The Magic Life - In Search of Magic

Magic Among the Mormons

2012-09-06T10:48:00.001-07:00

The Magic of the Rockies

Many religions have a fear of magicians and their craft, sometimes branding our tricks and illusions as "works of the devil." However, I was born and baptized into the Mormon religion myself. This isn't really evident to anyone who knows me personally as I am not exactly shy anymore about being an Atheist. But I can say one thing about the Church of Ladder Day Saints (Mormons) which I have learned to appreciate, that is, that they do have a love for the performing arts and magic, to them, is a performing art. So when I added a visit to Logan Utah on my journey, I really didn't know what to expect but I knew that if I kept quiet about my Vegas trip, that I'd probably survive the trip.

The drive into Logan is the first taste of that beautiful mountainous country which surrounds Utah and those other Rocky Mountain States through which I would travel over the next week. Coming through the mountain passes and over into the Logan valley is breathtaking to say the least. It was a beautiful sunny morning, and the air was as clean as a Mormon comedian. Invigorated as I was, I was a little anxious when I headed into Logan. I was meeting and staying with a magician whom I had respected and admired for years, yet we didn't know each other well. His name is Richard Hatch, but he began going by "Dick" ever since his name was associated with the controversial contestant on the show "Survivor" of the same name. I didn't know what to expect from Dick Hatch, but I had begun to wonder if I was going to stay in a Mormon household. If so, I'd have to be sure and curb my New York vernacular where, the "F-bomb" is the most often used verb, adjective and noun in the English language. I'd have to not discuss my religious views, and of course worst of all it meant, "no martinis" for me. But I probably needed a martini break anyway.

Magician, Dick Hatch

I first knew of Dick Hatch, from my magic days in Houston. He was a full time pro working the local venues at the time. Dick was the consummate magician. If you look up "magician" in the dictionary I'm sure there must be a picture of him included in the definition somewhere. He is one of those magicians which I could easily pick out of a crowd. He has an air of mystical confidence about him. He has a very professorial look and demeanor. He always seemed to have a very class act, even back in the day, especially compared to my "slightly" risque material.

Dick is an expert in the classics of magic, like the linking rings and the cups and balls. Take a minute to enjoy a video of him doing the classic cups and balls. You can't help but be amazed by his sleight of hand and the way the balls vanish. I've been doing this stuff a long time you know, and I am in awe when I see him vanish those little balls with such ease.

Dick had invited invited me to come visit him in Utah before I'd begun my magic life trip, so when I was coming within a hundred miles of his domain, I decided I'd ask him if he'd be up for a visit. And as fortune would have it, his wife was out of town and he was even performing at the time I was there and he was more than happy to let me flop in his guest room.

Thatcher-Young Mansion

When I pulled up to the location where Dick had his magic school, I almost had my Mormon suspicions confirmed. He was working in a beautiful old Victorian home. This beautiful restored home is the Thatcher-Young Mansion built in 1878 by George W. Thatcher and his wife, Eunice Caroline (Luna) Young Thatcher, a daughter of Brigham Young. Brigham Young actually used to stay there. I felt at home from the moment I set foot inside. Not because of Brigham Young was a father of the Mormon Church, but the guy had so many women in his life, 55 women which were "sealed" to him, that I almost felt a strange admiration, a sort of Lions, Tigers, and Bears, OMG,... kinship.

Dick performs an afternoon show

Now this once den of polygamy, houses a photography studio, magic, and music studio. Up the narrow and quickly rising stairs into the small room, which is the magician's lair, lies the Hatch Academy of Music and Magic. And I got to witness the magical properties which the building itself possesses. Seems that there is a place where gravity seems to have lost it's pull. Dick demonstrated this to a couple of kids who dropped in for a visit.

Right behind this wonderful home lies an amazing theater for the performing arts. Dick was kind enough to take me on a tour of all of the theater facilities. And it amazes me the amount of theater which this small town about 50,000 people, of Logan Utah is able to support. But Mormons, then again, who don't support polygamy anymore, do support the arts. But much to my surprise and fortune, turned out that Dick, like myself was no longer a practicing Mormon. I had been fooled by the illusion, just like so many laymen are by magic, into thinking that a magician living in Utah, working in a former home of Brigham Young, whose magic seemed clean cut, would of course be a Mormon himself. But then, this is my magic life. So we managed to take a trip to a local pub. And as fate would have it, the pub was owned by a magician himself, and we performed magic for one another all evening while drinking some very large beers.

