Magic Tricks - Street Magic

Magic Tricks - Street Magic Street magic removes the boundaries from the stereotypical view of magic. There are no stages, no mirrors, no assistants and generally, no over-glorified props and illusions.

Often referred to as naked magic, street magic strips an illusion down to its bare minimum for maximum effect; using everyday objects, a street magician can outstand groups of passers by in a way no other street entertainer can imitate. With no stage, large illusions or assistants to pay for, the street magician can find himself making a fortune if he has the right attitude, right location and right performance. Typically this involves passing a hat around (known as "the throw") - magicians such as David Blaine and Paul Zenon have had the luxury of a television career to significantly boost their income, but it is still possible to make a living from street magic without television. When starting to perform Street Magic, you must realise that the trick is to maximise your audience - stunning them to the extent of silence will not help you, no matter how amazed they are! The key to success is maximising the audience's participation - use your voice combined with their applause to attract more spectators. This doesn't mean you have to shout, then perform a miracle - work the audience - warm them up by making them applaud loudly, bring a child onto the street and get her to do something, and then get the audience to applaud loudly, screaming etc. All of this time, people around you will be curious and join the audience. If you go to any street festival, you will find most of the time the performers are warming up the audience to attract more people. Once you have your audience, you will need to draw them in to prevent them from walking away from you and your hat! Get close to them, allowing people at the back to hear you easier, and to allow for further expansion. Possibly ask all the kids to come and sit at the front (and for some reason, they always want to put money in the hat - parents' money of course!) When planning your routine, make sure it is weatherproof to the extremes. A pack of cards won't stand a chance in the wind, and on one occasion, the famous 'Zig Zag Lady' didn't stand up - a gust of wind blew it and the beautiful assistant over - not the ideal outcome! Keep the routine to a fairly short time - people will typically be shopping and won't want to hang around for half an hour while their car parking ticket expires. Once they wonder off, you've lost yourself a few pounds. I saw one incredibly cunning technique for maximising your 'hat income' a couple of weeks ago in London. Two magicians asked a little girl to join them and help them with their tricks involving a purse. At the end of that routine, they gave her the £5 note, which instantly shows what a 'lovely' pair they are, appealing to all the people to give a donation at the end of the show - and they all did - there were queues of people waiting to donate! Give it a try - if it doesn't work out, you've lost nothing, and who knows, you could end up on television! Magic Tricks - Street Magic

Hiring a Magician, The Real Secrets - Honesty From a Dishonest Profession

Hiring a Magician, The Real Secrets - Honesty From a Dishonest Profession With over fifteen years of experience as a professional magician in England, I am going to tip you the real secrets of hiring a high quality magician for your event, and how to avoid the low quality magicians that could actually do more damage than good to your event.

Simple Magicians jargon, the three main types of magicians: o A magician that performs card tricks, coin tricks and smaller tricks, 'street magic' style, up close, either around tables, or in a drinks reception/mingling environment is called a Close Up Magician, Table Magician, Strolling Magician or even a Street Magician. o A magician that performs magic on a stage or in a parlour environment is simply known as a Stage Magician, Parlour Magician or Cabaret Magician. oA magician that performs mind reading or 'Derren Brown Style Magic' is known as a Mind Reader, Mind-reader, Psychological Illusionist or Mentalist. A great magician can be worth their weight in gold at any event, it's crucial if you want to not only provide entertainment for your event, but to enhance the atmosphere and give it that unique edge, choosing the right magician can be a little more 'tricky' than one might imagine. A high quality magician with years of experience won't come particularly cheap, so here are my top tips to ensure that you get the best value for your money. Where magicians are concerned - you really do get what you pay for. Ask Google or any search engine for a magician in your local area, and it will unmercifully spew out a brain overload of prospective close up magicians, children's magicians, stage magicians, entertainers, mind readers, comedy magicians, illusionists, jugglers and many more - but who do you choose? How do you choose them? And, how do you know they will be the vital ingredient for your event? If you've already began your search for a magician you will see many advertise on their websites the same buzzwords such as 'Unforgettable', 'Unique', 'World Class Magician', 'Absolutely Amazing', 'Perfect for your event' ect ect, but how much of that is fact, and how much of that is fiction? You will soon learn how to separate the truth from the embellished truth. Firstly, decide exactly what kind of magician you think would be best suited to your event. To help you search with using search engines for the right magician for your event use the 'magicians jargon' terms along with the following to help your searches become that little bit easier. If you want a magician that can mingle with your guests in a drinks reception type environment you will need to search for close up magicians in your local area; if you need a magician for a ball or dinner the same search terms or table magicians instead of close up magicians within your local area will give what you need, having a magician work around the courses is no problem at all to the professional, but the amateur may have a difficult time with organizing their entertainment around the meal. If you are looking for a wedding magician, again you really do need somebody that specializes in weddings, not particularly someone that does the 'whole shebang' as it where - as the old saying goes don't spread yourself too thin. Magicians that claim they can do everything from close up magic to fire eating, and from illusions to children's parties, probably haven't dedicated all the required time to the specific area you need them for. I strongly suggest not hiring a close up magician that also does children's parties, unfortunately there are many great children's entertainers out there, but many think that the same rules apply to entertaining children as entertaining adults - in reality it's a completely different ballgame. Both are highly specialist arts. Many children's entertainers will learn some basic magic tricks and try to piggyback close up magic work from their children's parties. Ideally if you want a children's entertainer, find somebody that specializes solely in entertaining children and if you want a magician for adults find somebody that exclusively performs high quality magic for adults. Perhaps you want a cabaret magician, or stage type entertainment, there are many genres here; mind reading, comedy, stand up magic, hypnotism, illusions, 'Tommy Cooper type' magicians and so on, think what would be best for your event and guests - If you think your audience would appreciate a comedy magician more than say a mind reader, search around for comedy magicians in your area, a big tip here is to make sure they have at least one video of them performing, there is nothing worse than an unfunny comedy magician! If you know the type of people at your event are not the kinds that like to be in the limelight, a hypnotist is definitely not for you! Good stage magicians and illusionists are usually quite good crowd pleaser's, but it's generally old fashioned style entertainment that won't suit everybody. Illusionists and traditional stage magicians are ideal if you have international guests as they have 'non patter' acts that are performed just to music. A good mind reading show can be extremely impressive, it can be completely baffling, entertaining your whole audience and even be very funny, however there is plenty of boring mind reading shows and not all of them are geared towards family audiences if there are children in the audience, again check references and videos. Once you know exactly what you want for your event, and perhaps even a style that you think would best suit your engagement, perhaps you want the older looking wizard type magician or the young fresh and modern close up magician, have a look at a various websites until you come across a few that you think would be ideal for your event. Pay attention firstly to there style and image - If it's a black tie event, you probably don't want a magician that wears jeans and t-shirt and other casual wear to performances, if you've got a young hip crowd perhaps you want the fairly young magician that does dress more casual. Perhaps you want close up magic and stage magic, see if they offer both services - many will give you a great package deal for both. Sometimes it's better to hire somebody non local to you that covers performing in your area, a lot of magicians have a 'one fee everywhere' for performing anywhere in the country so you are not landed with a huge travel expenses on top of the performing fee. Every magician's website should have; genuine high quality references and testimonials, photographs - and not just studio photos but actual performance photographs, a video if possible so you can get a better idea of what they do, and finally they should present to you all the information you need about there performing experience. It should tell you how long they have been performing, notable places and companies they have worked for and what makes them stand out above the crowd. When you contact your short list of magicians be sure to include all the necessary information about your event; including type of event, time, date, location, number of guests, and if you have an idea of the budget you have allocated for a magician, mention this as well. Sometimes when you search for a magician an agency website will pop up with various magicians and alternative entertainments, remember agents usually charge around 15% commission, so you might end up paying more through an agent. Sometimes it's better to cut out the middle man for a single performer. If your event requires multiple acts of different entertainment branches, agencies are usually the best way to go to manage your entertainment, however most magicians will be able to recommend colleagues that work well together if you wish to hire multiple magicians. Unlike most professions where there are always 'cowboy' services, surprisingly there are very few 'cowboy magicians' out there, however, there is a huge range in quality. The easiest way to find the good quality magicians from the lower quality magicians is by the fee. A full time professional will work hard on his trade, he has the experience and the skill required, dedicating their life to performing magic, their fee reflects this and their customers will pay the fee every time for an unbeatable service. On the other end of the spectrum you have the amateur, the guy just starting out, or the 'seasoned professional' that perhaps should of retired when his tie went out in fashion in 1963. These are usually the weekend hobbyists that will do the job for you and won't charge you very much. Whilst every magician has to start somewhere, don't settle for anything less than the best when it comes to high quality, professional magical entertainment. It takes a long time to become a good magician, amateur magicians could potentially ruin your event, they might make an off the cuff remark towards the guests that is not well taken, their magic might not be very good or they might just be extremely unsuitably dressed for your event. Full time professional magicians have to be great in every aspect of performance and people skills, generally you can't go wrong with a full time professional that has all the proper credentials I outlined above. Many magicians offer close up magic in one hour or two hour time slots, generally two hours for around a hundred guests is the best bet, that gives the magician adequate time to see as many people as possible. Once you have your enquiries back, done either by phone or email, here comes the hard part - which one are going to choose? Unfortunately I can't make that decision for you, generally the better magicians will be in the same price range, like I mentioned above - the lower price magicians will usually be amateurs or part time magicians that might not give you the full magic experience that will make your event stand out a mile. Magic is a very special art form, the best magicians are not only great at magic they are also great with people and that comes with many years of experience. As with all rules there are of course exceptions, but if you follow my guide, I'm sure you'll find the perfect match for your event. Magic is one of the most entertaining, fascinating and fun enhancements for any type of Party, Wedding or Corporate Event - not only is it universal in captivating all ages but can bring people together, even help sell products or unbelievably raise the atmosphere of an event. A fantastic magician can be a giant cherry on the cake. Good luck with your event, and I hope it is a huge success! Hiring a Magician, The Real Secrets - Honesty From a Dishonest Profession

