Walden's Ponderings

On the Shoulders of Giants

2008-05-13T12:51:00.002-05:00

I was doing some research for some new programs we are designing. They are themed offerings which provide a theatrical context and characters which can be adapted to commercial messages in trade shows, business meetings and other sales-oriented activities. The idea is to save time and money in development by having prepackaged elements so the focus is placed on the right way to deliver the message. More on that another day. (Or if you really want to know now please email me.)

One of our themes is the "Mad Scientist" and while Googling (is that a word now?) I came across a fascinating piece of history. It is the first screen adaptation of Frankenstein created by Thomas Edison in 1910. Wow! I've included it below if you have a spare 15 minutes to view it.
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This film reminded me that no matter who we are we are always standing on the shoulders of giants. As an entertainer and one who works in the creative arts I am constantly indebted to people who paved the way for me to do what I do without always having to start from scratch.

I am indebted to the magicians of the past who not only invented marvelous things, but took the time to record them in books so that I could learn from them.

I am indebted to those who invented the technology that I use and to all those who continue to develop and tune it so that I can focus on using it rather than inventing it.

I am indebted to all those who create art that inspires me and teaches me. They have all influenced me in subtle ways and affected the style of my own creations.

I am indebted to all the wonderful sales and marketing gurus who have shared their information not only in teaching texts but from the works that they create. I learn constantly by what they do.

I am indebted to all of my customers with their great ideas that challenge my art and keep me from taking the "easy way."

It's amazing how far films have come since Edison created this. Yet this film is still clear and tells a good story. Thank you, Thomas Edison for leaving this behind for us. I am grateful for all of these wonderful things of the past that have made my future possible.

Magic and Mahem in Austin

2008-04-11T13:48:00.005-05:00

This has been a very busy time. I will work harder to share about that here more often. In the mean time... I'll share something fun.

This weekend I'm going to participate in one of my favorite behind-the-scenes events for magicians. It's the Austin Magic Auction. Magicians accumulate many things throughout their careers. There are weird magiciany gadgets and apparatus as well as books, videos and a wealth of curiosities. Once a year, magicians gather in Austin, TX to trade "old lamps for new." (Points go to people who can identify that reference.)

I am not selling anything this year... though I have a number of things that are ready to be discovered by a new owner. I will probably buy a few things... because I just can't help it. However, I will be acting in my favorite role as On-Stage Assistant to the Auctioneer. As assistant my job will be to help stage everything so the auctioneer can handle them smoothly and get them sold. This requires me to touch every single item that comes to the stage. As a bonus I sometimes am asked to "go figure out what this is so we can sell it." This provides opportunities for a real look at something and an exercise in my decades of accumulated magic knowledge.

As assistant I've had a chance to see many different styles and levels of quality in the objects that magicians own. I've learned a lot about what is valuable and what is knock-off junk. It's made me a little pickier as a purchaser because I've learned to appreciate the craftsmanship and other elements beyond the mere "secret" of how a magic trick works.

I suppose in some ways this has also shaped how I approach what I do as a performer. I work to not be a cheap "knock-off" in the entertainment world, but to embrace the things that make me unique. [I'm not like the other magicians!] :o) Taking the extra time to craft something that is just right is better than anything that's just duct-taped together at the last minute. I work to build an atmosphere for our projects of good quality at a reasonable price-- not just being the cheapest show around. I believe people appreciate that.

So I'm off to get organized and tomorrow I'll be completely inundated with everything magical. Perhaps I'll share a little bit when I return. I hope you'll join me.

Tips for planning live entertainment. Part 1

2007-07-12T09:19:00.000-05:00

"Hello," I said picking up the phone. "Walden Magic Productions, this is Chris."

"Hi," said the voice on the other end of the phone. "Did we book you for a show this morning at 10:00?"

The clock read 10:35. Someone was in trouble. I knew they had not booked us because our procedures make it pretty difficult to forget a show. Yet someone had forgotten, or not realized that it was a solid booking. The story has a happy ending for this person. We had availability and they booked us to come and do a rescheduled show for the afternoon. I have no idea who they had been dealing with before. I'm glad we were able to help fix the problem. The show ended up being very spontaneous and lots of fun!

This incident points out an issue that many have when dealing with hiring entertainers. Most people have never done it before and don't know the signs of trouble or the best practices to keep them out of trouble. So I thought I'd use my little soap box here to give some tips to people hiring entertainers to help insure success.