More Than Magic in The Magic Valley

2012-07-31T08:20:00.001-07:00

Famous for base-jumping, Perrine Bridge

When I have to tell someone where I "grew up" it's usually something about "all over the western states." However I like to say that my real roots took hold in a place called The Magic Valley, Idaho. It is where I spent most of my High School years at Twin Falls High, it is where I first printed a business card that said "magician" on it. Twin Falls is actually famous for a few things (besides me of course), first it is one of the only great bridges in the country that allows base jumpers to jump off. I met a guy in South Beach one time who told me he was parachute instructor, and I asked him if he'd ever been to Twin Falls, Idaho and jumped off the Perrine Bridge. He lit right up and said, "How do you know about the Perrine?" He told me that amongst base jumpers that it was known around the world. For me it was always a place where I fantasized hanging from the middle and doing my strait jacket escape.

Famous place to make out as a teenager living in Idaho.

Another reason to visit Twin Falls, is the falls. Just outside of town on the Snake River is a beautiful, amazing, if not magical waterfalls called Shoshone Falls. It was near here that I had my first make-out session, as did most of the people who went to high school in Twin. My first girlfriend and I used to skinny dip in the pools near the falls. There are a few dirt roads into hidden lakes and camp sites that made a great place for a 17 year old to take a girl to watch the stars. I won't name names. But you know who you are.


Evel Knievel's Sky Cycle

And those of you who really know trivia, know that Twin Falls and the Snake River Canon was where Evil Knievel made his famous rocket cycle attempt to jump the canyon and failed. As a young teen, I actually got to see that jump up close and personal, because my best friend knew the family that owned the land, and we actually hid under some tarps in the back of his pickup truck to get past the gate without paying. Oh I was so wild as a teen.. ha! I took a few pictures that day and felt the crowd surge forward as he went into the canyon. I remember thinking, "people are going to die" as the chain link fences which kept people back from the canyon ridge were pushed over.

I actually met Knievel years later in Houston and told him that I sneaked in to his jump. First thing he said, was, "well that was a party wasn't it." Then he asked me to buy his video and said we're even.


There Randy.. Are you satisfied? LOL

When ever I go back to Twin, it is a trip down memory lane for me. And it becomes mostly about seeing those people I've known over the years. Mostly now I love to see which old friends have recently become single, well, it is. but I really do enjoy visiting old friends and of course meeting new ones. Twin Falls had both for me. I met some old high school buddies and of course old girlfriends. One of the great guys I know, Randy Givens wanted me to put his picture in here. What an egomaniac, right? LOL

The most refreshing and surprising meeting of the trip was a girl named Jana. Jana had become my friend on Facebook and told me she was from Twin. So when she said, "I'd love to meet you" I was more than happy to see if we could meet.

One of the most interesting aspects of this situation was my contacting her and setting up a meeting. You see, Jana wrote to me on Facebook, and gave me her number, but she also told me that she had been in an accident years ago which left her with a brain injury which impaired her mobility and made it extremely difficult to speak. She asked me if I knew how to sign. Unfortunately that isn't one of my talents. So I told her that we'd make it happen, and if she couldn't speak, then she'd just have to listen to me talk or we'd just have to hug a lot. She gave me her number and I called her up. I admit speaking with someone who "can't talk" on the phone is somewhat difficult. Jana does great at making herself understood, even on the phone. But after a struggle of trying to understand, I decided to tell her, "OK you just give me yes and no answers and I'll ask questions." So I asked her if she would meet me at the weekly "Music on Main" where a local band always plays music on Wednesday evenings. Jana and I had a lot of fun and of course we made quite a pair dancing. Thanks Jana for putting yourself out there and living a magic life!

The Rhinestone Roper

But I needed to find a magician there and unfortunately I didn't know of any other regular magicians in Twin Falls, Idaho. But I did know someone famous who did tricks. Or rather his horses did tricks.

The Rhinestone Roper and Ace Starry

One of the truly amazing magic life magicians I know is a man named Dan Mink. Dan and I attended the College of Southern Idaho together and had performed together in theater productions while attending the Junior College. Dan and I became good friends back then. But then, I went on to become a magician bum, and Dan decided to do something worthwhile with his life, he became a lawyer.

That was until years later when he decided that he was going to chuck his law career and become a trick roper, a real life Bronco Billy. He decided to actually follow his dream and create his own wild west show. He is now known as the Rhinestone Roper. Dan tours the country performing his amazing act and showing off his amazing skills and amazing trick horses.