History of Fashion - The Origin of the Beanie Hat

History of Fashion - The Origin of the Beanie Hat The beanie hat, a smaller close fitting hat, that originated in the United States in the early 1900's. The word "bean", back in the early 1900's, was slang for head. In the early 1900's the hats were worn by mostly college students, and in the 1950's they were worn by college freshmen as a form of hazing. The beanie hat also became very popular with blue collar workers who wore them not only to keep their head warm, but to keep their hair out of the way, and the hat had no brim to obstruct their work. You can get them either with or without brims. The hats with brims normally have a lot smaller brim than your normal baseball cap. Actually, the baseball cap evolved from the beanie with the brim.

At the time, the beanie hat was not traditionally know to be a fashionable accessory, they were worn more so for necessity. But, with the fashion trends of the 1990's, the beanie seem to gain more and more popularity. Normally worn by boys, more girls were seen wearing them. Sports figures started wearing them more as well. The college kids were adding their school emblems, colors and, favorite sports teams and logos, making them become part of the norm. In the beginning, the hats were mainly made from wool. Now, you find that they are made not only from wool, but synthetic materials, and fleece. The fleece material keeps away the moisture that the skiers and snowboarders have to deal with, not to mention keeping the head warm. One style of beanie that was adopted by an artist/fiction writer, Ray Nelson, was the propeller beanie, also known if you wore one as a propeller-head. Shortly after that, the propeller hat was used by a lot of the cartoon characters, and used in comic books. The hat had an actual propeller on the top of it. The propeller beanie fell by the wayside, and in the mid 1970's the interstellar propeller hat appeared on the scene. This was a multi-colored baseball cap with a propeller on it's top. Another style that appeared after the propeller hat was the skullcap, which had four to six colored panels sewn together to form the hat. Eventually they started adding short brims and ear flaps to keep the ears warm. Today it seems that there are numerous styles and colors to choose from. Not only are boys, girls, men and women wearing beanies, but, small children are wearing them as well. You can find just about any color or style you are looking for. History of Fashion - The Origin of the Beanie Hat

Hiring a Magician For Your Birthday Party

Hiring a Magician For Your Birthday Party When someone calls about a magic show, the most common first question is, "How much do you charge?" But the answer to that question is almost meaningless. The only thing you can do with that answer is determine if the price is within your budget, comparing it to other meaningless answers from other entertainers.

Price is an important consideration, of course, but if you make a decision based on price alone you may end up very disappointed. It is like walking into a store and asking how much shoes cost. There are all types of shoes. And they all have different prices and serve different purposes. Here are 6 points to help you find the right entertainer. 1) Plan ahead. If at all possible, call 4 to 6 weeks prior to your party. Planning ahead will help you get the entertainer you want. If a magician is unavailable, he should be able to recommend some other magicians. If not, that means he does not have a professional network and you are probably lucky he is unavailable! 2) Determine Your Budget. - Do not be afraid to let the entertainer know your budget. Some have set fees but others may be able to craft a show that will fit into your budget. Also, the price may include party favors or other things which will save you money elsewhere. 3) Ask about association membership - The best magicians in Austin belong to the International Brotherhood of Magicians and/or the Society of American Magicians. There are similar professional organizations for other variety entertainers. These organizations are dedicated to the continual education of their members. Additionally, this gives them a network to call upon if they get sick at the last minute and can not make your party. 4) Ask for references - Check both professional and customer references. By the same token, be willing to give an honest evaluation of the entertainer if someone asks you. 5) Ask what they need - Some magicians are completely self contained; others may require something like access to electricity, or a private place to set up. You do not want the magician to show up and find out he is expecting something you can not provide. 6) Listen - If the magician is not interested enough in you and your child to ask some basic questions like the age, gender, and name of the child, alarms should sound. Magic is a wonderful theme for a birthday party. Hiring the right magician will make it a great party! Hiring a Magician For Your Birthday Party

Iconic Hats - The Cowboy Hat

Iconic Hats - The Cowboy Hat [One article in a series on Iconic Hat Styles]

Although associated with the American West. arguably the cowboy hat is not an American creation. There is no doubt that hats with big brims and large crowns had been popular in Mexico, coming to Mexico from Spain, well before "the American West was won." Historians trace the origins in Spain to the European invasions by the very accomplished horsemen from Mongolia. Nevertheless, like all hat styles, modifications by such notables as John B. Stetson, did bring new iterations on this old theme and what we now know as the cowboy hat became inextricably tied to a place and time. The American West in both fact and legend was (and to a great extent still is) filled with such hats. John B. Stetson - the hat style and his name have become synonymous - introduced "The Boss of the Plains" and became a multi-millionaire. His story is American legend and resembles a cross between that of real life personality Johnny Appleseed and the fictional protagonists created by Horatio Alger. Stetson's rags beginning, ends with a 1906 death when his factory was turning out four million cowboy hats a year. Here was a hat that suited its surroundings. The big brim and high crown protected the cowboy from the elements--sun, rain, hail, snow, dust, mosquitoes and flies, and low branches. He could carry water in his hat or use it to whip his horse or cow. And, of course, this big handsome hat, in short order became his sartorial piece de resistance when courting the ladies. Early on, the style was picked up by notables like The Texas Rangers, Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, Annie Oakley, and even George Custer was wearing a Stetson when he met his fate at Little Big Horn. When the movies came along, Tom Mix, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, The Lone Ranger, and, of course, John Wayne all became personalities that were inseparable from their hats. Politicians, like Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan, and currently George W. Bush, are happy to wear their western hats whereby they associate themselves with both their home states and the values of the Old West. The style is forever being tweaked by designers and milliners and often becomes the leading style of the moment for women. Now is such a time. The movie Runaway Bride came along about the same time that pop stars Madonna and Mary Blige were wearing cowboy hats on stage and the fashion trend reached a tipping point and just took off. Around the world, the style's popularity will come and go as is the nature of fashion trends, but the place and time of the cowboy hat and what it symbolizes will forever be etched in history. Iconic Hats - The Cowboy Hat

Wedding Entertainment Ideas

Wedding Entertainment Ideas Weddings are magical occasions for all involved but to bring that extra spark of enchantment, you should look into hiring a magician to perform at your wedding reception. Here are 5 great reasons to hire a magician.