Today's tip: Get Something In Writing.
Whenever I book a show we have established procedures. A major procedure is clarifying with our customer that we agree on what is to be done, where, when and how. We normally don't do a fancy contract, unless they want one. What we do is to write a letter which outlines what we are providing and what we require.

Sometimes these notes bounce back and forth while details are worked out. Recently I had one go back and forth three times while the location was corrected because the entertainment happened in a different location from other parts of the event, the things we were providing changed because they decided to go with different options, and the date needed to be corrected because sometimes I can't type. That last one was a big one. Imagine if I had made my own notes with the wrong date and the person running the event never had a chance to correct me!

By taking this extra step we made sure that everyone's expectations were set, theirs and ours, and we have something to go by in case anyone gets confused. Generally it's all done by email and it's very quick and easy.

When you are planning an event get your entertainer to give you confirmation in writing. Not only will you keep track of who you are dealing with, you will have a reminder of what is happening and anything that you agreed to do-- like move the furniture or leave a parking place.

I'll talk more about hiring entertainers in future posts. In the mean time if you would like a free copy of our report on event planning, "An Affair To Remember," send a note to info@waldenmagic.com and we'll send you an ebook version in PDF format.

BLOG=Been Laboring Or Gone

2007-06-09T14:52:00.001-05:00

Wow! Has it really been that long since I've posted something here? A lot has been happening-- but not the sort of grand announcements that make everyone excited. It's been the sort of methodical one thing after another that keeps you occupied, in my case very occupied.

Gatti*Town
First things first: I am back at Gatti*Town! It was a while back that I was the Gatti*Town magician. I am happy to say that magic is alive and well again every other Tuesday night from 6:00 - 8:00 PM. To see the dates I'll be there look at my calendar. These shows are all designed for families with an emphasis on the kids. It's fun and you'll get to see it all for the fabulously inexpensive price of the buffet.

Catching Up On Travels
Since Moscow I've been to Beijing as well. I actually had the chance to see a few things while I was there.

The first was the Forbidden City. It was a magnificent mixture of meditative spaces and grand ostentation. I was caught off guard by the stories about all of the visitors that came to the palace under different emperors. I had always understood that the Forbidden City was a place of deep isolation. While there clearly was not the same level of access that we enjoy today there were clearly a great number of visitors who came in and out. My favorite discovery was that one emperor hosted a party in honor of senior citizens including entertainment and food. I could easily wander the Forbidden City every week just to think. There was so much spirit there.

After that experience I stumbled across a teahouse for lunch. As an added surprise they were going to have a live shadow puppet show complete with muscians. Unfortunately I didn't get a good picture of everything in action (curse you cell-phone camera) but you may get the idea. The story was about a crane and a frog. No words were spoken and none were needed to enjoy the beautiful artistry of the puppeteers.

I also took in an elaborate dance program with a Kung Fu theme. It seemed like it was geared to a younger audience, but it was fun anyway. I almost made it to the Peking Opera, but not quite. My schedule just did not permit me to get there in time.

My final destination was the Summer Gardens in Beijing. This was a huge elaborate area of gardens, temples and palaces that overlook a lake. Again I found areas that I could just walk through and meditate. They were beautiful and inspirational.

I enjoy the opportunities to see other places and other approaches to thinking. I especially enjoy seeing different approaches to entertainment. I always learn something in these places and they all find their own way back into the things that I create. I often say as part of my shows that "If you don't believe in magic you will never see any." visting these magical places helps me to believe.

I apologize for leaving you out for such a long time. Next I'll fill in some details about upcoming Spirit Theatre excitement and my trip to St. Louis.

Greetings from Moscow

2007-02-26T03:43:00.000-06:00

My schedule has had me traveling quite a bit. A couple of weeks ago I wrote from Korea. Then I spent the next week at home wrestling with a Russian visa application. It finally went through correctly and I'm writing to you now now from Moscow!

Moscow is cold. Right now it is 14 degrees Fahrenheit. I grew up in Texas, so I don't get really cold weather very often. Even when I travel to the northern United States it's not usually this cold. I am happy to say that I adapted well.

I ran into a friend at the airport who was also bound for Moscow, so I actually have a known face here. (I'm really starting to believe that there are no coincidences!) He knew someone in Moscow he'd met through MySpace who was going to show him around. They were kind enough to let me tag along.

We went to an old-style Russian restaurant featuring live gypsy music. I ate wild boar with fresh cranberries and a pastry filled with grain that I think were called (phoenetically) "gritchka." It was all very good. We strolled the Kremlin at night, were challenged for our identification but treated very politely and professionally. All of the old Stalinist buildings are massive. They are not skyscrapers like you find in the US, but they are built on a grand scale. It really is overwhelming and beautiful.