Dan took me out to his place and showed me the "ropes." Actually he showed me his truck and trailer, that he had built to haul his show and horse. Dan is an amazing guy and has had some really wonderfully magical moments in his life.

You can see the knife caught mid throw between the trees.

One of which was his being on America's Got Talent performing his knife throwing act. If you find this on YouTube, it is really worth a watch. Dan actually took me over to where he practices throwing his knives and gave me a lesson. Believe me I really can't throw anything, but Dan had me sticking the knives in just a few minutes. Dan and I talked about life and it's trials and tribulations. One of which was how America's Got Talent set him and his horse up for failure just so they could make more drama for the program. When Dan decided to use his horse in the act, he told them that they needed to have no loud noise and that the lights couldn't be so bright in the eyes of his horse. He told them this and they told him, they'd make sure the horse had the proper working conditions. So instead of doing that, the producers probably thought they'd get the horse to buck and go out of control if they simply upped the music and lights trying to scare it. So that was what they did. Instead of creating the drama of a horse gone wild, the horse was just not able to perform his tricks. He pretty much didn't do anything. So by trying to create drama they just ruined the bit.

But Dan has a positive attitude and is currently looking for a permanent venue for his show. I'm sure he'll find one, and keep living his magic life. This was magic like no other on my trip.. Thanks Dan.

On with the magic.. next stop Logan Utah with magician Dick Hatch.

Magic Life in Boise

2012-07-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

Sara the bartender at Humpin' Hanna's

Boise, Idaho is a wickedly, wonderful, and wondrous city. It is one of my favorite magical places, I find it and Austin, Texas surprisingly similar. Both are state capitols and have the political fixtures which go along with being such. Both have a river running through them and a well enjoyed green belt along the river. They both also have a major university (of which I attended, both) and if you think about it, one is the Broncos, whose mascot is a horse, and University of Texas has a longhorn as their mascot, so in other words, one is full of bull and the other is just B.S. (Boise State). I really had to reach for that one folks. But really, besides reaching for the obvious jokes, I love both schools and follow both football teams with a passion.

They both have a love for country music, and both seem to have more than their fair share of beer drinking cowboys. But my favorite similarity is the many beautiful, blonde, cowgirls. Most of those girls seem to share something in common too. They all seem to share the same shortage of cloth in their skirts and buttons on their blouses. I've never seen so many mini skirts in one place as I did when I sat down to dinner in downtown Boise and that includes Vegas, but we're not going there again.

I spent a few days staying with relatives there in Boise. I have an older brother and his wife, Kirk and Pam, my niece Melissa and her husband Shawn, and their little boy Coop and my nephew, Colin.( I won't even mention my cousin Ron and his wife, Carla and their son, Bryon and his wife Melissa, cause he never reads this, he just always wants to see some magic.) The first evening they shared with me, a surprising statistic. According to Shawn, Boise has a "butt-load" of MILFS. (I don't even know that that means.) We'll discuss that in more detail later when I tell you about my night out on the town.

My nephew, Coop is such an amazing little guy. I think he should have his own show. And that show should be called "Cooper Love's His Uncle Ace Who Took Him To See The Trains Best ." But I since I haven't asked permission to show his picture, here is one of me at the Boise train station. And I wore this shirt to solidify the now well known fact that I am indeed the megalomaniacal narcissist you believe me to be. Someone recently gave me the definition of "narcissist" for my own enlightenment on Facebook. Of well if the shoe fits...


Wow! I don't remember looking that dorky.

Boise was where I really started my own career in magic. When I attended Boise State University to get my degree in theater back in the... well a while back, I worked at my first magic shop, a place called "Tricks and Trash," or something like that. I got my first regular magician's job as what we call a "table hopper" in the business, a guy who does magic in a restaurant. For me it was the Grizzly Bear Pizza parlor. And I hooked up with another theater student, a girl named Wendy, to perform corporate gigs and some school shows as "The Wiz and Wendy." We'd do a standard magic show with a few doves, linking rings and such. Wendy was my girlfriend, which you may have figured is a standard among magician's and their assistants. If they don't start with a romantic involvement, they eventually have one. (think about that one Linda..hehehe, someday it could happen.)

