deal when he sees it.

So there you have it.

The e-book (as I said in my last post) is still only $5 and will remain at that price until Wednesday, January 18th, at 12 AM, so purchase today! (Click on the PayPal button on the menu on the right to buy a personalized copy of the book.)

Review Crap

2006-01-14T22:11:00.000-05:00

Steve Pellegrino was kind enough to review Girl Magic on MagiCentric, today:

He’s currently selling an ebook - Girl Magic which gives you over half a dozen very good close-up routines and some excellent advice about picking up girls with magic:

The fundamental rule of picking up girls with magic is this: you can’t pick up women with magic until you can pick up girls without magic.

That rule can be applied to other social situations as well. Too many magicians feel that magic is the solution to inadequate social and behavior skills. Magic can only enhance what is there naturally. It reminds me of a joke Bill Cosby tells about cocaine.

What’s the appeal of cocaine?

It intensifies your personality.

What if you’re an asshole?

Back to his ebook. It’s $5.00 and the routines are very good. My favorite is Getting Lucky
which is a prediction of a girl’s lucky number with some cold reading tips
added.

…after reading this book you’ll have more than 7 solid routines in
your wallet, so you won’t need a deck of cards to be able to do magic at a
moment’s notice!

You can’t go wrong for the price and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at
the quality of the routines AND advice. Recommended!

The LIMITED TIME offer to get Girl Magic for only $5 expires today, so what are you waiting for?

2006-01-13T03:16:00.000-05:00

Backstage Crap

2006-01-11T17:38:00.000-05:00

Joel Fenton is my new best friend. He sent me a link to Tom Frank's blog, Coming Through The Haze, where he pointed out Frank's post, Free Weekend Minutes, in which Frank writes:

I told Lee a few of stories about my days at the Magic Castle. Jim Patton used to call us the "Young Turks". It was Danny Sylvester, Paul Nathan and I who, on any given weekend in 1986 could be found at the Castle having the time of our life. I told Lee about fucking this chick right before I was was going to perform close up magic. I was surprised when they started seating before we were done. I had her bent over this cocktail table behind the curtain. It really is quite funny, I was introduced and came out with my hand REEKING of pussy (Here, pick a card). Ahhh those were the days. I shared a couple other stories with Lee, like the time I pulled the huge switchblade on Billy McComb for coming on to the girl I was with. Memories. . .

Frank definitely learned how to do that by reading Girl Magic, so that means I'll have to update my advertising slogan one more time: "BEWARE: Performing effects from Girl Magic may be so good that your hands will smell like pussy for weeks to come." Or "Buy the book and find new uses for that cocktail table you keep backstage for your props."

Crap, I Did It Again

2006-01-11T03:39:00.000-05:00

From Joel Fenton (who's friggin' awesome for finding this and sending me such a funny e-mail):

Spiffy suit. Check.

Bow tie. Check.

Job at Houdini's in Las Vegas. Check.

Britney Spears buying magic from you. Check.

Clearly, that dude was using the techniques he learned in Girl Magic.

The new marketing slogan for Girl Magic? "Buy the book, impress a post-preggers pop-star-turned-white-trash." Much better than "Buy the book, impress your mom."

Happy Whatever Crap You Celebrate

2005-12-25T00:34:00.000-05:00

I may not have much access to the Internet where I'm going (I'm going on a much deserved vacation!) so I'd like to wish everybody the following:

Happy Chanukah! Merry Christmas! Joyful Kwanzaa! Good Ramadan! Happy Festivus! Blessed Winter Solstice! And a happy new year!

I think that about covers it.

If you need a magic blog fix this week, check out Magic Interviews, a fantastic blog that gives you insight into the some of magic's greatest personalities! It's well worth your visit!

Blogging Crap

2005-12-13T10:06:00.000-05:00

Holy crap! The last week at Pagliacci has, for me, been what magic blogging is all about. I've received tons of comments and e-mails about the last few posts, which has been just incredible. There are a few e-mails and comments I'd like to post about, but I have to get permission from the senders first.