When I return to the US I'll be joining up with the Bad Cat Band to celebrate the grand opening of Wine Styles in Austin on March 3rd. In April I'll also be appearing at the Founders Day Festival in Dripping Springs. More on those events later.

For now I'll try to keep warm and keep you up with my adventures.

Alternative Artists the Alternative Way

2007-02-13T08:02:00.000-06:00

I'm too dopey to talk about Korea after my ride home now. Here's the post I promised about music:

I don't do this sort of thing terribly often but I'm going to do it today. I'm going to share with you a web site that you should know about. It's a music site called Magnatune. Magnatune is a music distribution site that supports the Creative Commons license. In short the Creative Commons license is a new approach to licensing digital media that takes a more realistic view of the digital age and shows greater respect to the artists who create material rather than the companies that promote them.

Magnatune offers a wide variety of music which you can purchase legally for as little as $5 per CD. 50% of every purchase goes directly to the artist. That is significantly more than the percentage that they receive from your CD purchase at you favorite music store. The music is good and diverse and a welcomed alternative from the traditional music publishing techniques. I think if you take the time to check them out you'll be very pleased and you will be helping to change the face of how artists can provide music to you and how you can give them more support for less money. I found them completely by accident, but I'm already a fan. I will probably be licensing some of their music for upcoming shows.

Look at Magnatune. If you find something you like let me know. As an artist and a technology guy I like to see things like this that blend the best of both to the benefit of all. This is the future of music, video and information. I'm excited.

In the mean time I'm still in Korea. Stay tuned for more.

Koreana

2007-02-12T07:38:00.000-06:00

The title is probably an abuse of the language, but I couldn't help myself.

I am in Seoul Korea as I write. I have just come back to the hotel room from the surreal experience of listening to a Korean cover band do hits from the 60s to the 80s. They did everything with heart and soul and it was fun.

I don't have the right cable to transfer pictures from my camera right now, so you'll have to wait for my return to see anything. Korea has been an interesting experience so far. It all starts with about 15 hours or so on an airplane where I met a nice lady named Donna. Donna is a personal chef in Colorado. I didn't know too much about what a personal chef does, so I asked. She prepares delicious menus for people who don't have time to cook for themselves. Everything is prepared and delivered so that someone can just heat it up and enjoy. I accidentally said the phrase "TV dinner" and she was very polite about it. It is like a TV dinner in that it is convenient. But that's where all of the comparison ended.

It was clear to me that Donna takes her work very seriously. She nabbed pieces of paper so that she could keep a journal of everything that we ate on the plane. She was intrigued by the asian approaches to airplane food and I have no doubt that she was being inspired to try some things upon her return to Colorado.

However, the best story was about why she was on the plane. Her mother was returning to Vietnam for her first visit since she left as a girl of 17 in the 1960s! Donna was going to share the adventure with her. It was Donna's first trip out of the country. Wow! What an adventure! Good luck, Donna!

As I was answering travel questions for her I realized that I've been out of the US border several times. Korea makes my 7th country to visit. My passport has what I would call character now. Amazing! Seoul has been very friendly, but not terribly English-speaking. This is hardly their fault, so I don't mind. But it's always interesting to find myself in situations where I feel a little foreign. It hasn't stopped me at all, though. Just yesterday I performed close-up magic for a sushi-chef. Language was a bit issue. He understood the magic without any problems.

No real news here. Stay tuned for fun things coming on the web site. Right now the only real change is an update to the calendar software which will hopefully make it easier for me to keep my calendar up-to-date on the go.

That's all from Korea for now. Tomorrow look for news about a new on-line audio service that I found that I really want to tell you about. It really shows how technology and art can blend together for everyone's benefit.

I'd also like to show you how entertainment can blend with your commercial message. Consultations are still free so what do you have to lose? Call or email us now.

New Year's -- Oh... Never Mind!

2007-02-08T18:46:00.000-06:00

Officially this space should hold my beginning of the year's greetings along with a few resolutions. Actually that should be several weeks old with a whole slew of new information. The truth is that January has been an unbelievably busy month going in all kinds of different directions.

Here is a peek of things that are coming up soon:

Changes to the web site to make it easier to find what you need.
Information about new programs that are coming up and a brand new web site that is coming.
More blogging more often by me! (I've been very bad about not sharing with you as often as I should.)
New sections and links to help you plan your events successfully.
More information about my friends and colleagues and the exciting world that we all share.
A newsletter and other good reasons to become a subscriber to the web site.