I was also elected president of our own magician's group, the Idaho Magic Guild. I remember running meetings in a pizza parlor of about 14 or 15 magicians who would meet once a month, share tricks, compete against one another for trophies all the while drinking beer. Several lifetime professional magicians sprang from this group.

While I there in Boise, I was sitting in Starbucks, looking at my Facebook page and suddenly a notice appeared on my wall, I don't know why, maybe because I was saying the word "magic" so much in my postings. I don't really know how those things work, but there was a notice that there was a meeting of a Treasure Valley Magician's Group, there in a pizza parlor, on a night which I would be in Boise. So I knew that I just had to go and see what the state of magician's meetings had become in Boise years after my own stint as a magician's group leader.

Work-a-day Magician, Kipp Sherry in Boise

I discovered a very small, but still enthusiastic group of about half-dozen semi-pro and amateur magicians. There was only one young boy in the group, who was there to learn magic the old fashioned way (from actual magicians.) If this was a typical meeting, which I have no reason to believe otherwise, I'd say that magic may be in the decline in Boise, Idaho. Not because of the attendees lack of enthusiasm, but because of the lack of attendees. I do think that the old style, learning from other magician's is indeed dying, at least in Boise.

The meetings were in fact being run by their President, a magician whom I came to Boise to interview. His name is Kipp Sherry. Kipp is Boise's main working magician whom I've known for a few years. He is what I call a work-a-day magician, a pro who makes his living doing mostly birthday parties and corporate dinners. He advertises his business on his pick up truck and works hard to make a living at magic. There are a few magicians in Boise and a city of that size can only support a couple pros at most, and making a living at magic can only be achieved with hard work. To quote one of my faves, Ted Turner of CNN fame, "Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise." Kipp is one of those magicians who makes a living at it because he "works like hell and advertises."

I talked with Kipp about a lot of things in his life and about the current state of magic. He is one of the magicians who believes that magic is undergoing and change, and "people don't like change."

Kipp says that the new breed of magicians are learning from each other still, but are using chat rooms and Skype to actually teach each other the moves. However anyone who has ever been in an online chat room will tell you that people behind an avatar often become brazen because of their anonymity. Thus things can get a little "weird" as he told me. And he is concerned that magicians of today aren't learning how to "entertain" they are learning the moves, but not the concepts which make it entertaining. "Anybody can go out and get a packet trick and learn a packet trick." A packet trick is another term us magicians use for a few cards which usually are sold in an envelope, along with instructions, and do one trick, as apposed to a deck of cards. Because packet tricks usually come with a "patter" (the spoken routine) when most young magician's do a packet trick they all use the exact same wording along with it. Thus, if a packet trick becomes popular, you'll see ten magician's in the same town doing the same trick, saying exactly the same thing. Many magicians do packet tricks and do them well. I have nothing against these tricks, as I, for one, made a reputation for myself performing a simple packet trick. One that I and only and handful of magicians in the world new at the time. I'll share it for you here:

See a packet of cards can be presented in a way in which it is sleightly entertaining, (a play on words,) however you can tell that the patter to this trick can't really be varied much. Of course I added my own start and corny lines to it which I always do to a routine.

Kipp believes that you should be able to create your own magic as a magician. And so do I. Many magicians who actually work for a living scourer places like Home Depot or Michael's Hobby Shops to see if we can find something which can be made into an illusion. Kipp demonstrated something he created with a couple things he found at the lumber yard. A simple chain and a ring come together for a great little illusion. He performed it for me and told me a couple different patters which he uses.

But the real magic in Boise is found downtown on a Friday night. I told you I'd share what happened that night when I was out. Well I went to a place called Hannas in downtown Boise. There I met the cutest little bartender, Sara. When a magician meets a cute bartender who likes magic, it can only mean one thing to them... future assistant... no, it means do a trick which will end in them giving you a kiss. I just happened to have such a trick which of course I performed for the attractive Sara. In the end of the trick I usually bet two things of equal value, a kiss on the cheek from them, against my car or house. Of course they believe they will win because it's an obvious bet, but magic prevails and they are humiliated into a "kiss on the cheek." And of course when I do receive my "kiss on the cheek" I quickly turn and give them a peck on the lips.. It's all in good fun, and it makes for a little humor along the way and even sometimes it leads to a new assistant.

However when I went to get the kiss on the cheek from Sara, she just plants one right on my mouth and completely ruins the entire routine. Can you believe that? Must have been that Axe body wash I used or something. But the night was still young. I asked her what time she got off. At which time she decided to inform me that her boyfriend was picking her up at 2:30.