Thanks everybody for reading the blog and participating! Here's just a quick outline of the posts I'm planning for this week:

- Thought Provokers - My collection of quotes to get you thinking. (Wait, hasn't somebody already tried a book of quotes to get people thinking? Nah, who would print a $50 book of quotes?)

- Fundamental Attribution Error - This will be a non-magic post, but one that will hopefully change your perception of yourself, your environment, and everyone around you. Yeah, the concept is that strong.

- Reviews - I'll tell you about some of the new products in the magic market - what to buy and what to stay the hell away from.

- "Douche of the Month" award - Sort of like a "Wine of the Month" or "Fruit of the Month" club, except instead of wine or fruits, you'll be getting douches. (I'm currently accepting nominations for the award - just send me an e-mail with his or her name and a brief reason why he or she's a magic douche.)

- Making you a funnier performer - No, I'm not suggesting removing the paper bag from your head. I have some concrete suggestions that can help in making you a funnier performer.

Crap, if I can get all of these posts up soon, this is going to be a historic week for Pagliacci, so make sure you check back often!

Beautiful Crap

2005-12-04T13:50:00.000-05:00

What a glorious, glorious day! IT'S SNOWING!!!

I hope your magic is as magical as this snow!

Crap for Crapping

2005-11-30T12:42:00.000-05:00

Want to scare the crap out of your friends while their on the crapper? Then head over to JeffGoldmanIsWatchingYouPoop.com and print out this incredible flyer:

To get the maximum effect, sit down on the toilet and make sure that Jeff Goldblum is staring at eye level. (You want your friends to sit on the toilet and have Jeff Goldblum starting directly into your eyes.)

Trust me, they will shit themselves. That is, if they hadn't already by that point.

Clothing Crap

2005-11-29T10:40:00.000-05:00

When you wear a specific outfit to work as a magician, are you wearing a uniform or a costume? First, a distinction: a uniform is a collection of clothing one is implored to wear as part of a certain work environment; a costume is a collection of clothing selected to match one's character. Most magicians wear the uniform of the particular form of magic that they're doing without considering costume choices. The point of this post is to get you out of the "what do I have to wear to this" frame of reference and into the "why am I wearing this and how can I use this to shape my impression on people" state of mind.

The most basic rule of what to wear is the "one step above" rule. That is, dress one step above the level of dress of your audience. Below is a list of the "dress" hierarchy (to use the rule, find the level of dress of your audience and then dress one rung above it). Notice that the ladder is a lot more complex than just casual-suit-tuxedo. There really are a lot of subtle steps in between that you should recognize:

Tuxedo (black tie)
Expensive, tailored, pricey brand name suit
Suit and tie
Sports jacket/blazer and slacks
Dress casual (open shirt, expensive jeans instead of slacks)
Casual but nice (expensive/knit shirt, shined shoes)
T-shirt and jeans
(There is a level below this - swimsuits, open shoes - but if I include this, I may give the impression that it's okay to wear a t-shirt and jeans to a gig. It's almost always not, unless you're on stage portraying a character that requires it.)

Now that you know what's appropriate, find ways to inject your character into your outfit. Think of your choice of tie: is it outgoing? Loud? Understated? Fun? Serious? What is the color of your suit? Fashionably pin-striped? Classic black/navy blue? These decisions are very important in manipulating your first impression and getting your character across right away.

Also keep in mind that many situations don't have set audience levels, so you get to choose your own level of dress. For example, you may have the choice between a classy blazer and slacks and a fashionable sports jacket and expensive dark jeans. Both may be appropriate, but both communicate completely different messages.

The biggest violation of these rules happens with younger magicians, who try to emulate their role models by emulating their dress. If you're young, take advantage of it and dress young and hip. You shouldn't look like you just got out of a country club, but like you are about to go clubbing. Dressing out of character (even the implicit character that spectators associate with your age) can put off an audience, so be careful, methodical, and deliberate in your choice of clothing. Subtlety is very important.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2005-11-24T17:20:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

From this...

...to this!

P.S. I have read all of your comments - thanks for those, too! - and will be posting accordingly soon!