Wedding Entertainment Ideas: 5 Great Reasons to Have a Magician at Your Wedding When it comes to organising your wedding party, you have a wide range of options. You could have a simple event or a themed party, perhaps featuring 60s, beach, Bond, or medieval themes. Or you could have a casino or celebrity look a like. As for decor you could feature an ice sculpture or chocolate fountain. You'll need music of course and you have the choice of a live band, jazz band or a DJ laying down disco beats. Or your might prefer a string quartet, harpist, singer, piper or pianist. You could employ a toastmaster to be the master of ceremonies and keeps the event moving along. And on the all-important entertainment front, you could hire a caricaturist or silhouette artist. But for a wedding party that really goes with a bang, you can't beat a magician. When we say magician, we're not talking about a man on a stage pulling a white rabbit out of a hat. We're talking about a modern interactive close-up magician. This magician moves among the tables or groups of people and entertains them with a sophisticated magic routine. Here are 5 great reasons why having a magician at your wedding reception will make it a rousing success. Firstly, nothing gets a wedding party swinging quite like a magic routine. It provides an immediate spark to the atmosphere, creating a genuine buzz of excitement. Along with tucking into the food, swilling down the champagne and dancing to the band, your guests will be be delighted to find you've arranged something special. Imagine their cries of surprised joy when the magician begins to weave his way through the tables and groups of guests bringing that special touch to the occasion. By personalising his act for each group, the magician is perfect for building and maintaining the relaxed atmosphere that makes every wedding party a success. This means that magic acts are great for breaking the ice and bringing people together. Many of the magician's tricks require audience participation which further delights the guests. It often creates an ambiance of friendly competition and results in copious laughter and a flow of playful banter. Enjoying and participating in magic tricks forges a sense of community and shared experience that is possible in few other ways. And it also draws people out of themselves so that even the shyer guests start participating and enjoying themselves more. On a purely practical level, your magician can fill in if things get off schedule. Wedding parties are complex affairs and many things can go wrong. Perhaps the guest of honour is delayed in the traffic. Or if the best man is late for his speech for example, the magician can keep the guests enthralled while waiting. Or if the food's delayed, what better way to keep your guests happy than with a magic routine? In this way he can take a lot of the stress off the host and hostess by keeping the guests entertained as needed. But ultimately, the real magic of the magician is to create that unique ambiance and the feeling that anything is possible. And on your wedding day, that's exactly the mood you need to make it perfect. So make sure you get a magician for your wedding and you'll be sure of the event of a lifetime. Everyone loves a magic act. Your magician will appeal to guests of all ages and both genders. Getting a magician for your wedding reception is surprisingly affordable and in addition to the benefits above, will make your wedding party the talk of the town. Wedding Entertainment Ideas

Design Your Own Magic Tricks

Design Your Own Magic Tricks Are you fond of watching the videos of David Blaine and Chris Angel extraordinary magic tricks? Well, you can also make your own magic tricks; all you need is to comprehend every basic magic tactics.

Most of the people think that magicians have a lot of magic tricks, but on reality there are only a few of it. The author of The Trick Brain named Dariel Fitzkee says that, there are only nineteen essential effects which oversee all the magic tricks and illusions. And all of these rely on the magical tools that a magician has. Most of the items you will see are true but greater part of it are due to the magicians tricks and faked magical effects. Among the nineteen magical effects of every magician only three are the basic steps to oversee the rest. A magic trick is composed of the following: camouflage, secret movement, mechanical and transformation. A camouflage trick is one of the most fundamental tricks of a magician. From the smallest up to the biggest apparatus that they use, an object will look smaller and the viewer might be amazed on how did the magician do it; it is the power of using camouflage trick. This kind of trick is use to hide or make things disappear by simply covering it up with the aid of some people. If you wonder why an object appears and disappears in just a snap of the magician's fingers, then this is what the magicians call a secret movement. Like for example a magician raises an empty box to the audience, as he closes the door a certain screen would drop down and when he opens it again you will be seeing lions, horses or even a dog that would appear. The most common trick among the magic is the floating card, wherein a magician will spin cards to his body and then floats it between his hands. Viewers will then get amazed about the trick but if they only knew that it is the invisible thread that governs the movement of magician's body, then surely they will not be stunned. As a viewer all you need to do is to give a keen observation in every movement so you can see the trick. The last trick will be the mechanical transformation. It comes with various samples, like when a magician takes a blue scarf from his hand and then pass it through something or to a tube, when comes out it turns red or it will transform to any shapes. Basic magic tricks are simple to understand if and only if you are interested upon doing it so. By the help of the three basic steps mentioned earlier, you can now propagate your own magic tricks as you wanted that would appear as unique as a professional magician. Design Your Own Magic Tricks

A Father and Son Go As Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat

A Father and Son Go As Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat One thing that is uncommon to see when Halloween rolls around is father and son costume "pairings" - to be more specific, a father and a son who dress in costumes from the same animated series - such as "Curious George".

For the curious, let me draw you a picture: The father dresses as The Man in the Yellow Hat and the son dresses as Curious George. Usually the child will be on the younger side - probably between the ages of four to six. The father must be young at heart (and very patient) to pull off this role! Fathers and sons can try this out at local neighborhood parties, pumpkin picking, mall events, or perhaps even a costume contest. If you are a father looking for a novel, entertaining way to bond with your son this Halloween, perhaps you should consider dressing up as Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat. Imagining and acting out the roles should not be too difficult for the father considering how curious little boys can be. I should know - I used to be one! That being said, when I heard of this idea, I thought it was absolutely adorable. If you or your son (or both) like the book (or the movie), you will love this costume pairing idea. I wonder what H.A. Rey and Margret Rey, the creators of "Curious George", would think if they saw fathers and sons walking around in costumes based on their story? I would think, at the very least, that they would be flattered. A Father and Son Go As Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat

Comedy Magic - Putting Comedy in Your Magic Act

Comedy Magic - Putting Comedy in Your Magic Act Without any doubt, comedy is the one ingredient which appeals most to an audience and supplies the greatest possibility for an entertainer who uses magic as his material. Just look at who are the highest paid entertainers on film and television - the majority are comedians! So how does a magician add comedy to his shows?

Most magician's start out doing straight performing, either close up, stage or illusions and do not consider themselves comedians, but magicians. That is fine, but you know that getting a few laughs in your show helps the audience relax and lightens the mood. Many magicians will actually get so good at adding comedy, that they will switch their performing style to comedy. IF you decide you want to perform comedy magic - you should forget you are a magician and think like a comedian and then add the magic into your act to support the comedy. A perfect example of this is The Amazing Jonathan. His act is pure "comedian" with lots of magic on top of his act. When you watch people like John Ferrentino do his comedy magic act, he focuses more on the comedy than the magic. This may not be want you are aiming for - maybe you just want to add a bit of comedy to enhance your act. To do act, you should first study as many comedy magicians as you can and see how they use comedy. Facial expressions, jokes, ad-libs, gestures and by-play with an audience. Watch Mel Mellers, who is a modern-day version of Don Rickles and Dame Edna doing magic. His comedy is "in your face", but like Don he can pull it off due to his personality. This may not be your style of comedy, but studying his work can give you ideas. These type of performers should be your MODELS, but that does not mean you should be doing THEIR material. You should also listen to old radio programs that had some of the great comedians - like Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Fred Allen, Sid Caesar and many more. Even modern day radio programs like Click and Clack are a great place to study audience interaction; Garrison Keillor has a superb radio program with more subtle humor. Study books on comedy, read joke books, watch sitcoms on TV and even cartoons. Start to add a few jokes or ad libs to your act. When you read joke books, if a joke pertains to a trick or routine you do, write it down and try to work it into your act. For example the joke is: What do you call a rabbit on your head? A hairpiece! Not a great joke, but what if you walked out on stage - took off your hat and a rabbit (fake one would be best) was sitting on your head and you ask the audience, "What do you think of my new hairpiece?" If you delivery is right - it will get a laugh. How about pretending to remove a hair from your head and ask the audience if they can see a rabbit? Oh it is just a little hair! Now roll it up and produce a sponge rabbit or real live rabbit! Try using funny props. If performing for children - large, oversized props are funny to them or if you use a prop for something it shouldn't be used for. Example: I use a toilet brush instead of a magic wand! And do a secret move, which gets a riotous laugh! Want to more... read on. For adults, think of props similar to those that comedians like Carrot Top and Gallagher use in their acts. Maybe not quite that large, but watch their acts and see how you can maybe add funny props to your act. Small ad libs are probably the easiest things to add to your act, just to get used to getting a few laughs. There are lots of books with these types of ad libs available at your local magic stop or online. Example: Turn to a person, who is not smiling, in your audience and just say, "You look very sad." (pause) Are you married?" or "How old are you?" Whatever the answer respond with "Is that Celsius or Fahrenheit" None of these will gets large laughs, but it adds a bit of fun and you will get some chuckles from your audience. You should only drop a few of these type lines into your show sparingly or you will start sounding like you are sprouting lines from a book. You should always make your quips sound spontaneous and off the cuff. I often get people come up to me after my show and say how spontaneous I am with my one liners. What they don't realize is that I have probably said those exact same lines in the previous show and will use them again in my next show. But they sound spontaneous. Example: In my children's show I use an old classic magicians line. When a girl says her name, I respond with "that was my name too when I was a little girl". I have heard this line used by thousand of magicians and it is rarely funny. It falls flat! Why does it work when I use it? Because I act totally surprised at the revelation of her name and I prefix it a little too. "Oh MY! (pause) You wont believe this! (get excited) I LOVE THAT NAME! (act like it is just your most favorite thing in the world) You know why? (pause and wait for the audience to say Why?) Because that was my name (pause and look around) when I was a little girl! (When I say that I point to the girl and then back to myself and nod my head like isn't that the coolest thing in the world). You have to tell the line like it was unique, the first time you said it and the audience will laugh. You would not believe how many girl names I have had in my youth! Comedy Magic - Putting Comedy in Your Magic Act

Shaman Harvey - My Shocking First Encounter With a Modern American Shaman

Shaman Harvey - My Shocking First Encounter With a Modern American Shaman Harvey Bevier was a visionary healer who worked in Denver, CO. For over forty years, he treated hundreds of people each month, sometimes seeing more than a hundred people in a single day. I first met him when I was a visiting professor at Boulder College, which offered graduate degrees in spiritual education and alternative healing.