Before I can get all of that completed I have a couple of exciting trips out of the country. Tomorrow I am on an early airplane to Seoul, Korea. About a week or so after that I am on another trip to Moscow, Russia. I promise to share a bit about those with you as well.

So thank you for your patience as I scramble up the first little mountain of 2007. I promise I'll make it all up to you soon.

In the mean time, don't forget that with every pot of gold you find another rainbow!

The Second Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2006-12-14T22:58:00.000-06:00

It's not really a secret that I get a little more of a kick out of the Halloween season. But I really enjoy the Christmas season as well. It is a time where people think about giving and while the schedules are tight and the pressure is up it is when I can get the most smiles and well wishes of any other time.

I've had a number of things happening to keep me busy. I'm very pleased of my participation in the UT Business fair on December 6th where I helped a group of promising business students win an award for their booth called "Deck of Deals." Look for more on that coming soon.

Next week I have the honor to be the guest magician at the monthly meeting of the Society of Young Magicians in Austin where I will be challenging them to think about what it really takes to be a magician besides just learning to do some tricks.

In between I will be doing something fun as I act as the Master of Ceremonies for the Go Dance! holiday showcase.

All of these things are on my calender so check them out.

Back home... for now.

2006-11-29T10:35:00.000-06:00

If you've looked at my calendar lately you've seen that I've been on the road for a while. Over the last three weeks I haven't spent more than about 24 hours in my own home. This has meant several airplanes, hotels, guest beds and lots and lots of suitcase lugging.

I have a lot of catching up to do, because mobile offices really aren't. But there is no place like home.

Who's Wicked?

2006-11-16T21:49:00.000-06:00

Last night in Chicago I took time out to see a show. Wicked is awesome!

Wicked is the tale of a girl who is born different, and who grows to become "The Wicked Witch of the West" in the Wizard of Oz. Was she born wicked? Is there another side to the story? Is history written by the winners?

I thoroughly enjoyed the show. It was in the spectacular Oriental Theatre at Chicago's Ford Center. I'd never been to this theatre and was overwhelmed by the decor. It's a blend of Indian and Chinese images that are layered on so thickly that it has to be seen to be believed.

The show was a wonderful fantasy of music, dance and the oddities of Oz. I've always been a fan of the Frank Baum fantasies and still pick them up from time to time. While I haven't read the book yet (though it is on my stack) I thought the stage version gave a delightful twist to the world I already knew and gave me a new perspective to go back and read the classics again.

I love live performances. There is just something about the energy and the presence of people on a stage, with lights and musicians and a living breathing audience. It's not like a movie or television where people sit and stare. It's an ensemble. A song or an event happens on the stage that makes you feel like you have to respond, so you do. And the people on stage, they hear you; they feel you. You can tell. You can sense the connection between what you do and the fact that you care.

When was the last time that you stepped out to see a show? Look in the paper or on the event web sites. You will see odd little shows in unknown little theatres by people who want to give you this experience. You will see shows travelling through your town bringing the music and the magic of Broadway right to you. Does it cost more than a movie? Yes! But you will get so much more out of it. You will remember the experiece-- yes! experience-- that you have by sharing this once in forever moment between you, the audience and the living people who give you this performance. Go! See! Love it!

And... if Wicked comes close to you, go and see it. There may be a movie some day. It won't even come close.

In a world where video is on-line...

2006-11-06T02:07:00.000-06:00

I came across this funny piece of video featuring some of the leading voice over artists in the film trailer industry. It's fun to see the faces that go with the voices.

Spirit Theatre Strike done.

2006-11-05T14:03:00.000-06:00

Strike is completed for Spirit Theatre. The lights are put away, the furniture is stored and the script is waiting for the last tweaks to record what actually came from live performances. The light plot is recorded and waiting to be written into an electronic document to be called upon again. The soundtrack is waiting to be archived. The goal is to make this a repeatable package that we can begin to make available for other venues.

Next? Christmas time is coming. We are beginning work on the Evening with Charles Dickens program. We are also preparing for the entertainment season that Christmas always brings. It will all be here before we know it.

Ahhhhhhhhh.

2006-11-02T16:49:00.000-06:00

Well, Spirit Theatre closed today. Now we begin the process of striking the set and packing things away.

Overall it was a remarkable experience. Guests enjoyed them show and said again and again that it was a real experience for them. We got to explore a very different side of magical theatre and we made some people scream!