Related and Unrelated Crap

2005-11-14T14:08:00.000-05:00

I've always made it a goal of my blog to have every post be magic-related. Yet I remain conflicted - if our magic is supposed to reflect who we are and what we believe, than how can I share my thoughts about magic without detailing some of my thoughts on other subjects? And shouldn't I be able to share things that aren't explicitly magic-related but can be tied to our art on a deeper level? So, I leave this decision up to you, dear readers. Post your opinion in the comments section of this post: should I continue making only magic-related posts or should I diversify?

Also, in a note related to the blog but unrelated to what was just said, look out for an exciting, new contest coming your way very soon! Check back frequently for the contest rules and you may just be getting some free magic sent your way!

Pagliacci's Diamonds in the Rough, Part I

2005-11-07T15:29:00.000-05:00

If you've seen the Disney classic, Aladdin, you've heard of the phrase, "A diamond in the rough." This new series of posts will involve the magical equivalent of this: Pagliacci will scour the deserts of Penguin Magic and the like and find the real gems they offer. They are gems in one of two ways: (1) they are popular items strewn about a sea of crap, waiting to be found, purchased, and used and (2) they are items magicians have scoffed at because of appearances, initial popularity, and hype, causing most magicians to miss the hidden potential in these products. Thus, approach this list with an open mind; I hope you give each of these items a chance as I have found, in my experience, that all of these products have much potential to take advantage of.

Let's start with On the Spot. How is this for a premise for a DVD set: let's learn tricks that are of professional calibur and yet can be performed impromptu, with a minimum of props. There are just so many valuable tricks and insights in this set. My personal favs? A Questionable Trick and and ReCap Revisited are unbelievably strong routines, Ring Fright is a great gag, and Sponge Napkins will allow you to do your favorite sponge routines without sponges (for me, that was worth the price of the set alone)!

Here's something overlooked way too much: The Art of Public Squeaking. This little prop (a squeaker) and all the great ideas in this books are worth their weight in gold. Don't underestimate the mileage you will get for the $5 you will spend on this booklet and squeaker.

When NFW (which stands for "No Fucking Way," in case you didn't catch the title's reference to what people say after seeing the trick) first hit the market, it made a HUGE splash. I'm seeing the trick done less and less (actually, I haven't seen it for the last year) and it shocks me: this is such a strong packet trick, I can't believe there aren't many professionals whipping this bad boy out. This is the only packet trick I do in walk-around work because I can justify taking just the packet out. "I need a special set of cards to do the next trick because you can't just find 4 jokers in a single pack," I open with. At the end of the trick, you can justify the change by saying, "But you know what? I really love this trick - I wish I could do this all the time. I think it would be much easier to use - " (reveal the change) " - the four aces." Clean, strong, and can be examined at the end if you know what you're doing.

If you not using the 3-D Multiplying Rabbits, you're also really missing out. I'm assuming most of you already own this, so I'm not going to go into much detail. All I'm going to say for those of you who don't own this set or do this trick: why aren't you performing this sure-fire audience pleaser that amuses kids and amazes adults?

Some people avoided Paul Harris's Reality Twister when it first came out because it looked like a cheap toy. It's not and the business card routine described in the Reality Twister book takes this little curiosity and elevates it to a business-making, gig-getting brain buster.

That's all for now, folks! Stay tuned for the next installment of "Pagliacci's Diamonds in the Rough"!

Puzzling Crap

2005-11-04T12:36:00.000-05:00

If you really want to know what people really think about magic as an art form, think about this little puzzle: If you were in an informal social setting and people found out you were a singer, what are the odds that somebody would ask you to sing right there on the spot? If you were in that same situation and people found out you were an actor, what are the odds that somebody would ask you to act right there on the spot? If you were a comedian, how probable is it that you'd be asked to do part of your stand-up routine?

The answer to all these questions is that the probability is very low. You rarely - if ever - see a singer, an actor, or a comedian doing something from their professional repertoire right out of the blue.

So why are we, as magicians, expected to do so, even though the practitioners of other arts forms aren't?