I was teaching Jungian psychotherapy, group dynamics and the I Ching. I can only imagine what my professors from U.C.L.A. and the University of Michigan (where I earned a Ph.D. in Psychology and in Social Work) would have thought. Pretty far out stuff,this mystical psychology, but my personal journey had barely begun. The grueling, six year, double Ph.D. program at Michigan had cost every participant their health and/or marriage. Barely half the doctoral students even completed the program. I graduated with disabling back pain and a severe aggravation of post traumatic stress disorder that originated in childhood abuse. One day, Sandy, one of my Boulder college graduate students told me I should visit the alternative healer she had been seeing for several years. He was "really unorthodox" and the treatments could seem pretty scary, she informed me, but he was a real magician. After weeks of internal debate, and unremitting physical pain, I decided to consult the unfailingly wise guidance of the I Ching. I decided to give this Harvey person a try when the I Ching assured me that it was a great opportunity. Sandy drove me the 30+ miles to an unimpressive little two bedroom house on Hooker street in Denver. The yard-less house was surrounded by a blacktop parking lot on a commercial side street. We entered the front door where the former "living room" was nearly vacant. Ahead we saw in the small dining room area, the man I had--with apprehension and doubt--come to see. The former "dining area" had folding chairs around the walls and two stools at one end for Harvey and the client to sit on during treatments, but from the front door, only the small reception desk was visible. Then came my first glimpse of the storied Harvey, a trim, fierce-looking, impeccably-dressed gentleman near 70 years of age who was just starting to get up from the desk. He was holding his back and groaning as he very slowly stood up from the desk. Sandy rushed over to help him as the thought flashed through my head, "This is what you might expect from someone his age..." followed by: "This is the guy who's supposed to heal me?" He looked like he had exact same problem I did! Except that half way through this little drama of painful arising--and to my total amazement--Harvey suddenly leaped high into the air and came down laughing like a madman. He glanced briefly over at me and then went about his business. Being as bright and educated as I am, it only took me about six months to realize that this had been my first Harvey lesson. Somehow he knew all about my ailment, and he had perfectly imitated my behavior, which admittedly may have been understandable for some seventy-year-olds. The problem was that I was only in my forties at the time, while the 70-year-old was the one laughing and leaping for joy. I now know his message made it clear that one can be free of pain at any age, or disabled by it at any age and it also demonstrated that he knew me before he even met me. His tricksterish stunt capsulized my secret goal of many years: to progress from how he started to get up to how he finished that movement. He had visually enacted a the transcendence of disability in a way I can still see to this day. Holy cow, I thought, who the hell is this guy?! I have since had dreams of being fined for parking my car in a disabled parking spot (since I didn't really qualify as disabled) and there are many dreams in which I joyfully run and suddenly realize I can jump over objects. Harvey acted out the eventual wisdom of my dreams in the very first minute of our first encounter. He was planting seeds of healing years before those same messages began appearing in my dreams. I took a seat on a metal folding chair and watched this suspicious character like a hawk. Standing at one end of the room by the two treatment stools, Harvey would often just look around the room and point wordlessly at whoever was next. The client (or was it victim?) would sit on the black stool and Harvey sat on a white stool right behind them. I couldn't help thinking about the color of the hats worn worn by the good and bad guys in old cowboy movies. He generally started by taking the person's neck in his vise-like grip and cranking it one way and then the other. He would often close his eyes a moment as if receiving instructions from some other realm or maybe looking right into the person with x-ray vision (both later proved to be the case) and then he would spring back into action. Harvey moved with a fierce and absolute certainty. Sitting or standing behind you, he often, told stories or jokes, generally to someone else in the room or to the whole group. I later discovered that these tales were multi-layered instructions that often had very different meanings to each person in the room. Dreams have this same universal quality, carrying unique messages to all who hear them. Harvey created stories with the profound complexity of dream wisdom, stories which I still continue to decode and learn from, many years later. Occasionally, Harvey would describe the problem he was working on and how it had originated as if we were all young interns doing medical rounds. Next he would sit behind them and put one knee in their low back and pull their entire body back against it, realigning the vertebrae and blasting chi (or palm healing energy) from his knee right into the regions along the spine. Soon his other knee went to the other side of their spine and another fierce yank would pull them back against it. Slowly vertebra by vertebra he worked his way up the spine. Often, he would then work on the neck again, cranking it varying degrees in either or both directions. Finally, mercifully, he would be nearly finished. For his finale, he would signal you to stand up, he would step behind you and take you in a full nelson head lock, tell you to relax and then yank you completely off the ground (including many 300 pounders). This blasts the loosened energies and broken-up obstructions up through the crown chakra and upward away from the planet (he once explained to me). I believe it did just that, not to mention terrifying the newcomer. The huge woman whose Harvey "treatment" came just before mine, was an accomplished screamer. She yelled and wailed and begged for mercy while shrieking repeatedly: "Oh Harvey you're killing me" after every jarring blast of his special blend of karate chiropractic. (It turned out she did this every week and was deeply loyal to Harvey!) It was no coincidence that Harvey's unmarked business establishment--called unobtrusively the "Herb Shop"--was located right behind a Karate school. Harvey even made sharp chi exhalations of his breath that resembled karate sounds with every healing blow he delivered. He later told me that the violent blows at the karate school provided cover in the invisible realms for his activities. He also said that the sounds he made provided a kind of overflow or release valve that kept him from delivering too much force and breaking something (you have no idea how much I grew to appreciate those strange sounds). It did not surprise me even slightly when I learned that Harvey had been a bomber pilot in WW II and was often the spotter for enemy targets. He was now using his knees to deliver a bomb-like explosion of the energy that is normally applied ever so gently in the healing arts called palm healing (or Reiki or Therapeutic Touch) to blast regions of impacted energy along the spine. I have never seen anything like it before or since and on my first visit I was truly terrified. (On all later visits I was only marginally terrified--as well as deeply grateful to him). I told Sandy, "This is so intense (by which I meant violent) that if he doesn't know exactly what he's doing, he could cripple me for life!" I clearly had a huge decision to make, sitting nervously on my metal chair. When Harvey finally turned and pointed at me, I knew with great certainty--in that moment--that he did know exactly what he was doing and I decided to risk my mobility and my health on that fact. I have always been an intuitive truth teller and I know instantly when certain things are true. It may have something to do with being born a double. I was born at 11:44 pm on 8-8-1947. I had two mother figures and two father figures during my childhood and grew up to get two masters degrees and two Ph.D's, etc. etc. I took my place on the stool in front of Harvey and said, "Do you want me to show you where my problem areas are?" After several years of chiropractic treatment with two different doctors we had pinpointed the specific vertebrae that were the source of trouble; I wanted to give Harvey the benefit of all that effort. Harvey said the weirdest thing in response: "You can talk if you want to." Which I (eventually) would learn was his second lesson for me and it referred to my hyper-verbal doctoral-trained approach to everything. Harvey relied a great deal upon mind to mind communication and direct knowing, both of which worked all the better the less one spoke. But in that moment, I was so surprised I just sat totally quiet for a moment. Before I could speak, Harvey put his finger exactly on the first trouble spot and said, "This is the lower one." Putting his finger exactly on the second trouble spot, he said "this is the second one," and perfectly pinpointing the third area he said "and this is the third one." Then he pressed on a point on my upper neck from both sides and (just as soon as I finished shouting a bit), he said, "And that's the one you don't know about." After a pause to digest all this I said, "Why don't you just go ahead and work." During my wild and intense first treatment--with vertebrae leaping into new positions, stagnant energies getting blasted and clenched muscles being stretched, Harvey chattered happily away. He talked about a psychiatrist friend of his who had various problems and discussed how he was working to resolve some of them. It took me a year to realize that everything Harvey had said was actually about me! I told you I was bright. Since I had recently earned doctorates in psychology and in social work, he knew that my professional prejudice against psychiatry as a profession was sufficient that all he had to do to hide the meaning of all his insights about me from my conscious mind, was to say that this imaginary person he was discussing was a psychiatrist. He knew I would never identify with "one of those people" and that he could then directly discuss my own case with me without me, having the slightest hint that I was the topic. He proceeded to plant the seeds of my growth in my unconscious without my ego debating or resisting whatsoever! By the time I figured out this cheap trick, I had already come to see the truth of each of his points! How unprofessional: to have a case conference about the doctor with the doctor without telling the doctor. Talk about a trickster! When the treatment was done, Harvey cranked my neck so hard that 5 vertebrae moved all at once; I was terrified I might never move again. However, I soon found that my neck now moved freely and painlessly for the first time in years. Then came the finale, the standing full-nelson in which I was jerked completely off the ground which stretched and decompressed every region of my spine. I was very, I mean very glad to be done with the process. I mumbled a stunned "Thanks" and headed back to the security of my folding chair. Harvey waited for a moment or two, looked around the room, and then--to my shock and horror--he pointed straight at me for a second time! In all the years I would later go back to Harvey, I never again saw him give anyone two complete treatments in this way. I initially felt a wave of terror at having to go through the entire process a second time as if I had not just been treated (or was it mistreated?!). And at the same time a ray of hope was ignited deep within me: Harvey was the first person who had ever known at first glance that I was a double and would require two separate treatments. When I was finished, (and boy was I finished!) I put the suggested donation in the basket on the table (paying only once, thank you very much, for the double treatment) and left with a few simple instructions that he gave me. In the car heading back to Boulder, I felt remarkably pain free except for one place atop my left shoulder (at a meridian for chi energies). It felt like a chunk of the exact pain I know all too well from the low back. A "chunk" of "low back pain" was somehow "stuck in the channel" on my shoulder. The area felt "as sore as if it had been hit with a ball peen hammer," I recall telling Sandy... but the pain was definitely low back pain. Sandy said to wiggle and stay loose so anything Harvey had "broken loose" could "flow out." After a day this weird, I figured I would give anything a try. I knew from past experience that it would take several days for a pain of this level to go away, yet after a few minutes of wiggling, I felt it move up through and finally out of the shoulder suddenly and completely. I had never felt pain behave that way, but it was suddenly gone. How, I wondered, does low back pain get broken into chunks and then how does it flow up through the body and then how can it escape through your shoulder? Not that I was complaining about it being gone! Only about my fractured world view and the disruption of my doctoral-strength false certainty. What would be next, I wondered, and rightly so. Back home in Boulder, I had Sandy drive us straight to Liquor Mart where I bought a bottle of champagne and we went to 4 mile creek and drank it all. I sat on the ground for the first time in 20 years and I felt no pain, no clenching, no discomfort... only the ecstasy of complete health. And any worrisome, negative attitudes had left along with the pain! I lost the pain in my neck and stopped being one at the same time! I was ecstatic. I falsely assumed (that didn't take long did it?) that this single, well double, treatment had completely cured me, as I was to see happen to many other people that Harvey worked on in the years to come. But that was not Harvey's purpose with me. For the next three days, Harvey held all the negative forces affecting my body and mind at bay. I was mobile, flexible and intensely joyous for 3 full days. I awoke each morning thrilled to be alive, deeply grateful to be living in Colorado, and eager to leap into one constructive task after another all day long. I recall asking myself out loud, "Wow, who is this cheerful character I am waking up to each morning... and where has he been all my life?" After the initial 3 days, my condition very gently and very gradually returned to a state one large step better than where I had begun, but I had been shown the goal state. I have been given the unforgettable and irrefutable, experiential evidence that I have carried with me ever since and which I will never forget: In this lifetime, in this body, I can be totally healthy and ecstatically joyful... not to mention deeply grateful. That extraordinary direct experience and the hope it instilled has sustained my efforts for these many years since, as I learn by my own efforts--with many crucial Harvey lessons and hints--how to heal myself and how to teach others what I learn. I saw Harvey heal many others completely, sometimes in a single session or within a month or two. Some came in with crutches and walked out carrying them. He did all the work and they just had to show up. At first I felt cheated, when I compared myself with with these folks. Until I noticed that Harvey never compared. He gave each person whatever was for their highest good and it was never exactly the same for any two people. I finally realized that Harvey was paying me an extraordinary compliment. He saw me not as a wounded expert, but as a beginning wounded healer. He expected me to activate and develop my own healing powers. He was refusing to do for me what he knew I could achieve myself. A warrior by nature, he would not weaken me by doing for me what I came here to learn to do myself. And for this respect, and for the unique help and guidance I received, I am forever grateful. Shaman Harvey - My Shocking First Encounter With a Modern American Shaman