Sara had made my drinks a little stiff.. yes I said "drinks." And since she wasn't open for breakfast, I asked if there were a late night restaurant where I could go have some breakfast and sober up before driving home. She smiled and sent me on to a place called "Solid" just a stone's throw away, telling me it was where all the late night people would gather for a "last chance." It sounded like fun.

So I wandered over to this late night happening and, much to my chagrin, there weren't but a few people hanging around inside, but I was there just to have something to eat anyway. So I was sitting alone at the bar eating their version of eggs Benedict, when out of no where, this cute little blond wearing a mini skirt and two few buttons on her blouse leans onto my shoulders from behind me. First I'm startled, but then I see how cute she is and I'm pleasantly surprised.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt your meal," she says coquettishly, "do you know where the bathroom is?"

She is a little tipsy, I can tell, and I have no idea where the bathroom is, but I put my arm around her, since hers is now around me, and say to her, "honey, I'll help you find it."

I find a waiter and ask him for directions. He gives me some convoluted instructions and I realize that the bathroom isn't really that easy to find, but I would be able to get her there. So I walk this girl through a labyrinth, to the ladies room door. She turns, wraps her arms around my neck, and plants a very sensual kiss on me. "Thank you so much," she says, pulling me towards the door. And I don't even know her name.. again, is it the Axe Body Wash or what?

Rather than a trip to the ladies room, I tell her, "you're welcome." And I leave her and go back to my eggs like a good boy. Well, a few chews and swallows later, she's back.

"Sorry to interrupt you again, but how am I going to get in touch with you . I have no idea how to contact you," she says.

"Well I can give you my cell," I said, "I just need to get something to write it on."

She say's to the bartender, "do you have a pen and paper?"

He hands her a pen and dinner ticket to write on. She doesn't hand it to me, instead she writes her name, and phone number on it and says, "Call me tomorrow, I've got to go, my boyfriend is in the other room waiting, and he is probably wondering where I am."

Women... they are the magic, the mystery...and what is a MILF anyway? ;-0

Escape to "Big Al Catraz"

2012-07-20T10:51:00.001-07:00

One of the most prominent sights in San Francisco looms in the distance across the bay. Alcatraz island rises out of the water as a monument to the inescapable. There is a question to this day as to the validity of its stated record saying that during its 29 years as a penitentiary, no prisoner had successfully escaped. It is known that 36 prisoners attempted, two men trying twice; 23 were caught, six were shot and killed, two drowned, and five are listed as presumed drowned. The question as to the "presumed" drowned became one of the most famous escape movies of all time, "Escape From Alcatraz" staring Clint Eastwood.

But probably the most cheesy use of this as a backdrop for an escape was done by David Copperfield. This takes me back, back to a time when magic was... well... cheesier than a warm brie wrapped in a wine port cheddar..mmm so tasty.

Escape has been a part of my life for many years. As a young magician many of us read of Houdini and realize the impact escape can have upon an audience. I don't really know why audiences like to watch a person free themselves from bonds, prison cells, etc. But they do enjoy a good escape performance when it is done with the proper flair and death defiance.

I made a small undeserved reputation as an escape artist when I performed my strait jacket escape dangling by the ankles 300 feet in the air from a burning rope. I've even performed an underwater handcuff escape. And I was at one time attempting an underwater strait jacket escape which resulted of my being pulled from a pool and given mouth to mouth resuscitation. And now you know why I wasn't that famous as an escape artist.

Big Al Catraz performs at pier 39 in San Francisco

Many magicians have an escape or even two in their repertoire. And a magician who goes by the name of "Big Al Catraz" was no different. As I walked to the back of the Pier 39 shops, there was a very large crowd looking upon a small outdoor stage.There tied to a chair, was a working magician in all his cheesy magic show glory performing a comedy escape for the tourist crowd and an audience filled with children screaming with delight. It was a classic performance of an often performed escape. I hadn't seen him actually get tied up, but there he was dancing a rendition of that famous of musical numbers "The Hokey Pokey." It certainly made and interesting addition to his chair tie escape.

Because of Al's "bigness" it made the performance even better. There is something about a big guy doing the "hokey pokey" while tied up to a chair. Of course he eventually falls over and threatened to fall off the stage onto the kids who were at one time clamoring to be in the show. They of course backed up rather quickly when he tumbled.