There are many reasons. When I've posed this problem to some magic friends of mine, one indicated that we're to blame. Actors, comedians, and singers, if asked to perform, would refuse; we, on the other hand, seem ready and waiting for such an opportunity to perform. I see two problems with this explanation: first, most people rarely encounter magic, so I don't thin that these people have developed any kind of schema for how magicians usually react and, second, the fact that most people would continue pressing a magician who says no while not doing the same to any other kind of performer means that the problem still exists. I do, however, agree that, once somebody sees a magician agree to such a request, that person will have no problem making such requests again and again.

What other explanations are there then? One is that the public doesn't recognize or understand what magic really is. Laymen know that acting, singing, and stand-up comedy take place on a stage in front of a real audience. There are certain conditions necessary for such art to be born. While these conditions are essentially identical for magic, the public just doesn't get it. Magic is, in many ways, weird and not commonly encountered. Related to this is the fact that most people have encountered magic first in amateur renditions of it: an uncle pulling a quarter out of your ear, a classmate doing the 21 card trick, etc. Thus, magic ceases to be an art to them but a cheap way to get attention or get a laugh. Thus, this puzzle is indicative of a deep misunderstanding of our art, one that needs to be rectified.

The beauty of this puzzle though is that it offers us a unique solution for beginning to rectify such a problem: what if placed ourselves on the level of actors, singers, and stand-up comedians by refusing to perform in public when prompted. What if you said, point-blank, "Magic is a delicate art form that flourishes on stage just like acting and singing. I don't think you'd expect an actor or a singer to perform on the spot; I would hope you would give my art form enough respect that you wouldn't expect the same of me either."

Will anybody actually do this? Probably not. There's a strong ego boost involved with being the center of attention and performing in impromptu situations. What we must recognize is that, while this is good for the individual magician, it is bad for our art as a whole. So what are you going to do about it?

Copperfield Crap

2005-11-01T16:19:00.000-05:00

WHAT THE FUCK?!? Has David Copperfield lost his fucking mind?

Japanese Crap, Part II

2005-11-01T12:37:00.000-05:00

Remember the post Japanese Crap, in which I highlighted magician Cyril Takayama and his unbelievable hamburger video.

Well, Cyril's at it again, giving us another absolutely incredibe video of highly visual, food-based magic: Shadow Chopsticks. You really need to watch this video - it's just that good.

All I can say is: Cyril rocks. If only he'd come make his own magic special here...

Body Crap [UPDATED]

2005-10-24T15:06:00.000-04:00

How 'bout hanging this poster in between your Thurston and your Kellar? I mean, "she's magic," isn't she?

The funny thing, of course, about this movie is that, while it maintains the magic motif on both the poster and the cover, a look on the back cover shows that this video is actually about the magic of photography. Go figure.

Also, while we're on the topic of "Body Magic," check out this version of Fearson's Sawing in Half here. It's an interesting presentation with a good message at the end. (Also, check out the cat who walk by as the illusion is being filmed!)

And where does Body Magic, the porn film, intersect with "Body Magic," the sawing-in-half illusion? Right here at - you guessed it - "Body Magic," the website, a website about the sexual fetishism of being sawed-in-half. Man, the Internet is fun.

Video Crap

2005-10-22T17:37:00.000-04:00

You're performing at a Bar Mitzvah when all of a sudden, the area around you seems to brighten. Is it a spotlight? Is it the Magic Signal? Is it the first sign of an alien abduction? Actually, it's the bright light from the camera man who just began shooting footage of your performance.

This is important footage - if you can get this footage on to the video of the event and the footage is good, there's a lasting testiment to your skill that your clients will see every time they revisit the memories of their event by watching the video. It's also a slick way to promote yourself - your client will probably be showing this video to all of his or her friends and family. So what can you do about it?