We are packing away Spirit Theatre for the moment and preparing for the shift to the Christmas season. With any luck Charles Dickens will make his appearance in addition to the other festivities. However, Spirit Theatre won't remain hidden until next Halloween. After all, the spirits are here all year round.

We would like to see this happen in a number of special venues. It would be a great weekend at a Bed and Breakfast. It would be a different late night offering for a convention. It would be perfect for any situation where you want to rock people's world with something that just might be real.

You can find out more about Spirit Theatre and private engagements at the Spirit Theatre web site.

One Thing And Another

2006-10-29T12:35:00.000-06:00

Last night was a strange and wonderful combination of events.

First, I was asked to do one of the most unusual and beautiful things I have done for some time. A friend of mine asked me to participate in his wedding. He didn't want me to do a show or make the bride and groom disappear. He wanted me to come as a wizard and tell the story of how he and his wife met. What an honor! In interviewed them over dinner a while back and walked away with 5-6 pages of notes. From those notes I wove a tale about the miracles that brought them together. I went as a true wizard, with painted face and staff of power, and literally invoked the start of wedding. After I was done the bride and groom came out and the official ceremony began.

It was amazing to invoke the pure powers of story-telling for such a special event. I received several comments from people who were moved by the tale and appreciated what we did.

After that it was off to the Wild Basin for our 10:00 opening of Spirit Theatre. We had a great audience including a few exchange students. We had some wonderful moments of messages from the spirits and some real screams during the seance.

How amazing to bounce between such diverse things. How lucky to be able to do these things. I am truly grateful.

Everything's Coming Up Ghostly

2006-10-19T22:40:00.000-05:00

Last night was a big work night for Spirit Theatre. It was the traditional hangin' of the lights where we transformed the Wild Basin Hall into a real theatre. It was a lot of ladder foo and cables and tedium. However it all looked great when we were done.

This weekend is going to be a big push as we prepare to open the show next week. Thursday, October 26, is going to be a special evening for the press. It steals a couple of days for us but it's worth it. Now I look forward to a solid weekend of work. It's all good!

I hope to see some of you soon at the show. Photos of work as we get them.

Oh, The People That You Meet!

2006-10-16T14:18:00.000-05:00

I have been having one of those amazing weeks when everything is happening at once. In the midst of all of the preparation for Spirit Theatre I attended the Apachecon convention. Why would a magician go to a geeky technical conference like that? Well, the truth is that the magician, deep inside, is a geeky technical guy and that he uses these things to help express his art. I'm not the only one who has chosen a lighter path but benefits from a technical background.

At Apachecon I met Howard Tayler, the author of on-line cartoon "Schlock Mercenary." Howard gave an amazing keynote about his own journey from a safe and stable job to doing what he really loves. I found it absolutely inspiring. You will see the fruits of that inspiration here at waldenmagic.com as we give you a better view into the minds and ideas that go behind the scenes.

Go look at Schlock Mercenary. Let me know if there are other artists with an online presence that I should be looking at.

Brains Are Interesting.

2006-10-10T12:40:00.000-05:00

One of the things that I'm having to do to prepare for Spirit Theatre is learn several pages of dialogue. The show has several monologues where I tell about the history of people contacting the spirits. Unlike many of the stories I tell I can't really wing these at all. The language needs to be precise and it wasn't all written by me.

I tried a new technique which has been working fairly well. I picked up an MP3 player in China that works really well with my Linux operating system. As I was playing around with it I had an idea. I recorded a reading of one of the scenes and transferred it to the MP3 player. Now I listen to the scene and try to repeat the dialogue as I hear it. It becomes a weird disconnected process where I listen with part of my brain and speak with another. I suppose it's what a language translator does when they are listening and translating.

After a few rounds of this I'm finding that I am learning the dialogue. I've not looked at the book for several days, but the information is sticking.

If you have to learn text try this technique. It's weird, but it might work.

Back to the script...

My World Is Weird

2006-10-10T12:34:00.000-05:00

I'm standing in line at a hobby store. The lady in front of me has a collection of plastic pumpkins, cauldrons and assorted themed doo-dahs.

I say "What are you getting ready for?"

"Oh... You know... Halloween. We're still trying to decorate the yard." she replies.

I say nothing, quietly musing to myself about the day that we realized that at our house that our Halloween decorations had exceeded the volume of our Christmas decorations.

She looks at my handfull of items: paint, varnish, doll hair. "What are you doing?"

"I'm getting some things to add the finishing touches to a voodoo doll. We're doing a show this year called Spirit Theatre."