The Rabbit's Magician - Behind the Smoke and Mirrors - A Little Alchemy For 2008

The Rabbit's Magician - Behind the Smoke and Mirrors - A Little Alchemy For 2008 Our fascination with "magic" conjures up visions of mystique and intrigue that we seem to long for in our lives. History and stories of lore have mystified and enchanted us, continually tantalizing our desires to quench that unnerving thirst for a bit of the miraculous. Modern day magicians continue their predecessors' practice of illusionary entertaining, satisfying our need to believe in something more; our need for a bit of mystery and a taste of the exotic. This desire and quest for the power of magic has spanned the ages, leaving us now with aspirations to capture some of that sparkle in the here and now. From the hierophants of ancient Egypt to the alchemists of the Middle Ages, from the Mayan high priests, to the Celtic druids, whether medicine men, sorcerers, or wizards of legend and fairy tale, these workers of wonders and miracles have left their mark beyond the world of their day. And let us not forget the high priestesses and druidesses, prophetesses and witches, medicine women and shamans, and our beautiful fairy queens. Magic has no gender. It also has no boundaries. And yet, who are these magicians, these conjurers of enchantment? Are they truly something for us to dream about and place in awe, as we project an omniscient quality onto that which seemingly is outside of ourselves? Or is there more to this "magician thing" than meets the eye? And what about that rabbit?

Actually, aren't we all wanting simply to lead more of a so-called "charmed life?" It seems the desire to be magicians of our experiences and masters of our destinies is one we all share. Some people seem to naturally emanate a magical quality and we can see it in that sparkle from their eyes, that glow of an aura they exude, the way whatever they touch in their path seems to light up, almost like pixie dust that traverses any room they enter. And then some of us simply need to realize that if we can see in others such miracles of wonder, then we are closer to it than we think. Those of this nature merely mirror our own inner magician--the one whom we can call upon to cast our own magical spells of enchantment whenever we so choose. We just have yet to realize that magic is simply our innate art of creative power. Recognize it, exercise it, utilize it, and what do you know, "abracadabra," you have yourself the ingredients for some home-made magic stew! Speaking of "abracadabra," let's turn back the page to our friend the rabbit and the meaning of this most inane word. I think we've been missing something. Here is what Magic Words: A Dictionary, by Craig Conley has to say: "There is profound meaning in the clichéd image of a magician pulling a rabbit out of an empty hat with the magic word abracadabra. The magician is speaking an ancient Hebrew phrase that means 'I will create with words.' He is making something out of nothing, echoing that famous line from Genesis: 'Let there be light, and there was light,' only in this case the light is a white rabbit and perhaps a flash of fire. The magic word, whether it be abracadabra or another of the magician's choosing, resonates with the audience because there is an instinctive understanding that words are powerful, creative forces. 'The word has always held an ancient enchantment for humans,' says scholar Ted Andrews. 'It hints of journeys into unseen and unmapped domains.'" Enough said I think. Magic is a primitive power of creation through whatever means we use. Things take on magical qualities because of the energy we give it and the belief we put behind it. The power of language, personal meanings, and symbols enlighten and inspire us to create pure wonder and awe whenever they are spoken, connected with, or simply seen, worn, or held in our experience. We are the masters of projecting ourselves and our power onto everything around us, not realizing the magic skeleton key to everything we desire was always there within us. That's not to say we shouldn't have personal talismans and symbols or enchanting words in our lives. Sometimes the simple joy of that projection can help us to connect more deeply with ourselves and the collective around us, seeing and understanding how we are all so similar, all sharing the experience of the wonder of the world and all the beauty it holds for us each to see in it, the mirror of our own magical essence. Symbols are beautiful and powerful things. The Egyptians carried amulets and magic figurines and Greeks sought out priests called Oracles. Alchemists searched to discover magical substances to turn lead into gold, cure disease, and extend life. We all need to believe in a bit of magic, yet the elixir of life is simply believing in you. It is our friend the rabbit who holds all the magician's answers to his, her, OUR projected magic. And we come to see how the rabbit is the true key to the magician's power. Embrace and become your own inner rabbit and you too will discover an enchanted world of your own creation. *Dedicated to, and inspired by, Nestie aka Nestor. Love is magic and I know no greater magic than the love between myself and my very own rabbit, Nestor, who has shown me the meaning of the Rabbit's Magician and beyond. Copyright 2008 The Rabbit's Magician - Behind the Smoke and Mirrors - A Little Alchemy For 2008

Estimating a Paint Job - Square Foot Price

Estimating a Paint Job - Square Foot Price The square foot method of estimating a paint job is probably the dumbest way to estimate a paint job. Sorry, I am wrong; it is the second dumbest job. It just seems like the dumbest method. The winner of the dumbest job goes to the W.A.G. (wild-ass guess) Method of Estimating a Paint Job. Out of the basic three methods of how to estimate a paint job, the W.A.G. Method of Estimating a Paint Job, is the creation of the magician of the paint estimators. This painting contractor can look at a ,000 paint job and in 5 seconds give a very inaccurate price on painting the interior of a house. This magician love to bask in the glory when homeowners the world over tell this paint estimator that he is simply fabulous. Anyway, the W.A.G. method isn't even worth spit.