Talk to the camera man before the party. If you can do this without interrupting his or her pre-party set up (if there's anything worse than not talking to him or her, it's pissing him or her off), you can communicate (a) that you'll be footage worthy and (b) that he or she will need to film from certain angles to capture all of the magic. Also, rather than be on the defensive ("Oh shit! The camera man's here - have to make this minute or two count!"), be on the offensive ("[Name of camera guy], come here! This is so cool that you'll be glad you captured it on film!"). You should also consider coaching your audience if you see the camera guy coming by: "Hey, it looks like the camera man is coming by, so I have an idea. Let's make everybody else jealous that they're not here right now - when I do this [raise a card or a finger in the or do any innocuous action], everybody will cheer like this was the most amazing thing you have ever, ever seen in your life. Sound like a plan?" Just make sure that the audience will see this as something they're doing for themselves and not for you.

Be conscious of the camera man and reap the benefits of knowing about the ways you can use him or her to your advantage.

To Do Crap

2005-10-20T12:06:00.000-04:00

To do: Lexi Erikson, star of Smoke and Mirrors

To be posted by Saturday:

- Advice on an often overlooked component of close-up magic at special occasions and how knowing about it can vastly improve your image, your reputation, and your rates of getting booked again

Smoke and Crap

2005-10-09T13:47:00.000-04:00

What if a magic store that sold this...

actually sent this?

Just an idea, Meir Yedid. Just an idea.

You should really read the description of Smoke and Mirrors (the porn):

Mike is a magician. Lexi Erikssion is his new assistant. You see, Kia, ex-assistant, has disappeared. As in fired. But with Lexi he may yet experience the magic...of lust. This is about illusion and reality...And the thin line in between. Believe...in pussy.

What I love about the descriptin is that it sounds almost legitimate as a regular movie, right up until the last word.

Do you think Lexi Erikssion is a member of Women in Magic?

[Trying to find a copy of Bannon's DVD and stumbling on to this one was a rather humorous process itself. I really hope that any younger magicians trying to find the DVD through Google don't end up where I somehow did.]

Non-Civil Crap

2005-10-03T12:08:00.000-04:00

The Magic of Matt Shulien (which is pronounced "Shoeline") by Philip Reed Willmarth is a spectacular book with tons of great material. You should definitely consider purchasing it (and reading it!), as it contains great restaurant and bar magic as well as deep insights from Matt about how he views magic, which is valuable and enlightening reading for any magician. There is, however, this rather ridiculous little paragraph, an excerpt from Frank Everhart's Sponge Rabbit routine on page 154:

After enough of a pause to permit the spectators to see what has happened, Frank picks up the bunies to put them back into his pocket. At this point, he seems to notice for the first time a black baby rabbit among the red ones. He stares at it for a moment then grunts "civil rights!" and puts it away with the rest to another laugh. [All patter is in italics in the book.]

We should keep in mind that this book was first published in 1959, so the concept of political correctness didn't really even exist. It still serves as an important reminder of how we have progressed as a society and how we as magicians have progressed with it.

No Crap

2005-10-01T22:40:00.000-04:00

When is a post not a post?

New Blog Crap

2005-09-29T18:09:00.000-04:00

I just received an e-mail from the magician behind the new blog, Freely Mental. I love this blog - it's original (no one else is tackling a subject like this, in this way) and has some really, really good ideas (come on, you know you wish you thought of the iPod thing first!).

I highly recommend Freely Mental. It's definitely worth checking out.

New Rules Update

2005-09-29T18:04:00.000-04:00

Recent posts from Magician X have indicated to me that not everyone understood my last post.

However, one of readers, Ian, understood exactly what I meant. So, rather than respond to Magician X directly, I'll jsut let Ian say it for me:

Thanks God - at last someone has said it.

Magic blogs have been on a self referential downward spiral for months now. Most bloggers seem to only have a few posts worth of interesting content stored up and run out of steam very quickly.

I see your post has upset another blogger who seems unable to see that your "rules" are not "you must obey me" rules - but instead "if you want anyone to find your blog at all interesting you should think about this" rules. Many bloggers claim they don't care who reads their blogs and that people who don't like what they write should fuck off elsewhere - but in reality if they didn't want people to read their blogs they wouldn't be blogging, they'd be keeping a private journal.