And the show wouldn't have been complete without him taking his bow to the crowd and his pants dropping to the floor revealing his boxer shorts. I believe that the most successful escapes can be made even better by adding corn ball cheese to them. Maybe this is what made Copperfield so famous. But I'm not sure he was trying.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Al for a while after his performance. I wanted to find out more about him than meets the stage floor. So we talked about the creation of his character of "Big Al" and how it came about. One thing that differentiates Al from other magicians is that he studied acting and was an actor before he became a magician. This gives him a great background with which to derive his character. When he first decided to become a "pro" magician, he knew he wanted something iconic to be associated with San Francisco.

He actually thought of the name when he was driving by a "Big Al's Clothing" store. We talked about how lucky he was to have a permanent stage show. And we talked about a couple of interesting things, one of which was the "DEATH OF MAGIC." Al hasn't been a magician for that long, only ten years. I think that may have shaped his thinking. You see Al doesn't believe that magic is dead at all. In fact he thinks it is thriving. He sees the Internet as promoting and distributing magic to young people, not ruining it's potential.

"The kids who are watching magic on the Internet are absorbing information quicker, they are taking the principles which they learn and creating new ways to use them, better than ever before... I think magic is going to live on, but it is going to change. And people don't like change."

Worries about and early death because of his weight.

He does think that kids posting the secrets to the tricks they learn is a problem, but he has chosen to ignore the magician doomsday preachers and naysayers who say that magic is in a decline. (Of course it is a lot easier for a guy who has an audience every day in a tourist venue such as he does.) And believe me he is lucky to be there and he knows it. Most magicians have to work everyday to find a paying gig. So lucky are the guys who work at Theme Parks, or tourist traps such as Pier 39. But he hasn't seen or felt the decline as many magicians struggling to get a paying gig have. And it would follow of course that he wouldn't fear the death of magic.

He may not have been afraid of the death of magic, but this big guy did express a fear of his own death. He confided in me that he has been concerned for his weight and health. Like all of us, magicians are just people too. I know that is an astonishing revelation, and as such, we worry about things like weight and dieing before our time. It seems that Al's father died when he was too young and Al told me he worries that he too will suffer the same fate. But he is doing something about it. Al has been working at losing "big" from his show through a newly adopted diet and workout. Of course when the subject turned to that I had to tell him about Lions, Tigers, and Bears OMG! my web page and future book for guys in the midst of a midlife crisis.

Of course how could we turn to a discussion of LTBOMG without a workout picture for all of you overweight guys with a lowering libido. (not saying Al had a lowering libido just for the record) So before I go on to my next blogging opportunity, I'll leave you with a picture of Brittnay doing one of her workout poses. I hope this is motivational to you and your lowering libido, LOL. I know it always motivates me.

Well on to Reno then Boise... keep living the magic!

What Really Happened or Not in Vegas (Rated X)

2012-07-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

THIS STORY MAY OR MAY NOT BE ENTIRELY FICTION. USE YOUR OWN JUDGEMENT.

Okay, I'm going to warn you all right now. If you don't want to hear a tale of pure debauchery, (in which the names will be changed to protect the guilty) then please don't read on. However, I've decided that I should include some of the more than mundane events which have graced my life, during this magical life journey. Maybe I'll even spice them up so they sound better than they actually were to increase my readership. So please DON'T READ THIS IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY VILE LANGUAGE, DIRTY TALK, AND/OR NUDE IMAGES (in your mind)

A foretelling of the future? Not mine, but maybe Deuce's

Meeting "Zach" Galifianakis must have been some secret warning signal that the universe was sending me. If I were to read it again, more closely this time, it would probably be saying, "Take it easy on the free drinks, Stupid!"

So, the truth is when I told you that I couldn't actually remember my nights in Vegas, I was only partially telling the truth. As it so happens, I did begin to remember the lurid details as the days wore on, and the fog began to clear. Also, I was reminded by those participating in my two monumental nights of decadence and debauchery of my less than clever drunkenness.

Oh you wicked jester, beckoning me.

First lets begin with the fortunate synchronicity of circumstance which unbelievably led me to that city of sin in the Nevada desert. You see, when I first set up my map for the journey I didn't include Las Vegas. Afterall who would ever think to interview a magician in Vegas? ... far too easy. So I was going to drive from Albuquerque to Phoenix, and from there on to Los Angeles. But fate wanted me to land in Vegas. And as it so happened, I had made plans to stay with my good friend Jack and his wife Wendy, (oh wait I mean, Fred and his wife Ethel.).yeah that's the ticket... in LA. But as this journey is taking twists and turns along the way, that just didn't pan out the way I'd planned. (Oh wait, I mean my good friend "Deuce" planned.) First, Deuce added a trip to Key West, then Deuce added a stop in Orlando, then an extra day in Jacksonville Beach, and a couple of extra unplanned days in Wichita and Oklahoma City.