The Square Foot Method warrants acknowledgment, if for no other reason than to point out that although a great many painters subscribe to this method, it really is quite a stupid way to arrive at a price for a paint job. Why is a this lame way to estimate? The question is how can anyone estimate a price of a paint job by the square footage of a floor? A couple of simple examples will shine some light on the darkness of this method. Let's take two interior paint jobs; the first one is a family room 200 square feet built in the 1950's so it has an eight foot high ceiling. The doors are the style that was popular in residential construction back then, flush doors. The windows are also a style that was popular back then, standard size but four divided windows commonly called two over two, or 2/2. All the molding is of the style popular in the 1950's also, a pattern called ranch or clamshell molding, a simple smooth slightly curved molding. The molding consists of baseboard, door trim and window trim. There are two flush doors and four windows in this room. The second room was built in the 1980's, also 200 square feet. This room has an eighteen foot high ceiling. The doors are reflective of the decade that his room was built in, three panel doors, and six wooden French Doors; the four windows are a true twelve individual pane widow commonly called a six over six or 6/6. This room has a very deep profile colonial trim. The molding is baseboard, chair rail, crown molding, door trim and window trim. Don't forget this room has six doors and four windows. If someone estimates these rooms using the square foot method, they will arrive at the same price because both rooms have exactly the same square footage of floor. But you will see that the latter room has more than double the square footage of wall, and that both the ceiling and the extra square footage of wall are at twice the height of the first room, entailing much longer times to paint these areas. Also the time to paint a French Door is double the time to paint a flush door, and the second room has six doors while the first has two. The windows on the second job being 6/6 vs. 2/2 also take twice as long to paint. The second room has three times the molding as the first room and the crown molding is eighteen feet off the ground, meaning two times as long to paint than molding at arm's length. Obviously, estimating a room by the square footage of floor is a very inaccurate method of estimating an interior paint job. Estimating a Paint Job - Square Foot Price

Do's And Don'ts For Hard Hat Stickers

Do's And Don'ts For Hard Hat Stickers Primarily intended to promote safety, hard hat stickers basically allow wearers to non-verbally communicate with each other, reminding each other to be vigilant about hazardous scenarios and to prevent unwanted accidents as much as possible. These stickers also allows indirect communication to take place between the observer and the wearer. An example of this is when an employer look at his employees while they are doing the assigned task, keenly observing if everything is in its proper order. Unfortunately, people tend to be complacent when it comes to the use of these stickers, so much so that they inadvertently expose themselves from risks without even knowing it! This article is written to discuss what to do and what not to do when it comes to using these stickers.

As for the "don'ts", according to manufacturers, do not place the stickers at the rim of the hat. Advisably, stick the stickers at least a quarter of an inch from the rim. Some stickers can serve as a conductor thus risking the wearer to any possible electrocutions and other electric-related injuries. Do not go overboard when sticking stickers. I know that with its limitless capabilities you might want to stick them all over the place, but by doing so, you will be triggering confusion to some and a headache to others. Just go minimal and use the stickers you deem necessary. Next we can focus on what to do when using safety stickers. When you are about to use the stickers, make sure to check the headgear thoroughly while in its bare form. Inspecting the hat before applying the stickers allows the soon-to-be wearer to see if there are flaws or damages present in the hardhat and gives them the opportunity to have it either fixed or replaced. Another thing for the "do's" is to take advantage of the empty space a safety hat has. Place at least a sticker or two on areas which are visible to people who may be concerned. It won't actually help if you place sticker reminders intended for co-workers right at the top of the hat. There's no way your co-workers will be reminded unless they work overhead of you or they have superpowers and fly out of habit. In most environments workers are allowed to use custom hard hat stickers as an identifier of either their name, position, group, or a combination of these. This will help others to be familiarized with you and vice-versa. It can be okay to include funny hard hat stickers as well. Not only will it brighten your mood, it will also brighten the moods of other people as well! Eventually, because of all the stress one can feel at work, your funny stickers with funny phrases will be so amusing that people will tend to look at your hat, then at you. It may be a way to make a fun first impression. Now, with all these added purposes, please remember that these hard hat safety stickers are used for a reason. Aside from their amusing side, these stickers serves as a constant reminder how safety is a pressing concern not to be brushed off. Do's And Don'ts For Hard Hat Stickers

How to Choose Hat Rack Displays For Your Hat Merchandise

How to Choose Hat Rack Displays For Your Hat Merchandise Cap displays are used to put the hat products on. As a retail store owner, you should understand how to arrange your hats in an effective manner so you can display your hats properly.

These hats are used by almost everybody because they have really made statements in the apparel industry that also expresses style of the one who wears them. Caps have gone beyond the usual shield from natural weather, whether it be the rain or the sun. Some persons utilize them as a fashion accessory which shows that anybody can definitely capitalize on hats and market them. As a store merchandiser, one way to capitalize on your caps would be to use hat display fixtures that show off your merchandise. Cap displays are really important not just due to their normal use - to hold the products. Hat racks fixtures are used as advertising statements of the product creating a much needed awareness to shoppers. Customized hat displays can also create thrill depending on the actual merchandise. You can also hire a research company to check at how tall is the most effective one in setting up a hat display stand. You might as well as ask you customers as to who buys your product and what specific style or color that they prefer over another. You will be able to understand the best option to market your cap products. A retail custom hat fixture stand highlights the merchandise. A well-displayed row of caps not only creates interest on clients but it will entice them to purchase especially if all units are displayed well. There are numerous methods to display your caps and cap products. You can either stack them up to make a tower using a cap tower rack stand or putting them side by side on a hat shelf stand rack. Ensuring a healthy level of inventory is not only limited to caps but to all products. In this case, since clients would likely be more enticed with the utilization of visuals, it is great that you carry most or all variants that you have and present them properly on their respective hat fixture racks. The methods of displaying will solely rely on the design and quality of your hats and caps. With the different cap and hat variants and designs that occupy our establishments at the present, we can without a doubt conclude that we can effortlessly promote hats and increase our margins because of the market that's available for these types of fashion accessories. How to Choose Hat Rack Displays For Your Hat Merchandise

Rapport Magic With NLP

Rapport Magic With NLP What dose rapport mean? With my entertainers hat on, as a magician it means getting people into the right place, to lead them with the use of suggestion and influence, with the aim of creating entertainment. Leading people to become a part of an unforgettable experience, leading people into a fun and exciting place for a little escapisum and that is what entertainment should be. The reason for gaining rapport with people is to lead them, whether its the purchasing of goods or services or to lead them in the relinquishing of fears and anxieties, toward the gaining of confidence and motivation or indeed for any other purpose.