Ian

Thanks, Ian! Magician X, maybe you should have taken my advice and e-mailed me first before writing a post that makes clear how little you understood of my last post. Keep up your otherwise great work, though, with your blog!

New Rules

2005-09-27T10:53:00.000-04:00

Magic blogs are really starting to suck. I'm even having trouble reading some of favorite blogs without vomiting on myself. But let me explain.

After starting my blog, I made a clear decision to (1) not comment on issues that another blog(s) had already commented on and (2) not get involved in inter-blog politics. The goal, of course, of this decision was to keep my blog both fresh and original. I wanted my readers to know and to recognize that my blog was the only place they could find the kind of insights I offer.

That being said, I can't help myself anymore in commenting on the recent (de-)evolution of magic blogs. There are two very major problems developing within the magic blogging community that I can see, so I'd like to first address each of them and then detail possible solutions.

[Before I start, I should acknowledge that many of these comments may appear ironic in light of the subject matter of this post. Indeed, a post criticizing other bloggers, for example, for blogging about themselves is inherently hypocritical. Yet, I feel that I must ask for your understanding that, in raising these issues, you understand that this post is an exception and not the rule. Thus, when I write, for example, "Who gives a shit what other bloggers do?" in a post all about what other bloggers do, you must think of me foremost as a magic blog reader reacting to other blogs rather than as a magic blogger writing about these reactions.]

Here are the four major problems:

(1) Too much self-involvement in the blogging community: The original magic bloggers started in order to comment on the magic community. They used a digital tool (the blog) but focused mostly on real people and real issues from the real world. At this point, however, too much attention is being focused on the blogging community itself (which does, in my opinion, absolutely nothing for our precious art form). Who gives a shit what other bloggers do?

(2) Too much repetition in the magic blogging community: This ties into the first problem. If you look at the last month worth of posts from most the major magic blogs, you'll notice something: they probably all have to do with either the Magic Cafe, Whit Haydn, or Criss Angel. Each one of those topics brings to light different issues, so let's break them down separately:

(a) The Magic Cafe - Guys, it's fucking done. We realize that Steve Brooks is an asshole, he staff is comprised of douches, and the members of it are retarded. What else is there to say? I love the Magic Circle Jerk (it is, after all, what started all of this), but we get it. I really don't want to see another fucking post about the Magic Cafe. You've not only beating a dead horse - you're exhuming it, raping it in the ass, and jizzing in its eye sockets.

(b) Whit Haydn - So every blogger and his mother decided to have his/her say on the issue, spent weeks writing about it, and then everybody decided, "Whoops. Sorry. Didn't mean any of it." Stand by your fucking opinions! Plus, why was EVERYBODY commenting on it. One or two bloggers raising the issue would have been enough. New rule: If you don't have anything new to say, don't say anything at all.

(c) Criss Angel - He represents a combination of the above issues. I think we've all gotten how much you guys don't like him, so stop repeating yourselves. Additionally, if you're going to comment on it, at least add something new to the discussion. It's a waste of both your time and ours to read a rehash of something we've already read.

(3) Too many problems and not enough solutions in the magic community: It's fine to criticize, but why not suggest ways to make things better, too? If you're going to dis Criss Angel, why not suggest ways that Criss or others contemplating making a television show can create something you would enjoy watching? We need to be constructive and not destructive in our criticism. Unless some flagrant asshole really fucking deserves it.

What solutions can I offer? How about these simple rules that, if followed, will prevent most of the "Big 3" is described about? These, in fact, are the rules that I try to follow. (Obviously, there are - and should - be exceptions, but these rules make good guidelines for good blogging.)

RULE 1: The first person to blog about an issue "gets" that issue. This means that if someone else makes a post about an issue, don't make your own post about that issue, unless it adds a radically new insight to the problem. Writing your own post about an issue should be a last resort: e-mail the blogger or add a comment to the post.

RULE 2: Once it seems that everybody has a consensus on an issue, the issue is, for all practical purposes, dead and posts on the topic should stop. Obviously, if anything changes, as things often do, the issue should be resurrected. However, I think it can be agreed that any post, for example, about how idiotic the Magic Cafe is is redundant at this point (therefore, the issue of idiocy at the Magic Cafe is, for all intents and purposes, a dead issue).