She gathers her things. "O.K. As long as it's not one of me."

The cashier smiles and begins scanning my items. "Did you find everything you needed?"

If she only knew.

Work is moving forward for Spirit Theatre. We're very excited. I hope you can join us.

Happy Birthday, Henry

2006-10-06T23:58:00.000-05:00

Today I had the honor to be featured at Henry's birthday party. Honored? Is that sarcasm? Not in the least! When I think of all of the choices that Henry's family had on ways to entertain for his birthday-- other magicians, clowns, jugglers, musicians, movies, mechanical mice, and so on and so on-- I am pleased and honored that they chose me.

Birthdays for me are not "quick gigs." The way that I see it, so few of us no take the opportunity to enjoy live entertainment today. Fewer of us still seek out private entertainment just for us and our friends. This may be one of the few times that these kids get to see a live show before they are completely immersed in the “mass media.” Our show may form the impression which can make a difference between someone who only knows movies, or who steps out occasionally and enjoys a play. Obviously we're not the only influence, but I think we make a difference. So with that in mind we try to do birthdays up big. We set a stage with a curtain backdrop. We have music using the same professional sound system that we would use for a corporate luncheon meeting. We try to do magic that matters including the good stuff and the hard stuff. Over and over again I have seen that kids can tell the difference. It makes the extra work worthwhile.

For Henry, the big moment came when he got to float on the air. The gasps which came when I removed the support holding him and he hung there motionless will be something that remains with him and everyone for a long time. The moments where Henry got to control the magic and created something for his friends will stay with him for a while. Maybe he'll look back on this as a memorable moment in his life.

Kid stuff? Sure! Kid stuff which takes all of the effort, skill and care as any commercial event I've ever done. Worth it? You bet your lucky nickel it is worth every moment. Because all of the memories that Henry and his friends carry with them, I get to carry too.

Thank you Henry and Henry's family, for considering me important enough to be a part of one of your most important events.

Back in China

2006-09-26T23:49:00.000-05:00

I'm back in China again. The trip always makes me a little goofy for a while (13 hour fligh and 13 hour time change). It also makes it very challenging to keep up with things back home because I'm on the wrong side of the clock. Everyone's been very patient with me and I'm so glad to have the technology available to do email and other disconnected ways to keep up with people. I guess this Blog is another way to do that as well.

I found out a few fun things while here. I work regularly with austin's centralmagic site at austinmagic.org. My friend Steve Farmer started the site and does most of the work, but I try to tweak it now and again. I went to check on some information about Austin magic news and found the site was blocked from my hotel room. Apparently the Austin magicians pose a potential threat to the security of China. As a magician there are ways to deal with such matters-- and I did-- but it was a surprise to find the site blocked.

Another fun moment was when I was walking around next to the river looking for a place to have dinner. If you've never been to Shanghai they have a large number of watches for sale. People on the street are constantly trying to push them on you. I understand people trying to make a living, so I politely say no thanks and move on. Most persist for a time or two, but then they get the hint and go away. However I had one lady latch onto me and she would not go away. After saying "No thanks" several times I stopped and looked a little funny. With a small cough I produced a ribbon cards from my mouth and said "Excuse me! I really need to get something to drink." She did not follow me.

I finally saw three birds. Last time I remarked that there were no birds in Shanghai. I still haven't seen many signs, but while I was walking outside of a mall next to my hotel, I saw three sparrows on the sidewalk. Crazy! I still haven't gotten a good answer as to why there are not birds everywhere. I probably don't want to know.

One final thought. I saw a Hooters opening in shanghai. It is strange enough seeing McDonalds and KFC. Hooters is just too much. It doesn't seem to be opened yet, so I can't report on the hot wings.

OK. One last thought. I had a Chinese pizza last night. It had squid and shrimp with strips of onion and a few mushrooms and olives. Not like pizza back home. Definitely not!

OK. Now, breathe really fast.

2006-09-21T15:40:00.000-05:00

Fiesta Latina went well and I hope you didn't miss it. It was a fun mixture of all of the things that I love and everyone seemed to have a good time. If the personal comments I've received are any indication our first run was a success. I am currently working with Odyssey Productions to turn this event into a party package for corporate and private gatherings. It's got everything: food, dancing, magic, comedy and a whole lot of Latin Spirit. Watch for more on that in the services area soon.

Now my eyes are getting turned our new program "Spirit Theatre." We are very pleased that Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve has agreed to host this unusual program of spooky experiences and a taste of the spirit world. I'm waiting for a little bit of information back from them before I put up too much, but wait for more details.