In my work I start by assuming that I have rapport already and lead. Many of the masters of influence and rapport will also assume they are leading and generally people will follow. Sheer personal power and charisma are enough to put you in the leading position and the more we continue to develop our charisma the more we become likeable and influential and the easier we make it for others to gain rapport with us as we lead. There is more, you are also a performer or a speaker, therapist, salesman, consumer or in any kind of situation with people and they are giving you their attention, right? They are listening and ready to follow, so you can influence and lead them to better health, wealth, happiness or any number of other vibrant destinations... Buying some petrol the other day I walked happily up to the counter and in a confident manner announced/asked: "good morning Graham, and how are you?" to the man I had never met before, displaying as per Sainsbury's directions for all the world to see his most personal of all possessions, his name. Making full use of a person's name will go a long way to creating rapport, taking the time to say hello and enquire after him opened a dialogue, a happy and upbeat dialogue with Graham. When working as the aforementioned prestidigitator in delightfully exotic and splendid locations I like to introduce myself to the table or group by firstly explaining to them what I'm doing and then by supplying my name. I then proceed to ask the names of all the people on the table; once they have all been supplied I restate my name and the magic begins. The audience are no longer merely passive observers but are now all active participants in the event because; I have entered into a dialogue, a verbal exchange with everybody on the table. They are already doing what I have asked, admittedly I have only asked them to tell me their names and I volunteered my name to them first, nonetheless they have still complied with my request. Next I can ask them to comply with other small requests, like choose a card and they will follow more readily... We already have rapport with people; it's just a question of deepening it. When on holiday if you meet a person from the same hometown as you, in general most people will instantly feel a connection, (a connection will even be felt when they are merely from the same country as you, if you are holidaying abroad). The differences between you and them, have been minimised by finding some commonality. There are many ways of minimising those differences, as I'm sure you are aware. The use of techniques like: Matching and mirroring of body language. Matching of predicates, (The words we use) Matching of voice tonality and Rate of speech. The sneaky use of embedded commands. Association etc... These techniques all have their place. As a performer I have the lovely position of choosing who I work with and from an audience I pick the person with whom I think I will get the best results, based on my observations of them from the outset. With maybe 10 minuets in each groups delightful company it is I find important to establish rapport very quickly. A table, just as any audience will have its leaders and followers (it is normally foot stools and chairs that follow tables); there will always be loud people on the table just as there will always be quiet, shy people there. If you attempt to gain your maximum rapport with the shy people on the table the louder and more dominant people, wanting some of the attention for themselves, will split the dynamic of the table or group. If however you angle a higher percentage of your attention to the person or people in the group who seem to be dominating the table already and gain rapport with them the others will follow their example much easier (and the example they are to follow is one of respect and indeed in the giving of clear and open sensory input channels to me.) This luxury affords me the opportunity to be aware of my influence on other people who are en-rapport with me and, for a moment in time, lead and entertain them... ...where will you lead and who will follow? Learning N.L.P and hypnosis I find will inspire you to become more interested in the whole area of persuasion, influence and the development of yourself and your abilities in every area of your life that you are aware of and indeed new areas you will find as you continue with your adventures on our most resplendent planet, Earth. Rapport Magic With NLP

Red Hat Party with Some Fun Poker Card Games

Red Hat Party with Some Fun Poker Card Games There's nothing that says the ladies of the red hat club can't hold a red hat party with a friendly poker game involved. It might even draw more members into the group and having a regular card game during meetings could become a tradition. It could be picked up by red hat clubs all over the country, just go ahead and bring it up at the next meeting. You never know you might be seen as a creative genius, well maybe not, but a game of poker or even a full fledged casino themed red hat party can give your fellow members something really fun and interesting to do at the party. As always to keep the party light hearted have the gals bet donations to the current favorite charity or just plain use pretzels for barter.

For some reason the poker theme colors are incredibly similar to the red hat theme colors so you should have no problem at all mixing and matching your decorations for this party. Use red hat party themed plates, napkins, and tablecloths, but while you're at it pick out some string up lights for the poker theme. Or pick up some fun light up led drinking glasses for the guests to use and they will be a delight. You can wrap connected red glow sticks and necklaces around the tables and chairs for extra decoration. Food is a must at your party. Since traditional tea and coffee may not fit well with the mixed theme and game play, why not update it a bit with Long Island Iced Teas and Iced Coffees for the guests. Pick up appetizers are always best and easiest for the card players to handle. You can try mixing up a tasty cheese spread with cream and cheddar cheese. Don't forget the Worcestershire sauce for the spread. Red Hat Party with Some Fun Poker Card Games

How to Perform Criss Angel Tricks

Criss Angel Tricks

I have always been a huge fan of Criss Angel. The way he gets the crowd going, the music he creates, and most of all the illusions he performs. And more often then not while watching Criss Angel I wonder "How does he do that?" And more importantly "how can I do that?" For awhile I looked online, I found that some tricks (walking up a wall) cost a lot of money to perform, but I still wanted to have the ability to perform some of his simpler tricks, heck even some card tricks would be fine. But it seemed Criss Angel tricks would be locked away from me forever, online I found some interesting and fun card tricks but they all felt a little stale, and a lot of other people already knew them. I looked for a long time but finally gave up and decided that I could never perform something like Criss Angel. And boy was I wrong, while looking online I found a place that really had some great tricks! It had some nice tricks by Criss as well as some amazing tricks by David Blaine. Now I am able to perform great tricks for my friends, I get applauded all the time and people at the mall love to see my tricks. I have even made some money on the side. Now the tricks I perform are not always the same as the Criss Angel Tricks you see on the TV but they are still amazing and get the same reactions.

How to Throw a Build a Bear Party From Home

Build a Bears are great toys for kids. They provide hours of imaginative play and are relatively inexpensive. Kids of every age love them, so what better party to throw than one with their favorite stuffed animal together with their best friends, family, and neighbors.

You don't need to pay hundreds of dollars to attend the Build a Bear workshop's party at the mall. You can do it yourself, on a budget, from home. A few simple and easy ideas will get you on your way to throwing your child a great party from the comforts of your own home. You won't even have to worry about how many people you can invite! Some simple suggestions can get you on your way to a great party in no time. First, the invitations. You can find Build a Bear clip art online and can make an invitation to the party that way. If you are in to card making or scrap-booking, you can make your own invitations and hand them out to friends and family who will be attending our Build a Bear party. On the invitation, you can request that each child brings her own Build a Bear or other stuffed animal dressed in her favorite costume. If budget allows, you can include a Build a Bear for them to bring with an outfit or include just an outfit for them to bring their own bear dressed in. Second, the decorations. Build a Bear is all about being colorful. You can get balloons and streamers in the primary colors to decorate your house with. You can also use the clip art from the invitations on the decorations as well. Third, what to eat? You can easily make a bear shaped cake with one cake for the head and 2 small round cakes for the ears. To make it easy, do cupcakes or decorate your own cookie. If you want to serve lunch, you could find a bear cookie cutter (or even a mickey mouse one would do) to cut out PB&J sandwiches with. Served along with yellow lemonade or "berry" smoothies. For little girls, you could have a "beary" special tea party where the bear and the girl come dresses up as princesses and have a tea party together. Princess parties are very popular for little girls right now, so this may be a fun variation for them to try out with their friends. When the guests arrive you can do free coloring pages printed from the Internet, or free games found on Build a Bear's website. You could do a scavenger hunt where party goers search for clues to find Build a Bear items hidden throughout the house or yard. It would be nice to make a craft as well. After the child opens gifts, and it is time to leave, it is customary to send a goody bag or parting gift with each child who came. Consider sending a bear costume home with each child. Little Adventures has a great line of affordable washable Build a Bear costumes that also have matching girl costumes. You may be able to find discounts from online retailers for buying in bulk. Most of all, have fun at your party and spend time with your child enjoying the simple joys in life, like becoming a year older!

8 Ways To Lose Facial Fat

Want to lose fat in your face? Unhappy with that fat chin? Feel like those fat cheeks are making you look "chipmunky?"