RULE 3: Research something FULLY before posting about it. This whole Whit Haydn fiasco (which I believe was entirely bullshit) wouldn't have happened if somebody had just directly e-mailed Whit before posting.

RULE 4: Be constructive rather than destructive in your criticism. Do you always have to suggest possible solutions? Of course not. But simply bad-mouthing everything you don't like won't get us - magic bloggers, magic blog readers, and the rest of the magic community - anywhere.

All of these rules can be combined into one big rule.

*** GENERAL RULE: Your posts should be fresh, offer a new or different perspective, and contribute - in a positive way, either directly or indirectly - to the development of our art form.If what you have to say doesn't add anything original or constructive to the magic community (not just the magic blogging community, mind you), don't say it. ***

The reason I blog and the reason I read other magic blogs is that I believe that there is a real potential for developing magic blogs as a tool for enhancing and bettering our fantastic art form. It is my sincere hope that this advice helps us achieve that wonderful goal.

Thanks for All Your Crap!

2005-09-25T16:21:00.000-04:00

I was going to send a porn video to every one of my readers in honor of breaking the 20,000 hit mark in just 7 and a half months, but then this happened. Crap.

FCCrap

2005-09-23T16:20:00.000-04:00

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fined Howard Stern for "graphic and explicit" language over public radio waves. The FCC included a transcript of the offending program, which includes a reference to the "David Copperfield" (see page 2 and 3 of the transcript).

Here's the excerpt:

Male Cast Member (MV): I heard a new one the other day. It was "David Copperfield."

Howard Stern (HS)/Robin Quivers (RQ): Right.

MV: So do you want me to explain it, since I... When you're goin' like a dog

HS: Right

MV: ...and your about to finish and instead you don't finish, you spit on her and then you turn around and when she turns her face around then you go... So it's kind of like an illusion...
HS: Right.

MV: to David Copperfield.

RQ: Sleight of hand.

HS: Misdirection.

MV: Classic misdirection.

HS: You trick her....

Good to see the tools of our art form being put to good use!

New Flash Crap

2005-09-23T12:42:00.000-04:00

Do you know what time it is? That's right - it's Magical Trevor time! The zany wizard of Magical Trevor and Magical Trevor II is back with a whole new adventure, Magical Trevor III!

Definitely swing by the site and check out the magical, chinchilla goodness!

Oh Crap! It's the Magical Mystery Tour!

2005-09-11T02:05:00.000-04:00

Pagliacci is branching out. In addition to a popular blog, Pagliacci will now be giving magical tours.

Let me share with you the details of Pagliacci's Magical Mystery Tour,* a once-in-a-lifetime magic extravaganza that'll take you to three cities and five magic shows in five days. Here's our itinerary:

We leave Sunday night/Monday morning for New York City. At night, we'll check out Monday Night Magic, the longest-running magic show in New York. After the show, we'll join the cast for dinner, an invitation the cast of Monday Night Magic extends to any magician visiting (no, seriously).

On Tuesday morning, we head for Boston where we'll can catch the Mystery Lounge, Monday Night Magic's predecessor.

After the show and some brief time in the Hong Kong with the cast of the night (again, something you can do on your own if you're not on the tour), we begin driving down to Washington, D.C. to see Wednesday Wizardry.

On Thursday, we'll swing back to Boston to catch Le Gran David and His Own Spectacular Magic Show.

On the way back to where we started - New York - we'll watch Steve Cohn's show, Chamber Magic at the Waldorf-Astoria.

I whole-heatedly recommend all of these shows. Plus, since Monday Night Magic, Mystery Lounge, and Wednesday Wizardry all feature a rotating cast of regulars and special guests, you can do this tour over and over again and always get different shows!

* Pagliacci's Magical Mystery Tour is not a real tour. If you're thinking about actually forming an enterprise to five day tour like I described, good thinking - you may even become moderately wealthy from doing it. Just remember who gave you the idea - you owe me.