So when Deuce called my friend, erh.. Fred and told him he'd be in LA on Friday. Fred said, "well that's great, but we won't be there."

"Crap!" I thought. (oops I meant Deuce thought. )

So Deuce had an epiphany. Since Fred and Ethel weren't going to be in LA, he'd just re-route his trip and instead of going through Phoenix, he'd just take a couple days and do Las Vegas. After all, you can throw a deck of cards into the air in Vegas and chances are ten to one that you'll hit a magician. So Vegas it was!!! Whooop.

YOUR FINAL WARNING, DO NOT PROCEED IF YOU WANT TO KEEP A HIGH OPINION OF ANYONE INVOLVED

Deuce found a magician to interview from a friend of his who lives in Vegas, and decided to book the Mirage because that was where this magician was performing. Deuce had to rush there in order to get to see this amazing lounge show. Of course there were drinks involved because.. well Deuce is a drinker, and it's Vegas. Unfortunately Deuce had made the bartender his friend early on because, well, he's just such a damn likeable guy, and so his bar tender friend hammered him with VODKA, soda, and splash of cran. Notice the word "vodka" is in all caps. Four of these bad boys and by the time Deuce was done watching the show, he was already blotto. So after a few dribbling discussions with a magician or two, Deuce decided he would go to the casino and play some slots and craps. I know, gambling and drinking, can only lead to bad things. Or rather, my good friend Duece knows that.

So Deuce decided that he'd do what I usually do in Vegas and set his loss limits to $300. If I lose $300 then I'll put my tail between my legs and go home. So if he lost, Deuce would put his tail between his legs and head back to the hotel room and watch a porno movie for about $12. So the total loss comes to about $312.

YOUR ABSOLUTE FINAL WARNING - AND I'M NOT KIDDING HERE.

For some unknown reason Deuce always seems to be lucky when it comes to gambling. Maybe because the universe is somehow making up for his bad luck in other areas of life, but somehow he is almost always ahead in the games of chance. There doesn't seem to be a time when he loses, or at least loses big. Well Deuce won a small amount on the craps table after playing for about an hour, and he was $60 ahead.

Then it was off to the wheel of fortune machines because, he could get free drinks just by sitting there pulling the lever. Lord knows he could still see, so he must need more drinks. But Deuce had a theory, which is hard to imagine in his drunken stupor. His theory was that if he only bet a dollar on a wheel of fortune for five pulls after any win, that he would beat the house odds. So he played on. Nothing could deter him as he watched his fortune grow over the hours. Then he watched it deplete, then grow, then deplete. However slowly he was gaining. So he decide that he'd cash out after every $100 gain and put that in his pocket. At the end of the evening he was feeling pretty good. He had several hundred dollar bills now tucked tightly in his pocket.

So, off to the bar for an appetizer and a night cap (as if he needed one) before he went to his room to watch his $12 movie. As he drank a martini, he attempted his best moves on a couple of the young ladies there at the bar, he bought them a drink, showed them a card trick, and of course after finishing it, they promptly left for another club without him.

It was at that moment, that Deuce decided to call it a night. He paid his tab, with cash from his wallet, and began to walk out of the bar. He looked across the way and there sat a beautiful woman in a silky, blue blouse, with dark black hair, striking, beautiful, blue eyes and moist ruby red lips. Those eyes were fixed on Deuce as he walked around the bar and out the door. It was as if those eyes were some sort of magical tractor beam, and they locked on to poor Deuce and he was unable to leave, frozen in his tracks as his eyes met those of the beautiful young woman now staring him down from her seat across the bar.

He turned and as if memorized by her very beauty, he made his way back into the bar and almost hypnotized his way into to the stool next to her. As he found himself sitting there, she put her hand on his knee and said, "Why don't you buy me a drink?"

YOUR REALLY, ABSOLUTE, FINAL WARNING.

Deuce did buy her a drink and then eventually got around to a little chit chat. Her name was Mercedes, of course it was, probably because as she said, "she's an impressive ride."