Spirit Theatre is an example on many levels of where giving counts. I have worked for a number of years with the people of Wild Basin and if I hadn't given some of that time I would not have had the relationship to do this. My collaborator Dave (partner just doesn't sound right) , gave a good deal of his time and thought to get us to this point. Others have come forward to offer assistance and use of items from their collections. The people who come to see the show will give of their time and money to support the Basin.

Nothing happens in a vacuum. Everything counts. What you can give always comes back to you.

OK. Now breathe.

2006-09-08T12:40:00.000-05:00

The whirlwind of activity continues. After San Francisco I had a brief week at home followed by a speaking engagement in Phoenix Arizona. During this time I was working with Odyssey Productions on the upcoming Fiesta Latina and preparing to present my act at the Texas Association Of Magicians convention in Dallas.

The convention was an absolute blast.
If you've been paying attention to the news
on my web site, you know that I was successful in the competition and took the prize for Best Stage Comedy act. I also got to meet and see a number of magicians with whom I had corresponded in the past. Highlights for me were
the lecture by Johnny Thompson, the performances by Mike Caveney, the midnight performance by Banachek, and the comedy of Avner the Eccentric. Other highlights included Mr. Mysto, hanging out with my colleagues from San Antonio and psychicly bending forks for the nice girls in the nearby Hooters. It was also a pleasure to spend time with my friend Bill Palmer and see some of his outstanding cups and balls collection.

However, my absolute favorite part of the convention was seeing it through the eyes of a new magician who had never gone to a convention before. I've been working with my friend Timos for a while as he has developed his skill and style in magic. I talked him into going along with me to the convention and he seemed to take it all in. I've been doing magic for a while. I've been in the company of many other magicians for a good half of that time. I don't get as many surprises at these kinds of events because... well... I've been there before. But seeing everything through Timos's eyes brought it all to life for me and made it even more fun and wonderful.

Thanks to the TAOM judges for their support for my act. There is a funny story here. If you look at the picture of me and the other Austin winner, Marcus Eddie (on my left), you'll notice that my trophy seems to be missing a bit.

In the TAOM contest the judges have the authority to recategorized and act and award it accordingly. In this case they chose to move my category from simply Stage to Comedy Stage. The other winner, Daniel Reyes (not pictured), was awarded for Club Stage. Since they had not planned to give the additional award, they did not have a trophy prepared. I'm expecting to receive the completed
trophy soon.

My friend, Marcus, won for close-up magic. I competed in the close-up category as well. While I received some favorable comments, I have absolutely no problem taking a back seat to Marcus here. He's a great magician and one of my favorite people to swap magic with.

Right now things are full tilt toward Fiesta Latina where I'm working with dancers. This is fascinating by itself.
Magicians and actors tend to work with scripts. Things are designed and written and everything is built from
that plan. Dancers are very kinetic people. The learn by watching and copying. Their creative process is very
free-flowing and physical. So combining these to styles of creativity has provided some challenges. However I am
thrilled with the results. I'm working with a new actor,
Trisha Gutierrez, who has been an absolute joy. She's a
student so I don't know how many projects she'll be available. You should come see her at Fiesta Latina to help her see how much fun it can be.

Next month is October. There's another Odyssey Collaboration called "Fantasy Masquerade" on the 27th. There is also a possibility of setting up our Spirit Theater show closer to Halloween, possibly in conjunction with our Victorian Seance programs. You'll hear more from me here. In the middle of all of that is a possible trip to Bangalore, India and Seoul, Korea. No moss
growing on me!

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San Francisco

2006-08-21T12:15:00.000-05:00

I just got back from a week at a trade show in San Francisco. It was a great time and there are a good number of potential things to come from it.

In the weird things category I saw something called a "motorized cable car" (see picture). Now the whole point to a cable-car is that there is no motor. The driver has a brake lever and a clutch lever. A long cable runs under the street and is moving constangly. He alternates between grabbing the cable and being towed and releasing the cable and braking. It looks like a lot of hard work. I even saw some cable car defensive driving when our car had to stop quickly to avoid someone pulling out in front of them from a parking place. You have to be pretty dumb to get hit by a cable car. There is no such thing as a motorized cable car. They are cable-car-like busses.

Misdirections
While in San Francisco I visited the misdirections magic shop where Joe, the owner, was as nice as he could possibly be. I also spent some time having a very interesting conversation with Michael Steel who completely blurred all the lines with me about the art of magic and the realms of the real unknown. It was awesome!