First, let's acknowledge that spot reduction of fat, through exercise or dieting anyway, is not possible. It would be nice if we could target our problem areas -- thighs, a spare tire, flabby arms, or in this case a chubby face -- and concentrate our efforts on melting the fat from those specific places. Nice, but not realistic. That doesn't mean the situation is hopeless. Here are all the ways that I am aware of for helping to get rid of a fat face, or at least diminish its plump appearance. 1. Exercise and diet to lose overall body fat. When we lose weight we tend to lose fat from over our whole bodies. If you are overweight, then sensible dieting along with a regular cardiovascular workout will burn fat from all areas, including your face. For some people the difference will be dramatic, for others less so, but all should enjoy some improvement in facial appearance. Remember: Spot fat loss through exercise isn't possible, but fat loss is. 2. Drink more water. Drinking eight big glasses of water a day has been proven to aid in weight loss. Sometimes when we think we're hungry, our body is actually just thirsty. Drinking lots of water can take the edge off our "hunger" and keep us from overeating, thus helping us to lose fat. There's another reason to drink water, though. Sometimes a fat looking (or puffy) face is caused by bloating, the body's retention of fluid as a response to being water deprived. If you're a woman--especially if you've just come through a pregnancy or are experiencing menopause--this could be part of the problem. So drink up! Good ol' H20, that is. 3. Firm up your face. Some people swear by facial exercise; others consider it silly and question it effectiveness. It won't hurt to try it for a few weeks or a couple of months to see if it works for you. Remember, your aim here is to tighten and firm your skin, not to try to spot-reduce the underlying fat (since that's impossible anyhow). Here's an old one for firming up a double chin: Using the back (top) of your hand, slap/tap the bottom of your chin rapidly yet firmly. Do this often, whenever you think of it. For cheeks: Sit. Relax. Smile, keeping your lips closed. Now suck in your cheeks and hold them in while you count 8 seconds. Relax and repeat at least ten times. This is a good one to do while driving, as it requires no hands to perform. Another exercise for your cheeks is simply to smile as wide as you can (lips closed) as you imagine you are trying to touch your ears with the corners of your mouth. 4. Get older. This is the easiest way of all to lose fat from the face -- it only requires patience! If you're in your teens, twenties or even thirties, your roundish face might be caused by baby fat that has yet to melt. Give it some time, and meanwhile be sure to work on reducing your overall body fat if need be. As people age they tend to lose a lot of their facial fat. The drawback to this natural process is that by their fifties, some people end up with excessively gaunt looking faces. That's a problem to tackle another day, though. 5. Lose face fat the magician's way. Magicians use misdirection to deceive. You can "lose" the fat in your face the same way -- by misdirecting the viewer's attention and by disguising the roundness. Sorry, guys -- these are women-only subterfuges ... unless you are into makeup or have long hair. And so, ladies ... If you have a double chin you want to camouflage, I'm told that adding some blush along your jaw line will do the trick. Start from just below your ears and brush it all the way to your chin, making sure to blend. If you also put a spot of white powder on the tip of the chin for a highlight, the overall effect will be dramatically slimming. Similarly, to make your face look thinner, just brush bronzer over your cheekbones and temples, as well as under your chin. Boost the effect with white-powder highlights on chin tip, cheeks, forehead and the bridge or your nose. Finally, ask your hairdresser for a style that will either hide or draw attention away from a round face. Hairdressers are experts in knowing which styles are best for which face shapes. 6. One word: Ultrasound. Ultrasound is increasingly being used for cosmetic purposes. A special ultrasound machine can be employed to send energy deep beneath the skin, where it liquifies underlying fat cells without harming tissue or nerve cells. The liquified fat is then expelled naturally by the body--or at least that's what proponents and practitioners of ultrasound therapy claim. 7. One other word: Liposuction. Liposuction is more invasive than ultrasound therapy by itself. It can also be combined with ultrasound. As you probably know, liposuction involves making one or more small incisions in the skin, inserting tiny "vacuum hoses" and suctioning out the fat. It works particularly well on double chins and jowls, and can be used to "deflate" fat cheeks, too. 8. Two words: Cosmetic surgery. Celebs do it. Average people do it. For some, results are stupendous. For a few, they're a nightmare. Botched jobs do happen. And in any case, facelifts and similar cosmetic procedures are expensive. This article on ways to lose fat from the face wouldn't have been complete without mentioning ultrasound, liposuction and cosmetic surgery. I deliberately did not go into detail about them. If you are considering having any costly or invasive procedure to reduce facial fat (or for any other purpose), you need to do your own due diligence. Talk to people who've had the same procedure. Research it through the Internet. Get your doctor's opinion, advice and perhaps a referral. Learn about costs, side effects, recovery time and possible complications. Most importantly, gain a realistic understanding of what the procedure can and cannot do for your appearance. That way you'll avoid disappointment.

A List of the Most Popular Magic Tricks

If you are interested in performing magic tricks, you should be open to the different options in your performance and the different methods of presenting the tricks. Doing the tricks can make you a very good entertainer but this is not achieved easily. You should practice the craft so that you will be able to perform the right way. Also, you should check on other people's skills and try learning from them. You can also have several options in terms of the types of tricks that you can do. You can try learning from books, videos or through the Internet. Once you have learned the basics, it would be better if you are able to know which method would suit your skills best. You can know the basic of some of the tricks but once you want to make improvements and deal with the more complex tricks, you should deal with it more seriously thus you have to focus on one type of magic tricks. This will help you to be a better magician and so that your performance can look more unified since one form is followed only that it is done in different methods.

Among the list of kinds of magic tricks, one of the most common is the card tricks. This is common since there are many people who are able to practice it also this is primarily because you will only have to use cards to do the tricks. This is handy and you can perform street magic tricks. Also, since the medium used is common and small, it is easier to practice and manipulate it. In performing tricks, you should be able manipulate what the audience is thinking and seeing. Through the use of the cards, you will be able to do this. This is a common trick performed in shows and this is done normally at the start. Added to this, there are tricks that look simple but are learning it does not directly mean that it is easy. Manipulation of the audience should be well done to make this trick successful. Another popular magic tricks are the disappearing acts. There are many people who get really interested in magic especially when it makes a thing or even a person disappear. Additionally, this trick is a favorite of many since it catches the attention of the person and even makes the people think of the magic or the reason behind the act. Those are common tricks done and you can also learn how to do it. However, you should not only learn how to do it but also know how the trick should be done. Putting interest in the show is not only seen through the magic tricks but also in the way that you do it. Magic Tricks

Etymology- How Words Change Over Time

Etymology is the study of the origins of words.

As languages develop the meaning of words can change over time. This causes confusion and misunderstanding when communicating with other people. In a world were you make a living at communicating, advertising or marketing, it is not only important to have clarity in your message, it is also important to think of your target market and understand how they understand words and messages. On the positive side that words change meaning over time, it has been noted that languages that stay alive, adapt and grow over time. An example would be the word nice. Nice used to be an insult and meant foolish or stupid in the 13th century and it went through many changes right through to the 18th century with meanings like wanton, extravagant, elegant, strange, modest, thin, and shy or coy. Now it means a good & pleasing or thoughtful & kind. Silly meant blessed or happy in the 11th century and went through pious, innocent, harmless, pitiable and feeble minded before ending up as foolish or stupid. Pretty started as crafty this changed to clever or skillfully made, then to fine and ended up as beautiful. Some other changes are: Word ______ Original Meaning Awful________ Deserving of awe Bead _________Prayer Brave_________ Cowardice (as in bravado) Girl__________ Young person of either sex Neck_________ Parcel of land (as in neck of the woods) Nuisance______ Injury, harm Sophisticated___Corrupted There are several reasons for words change meaning. One is the influence of other languages and cultures. Throughout history, many nations through conquering or intermixing with one another, introduced their own languages into the mix. Another reason is the predominate use of slang words. We get so used to using them that many times we forget that we even are. So when it comes to defining words, there is the standard dictonary, which by the way can show multiple meanings for one word, and there is the definition of the word in slang. As well, slang words spread faster and are used more often than before, making them common place in many societies. Due to the advancement of science and technology, new words are also being created at an amazing rate. Keeping up with some of the new words and your usage of them will help in your efforts understand and to become a master communicator. Once every ten years, the Merriam- Webster dictionary is updated. Their 11th edition for 2003 included some 10,000 new words along with 100,000 new meanings to words already existing and some 225,00 revised definitions. Some of the slang words that have made it in the dictionary are; Headbanger- a hard rock musician and a fan Dead presidents- Paper currency Prairie Gophering - people who peer above their cubicles at work. McJob- Low paying and dead-end work. Comb-over- an attempt to cover a bald spot You can learn about more words in an etymology dictionary. We can use this as another reminder, especially when it is important to have a group goal achieved, that what a word means to us, may not have the same meaning to someone else. There is also the emotional reactions that different people have to certain words. But that's another story...

Black Magic Love Spells

Magic is known to be of two types, white magic and black magic, and both have been performed since ages. White magic is mainly used to create a positive effect whereas black magic has always had a negative aspect to it. Black magic and love spells together are considered a strong combination, as black magic involves a lot of spells that help to create wonders in love related matters. Black magic has always been known as evil but black magic love spells can be used in a positive way. For instance, these spells are normally used to protect love and get back lost lovers. Hence, at times people do not refer to black magic as being evil, instead it is regarded as a concept to remove all the dark clouds from life by a different means than a white magic spell would.

Black magic love spells involve a lot of witchcraft and objects such as voodoo dolls. The most important thing that is involved to cast a black magic love spell on a person is energy. The entire black magic procedure is based on energy levels. The spells come in various types and serve different purposes. For instance, there are spells to reunite lost lovers, to have healthy marriage relations, to get back love who is with someone else, to improve love relations, to change a friend's mind and attract him towards love, and so on. Black magic love spells also include gay spells, break up spells, and lust or sex spells. Gay spells are designed to help gay and lesbian people fall in love with each other whereas lust spells helps to improve sex appeal between two lovers. Break up spells are normally used to end relationships thereby bringing an end to love amongst lovers.

There are a number of black magic love spells offered online through various websites. Some of these sites sell the spells for different prices, others give them away. People can also receive various spells from experts by giving them the concerned person's name and date of birth. Though some people do not take black magic as evil but controlling a person by crossing the line in a blatant manner is negative in every way, as it is done without the person's consent.