Fisherman's Wharf
It's hard to spend time in San Francisco doing business without spending time at Fisherman's Wharf. I had dinner there a few times including the obligatory stop at Buena Vista for a taste of the original Irish coffee.

While there I connected with a street performer named Kenny. I've talked often to Mark Faulkner from New Orleans about his street magic experience. I've been intrigued by doing "magic in the wild" for a while and here I was in one of the mecca's for street performance. Kenny was just breaking down when we met. After a lovely adult beverage where I learned a little more about his experience and the local customs, Kenny said "You should go out and just do it." I did! I spent some time doing classical street magic just like magicians have done hundreds of years before me.

The whole experience was ifferent than the private and commercial events that I normally do. It was fun and exciting and something that I would definitely do again. Why would a performing commercial magician want to spend any time on the street? It's an amazing place to learn about people and to do things that I would never dream of doing in a commercial venue. It's almost like going out in disguise to be challenged in ways that you don't get in the polite and professional atmosphere of the show floor.

Mindreading
Those of you who know me know that I've spent a number of years exploring strange, odd and unusual things. I have devoted a good deal of time to exercising my abilities to observe and connect with people. Finally, I feel that it is time to share some of what I have learned with a new entertainment experience. I am developing a new series of programs which will demonstrate some of the potential that the mind posesses. One program, which is nearly ready, will involve questions submitted by audience members which I will answer without reading them. We are designing a version of this program which is perfect for young people, especially gatherings such as Sweet Sixteen Parties. Watch for more information in this space.

Pioneer Farms
I am talking with Pioneer Farms about having a program sponsored for their upcoming Halloween event in October. It will be a classic Halloween featuring a lot of good family fun. There are other events that I'm discussing with the Bad Cat Band, Odyssey Productions and more. There will be news here when we have it.

Contest
If you've been keeping up with the news around here you know that I took a prize at the "Search for the Next Houdini." I'm very proud of that achievement because I was up against some very stiff competition with a character and material that I had not shared yet. Over the Labor Day weekend I'll be in Dallas at the Texas Association of Magicians convention where I will compete again. It's another great challenge-- especially coming off of the heels of a trip to Phoenix. Please send out your good wishes. I'll post more about the whole experience later.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World!

2006-07-25T09:44:00.000-05:00

Did you ever see the movie "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World!?" It's a classic film and one of the first that has everybody in it. The idea is that a few travelers happen upon a terrible auto accident. The victim, Jimmy Durante, with his dying breath tells about a vast treasure hidden under a big "W." This turns into a madcap competitive treasure hunt with everyone trying to get everyone else. It's crazy and it's funny. If you haven't seen it you should check it out.

Things have been like that lately. There has been absolute craziness. I've been running around for months now, with every available moment asked for by something. But a few things are beginning to even out and soon I may even be able to take a big breath. Here are a few thoughts of things that I've been doing and things that are coming up.

England

I took a trip to Portsmouth England earlier this year. It was purely a pleasure trip with a group of guys I know from my favorite pub, B. B. Rovers. We saw some historic pubs and places and had a generally wonderful time. I performed some spontanious close-up magic for a few people which we tried to get on video, but every place was so poorly lit that not much came through. Sometimes all you get are memories. *sigh* I did get some photos, though. I may see if there are one or two worth sharing.

My favorite pub was one called the "No Name Pub." Our guide drove us into the country on a route that I could never recreate. We came to an obscure road with an empty sign post. Beyond that was an unmarked drive which led to an unmarked building which was the pub. It would have looked like someone's house if it wasn't for all of the cars parked outside. Inside it was a time warp. You could have seen Gandalf in one corner, some Red Coats in another corner and me next to the fire and it would have all made sense somehow. I had some mulled wine for a chilly day and met Hettie, a very nice lady who has since moved to Australia and still corresponds.

I witnessed the closing of Gale's brewery, which had been in existance for the last 150 years. I managed to get a photo of a laurie being loaded with 150 year-old office furniture. Our guide was a little moved by the closing and I regretted discovering them as it was too late.

Everyone was just wonderful. If I had to make a move from Texas, I could probably handle living in Southern England!

Sprit Theater
We have continued to work with hauntedtexas.com and are getting closer to introducing our Spirit Theater show. It's a spooky show which is perfect for Halloween, but good to bring chills at any time of the year. (Ghosts don't just come out at Halloween, you know.) It's been a project years in the making and we're excited about having a possible outlet. More information when we get it.