Deuce was never too sharp about these type of transactions, but he had a suspicion about this one and eventually said, "So how much?"

"A thousand dollars, for the ride of your life, baby."

Deuce almost choked with a spew of his drink, and an out loud laugh. "You've got to be kidding," he said. "not that you're not amazingly beautiful, incredibly sexy, but hey, I didn't fall off the turnip truck this morning. Where do you think I'm from, Idaho?"

"So you didn't win tonight I take it?" asked Mercedes

"No, on the contrary I did win," he replied. "I'll tell you what I'll do," he said. "Since this is Vegas, are you a gambler?"

"I don't know. Why?" she answered intrigued just a little.

"I'll tell you that I know I have more than a hundred dollars in my wallet and that I was a winner tonight," he said, "I really don't know how much I have there, but I'll give you whatever I have in my wallet, if you're a gambler, you might be a big winner."

She tried to get him to tell her how much he had but he insisted that she gamble. Well it was getting late and the price always goes downward as the hour gets later. Not that Deuce would know that.

So she said, "OK."

All I can say is that Deuce had $257 in his wallet that night. And after the night was over he had $7 in his wallet, which Mercedes was kind enough to leave for his coffee at Starbucks. You see just like me Deuce has to have Starbucks coffee and write his blog. However, what Mercedes didn't know was that a good gambler like Deuce always stuffs a few hundreds in his pocket as he plays to keep from spending them, $400 to be exact.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Waking up around noon, Deuce went out to photograph some of the town for his blog with the love of his life, his trusty Canon 30D digital 35 milometer camera.

As fateful as the string of sevens he threw at the craps table that morning, things were going to get amazing and strange.When he posted to Facebook that he had arrived in Vegas, and was staying at the Mirage, he got a call that changed everything. It was my good buddy, and his, Fred.

"You Son-of-a-bitch, Ace, (oops I mean "Deuce") are you in Vegas?" he asked.

"Why yes, Fred, you 'ol bastard," Deuce replied.

"You know why Ethel and I aren't at home in LA?"

"No"

"Because we are in staying in Vegas, believe it or not, across the street from your hotel at the Venetian. So why don't you meet us for dinner?"

"NO WAY!!!!! Too effen funny. I'm on MY WAY!!!"

Now Fred and Ethel are always a ton of fun, so Deuce met them and they bought him an amazing, dinner. Then Fred and Deuce decided to go to a bar and see what trouble they could get into. Fred told Deuce that they'd play the video poker at the bar until he made $500 then he'd take them to the world's largest strip club for a little family entertainment.

The night wore on as they watched the total get up near $500 on the winnings line, but never get over it. Just when he was about to give up, Fred hits the four aces which pays $400 and BAM! They had $800 in tittie bar money.

So the jumped up, high fives and danced out the doors to find a taxi. A quick cab ride and they were walking into the world's largest strip club, "Sapphires."A place beyond your wildest fantasies a club, the size of a football stadium with multiple floors of a thousand topless gyrating girls in g-strings.

After checking in and a cover charge, two girls grabbed Deuce by the arms and began to drag him off. "Wait a minute girls, I just want to get a drink, with my buddy."

"Don't worry we'll meet up with him later, we need to give you a tour of our club."

So they dragged him off by the arms, coquettishly giggling as they did. Deuce was led down some hallways and found himself in a private room with red patent leather couches and maroon curtains draped by large golden cords. "Here sit," said one of the girls, "we can get a bottle of champagne and give you a private dance."

"Wait a minute," asked Deuce, "how much is this going to cost?"

"You can have the ultimate fantasy," she said, "for only $1000."

Again, Deuce spewed a big laugh, "Why would I pay a thousand dollars for a fantasy, when I know for a fact you can get an amazing hooker here in Vegas for $250?"

"Some men prefer the fantasy," she said.

Can you believe that, cause I can't. Some men prefer the fantasy as apposed to the real thing? Yeah I'm buying that, and neither did Deuce. So they reluctantly went back to the main floor where Fred was now seated alone.. yeah that's the ticket.

Well, Deuce really had no liking for the two girls which seemed to be attached to him like a couple of barnacles with boobs. He finally just asked them, "Do you suppose you girls could just give me a break and let me drink a drink alone?"

Well they huffed a little and then went to Fred's lap. Deuce, in the meantime was approached by the shooter girl, a good looking blond, with a gorgeous smile and beautiful brown eyes. Mr. cool himself, Deuce before long had the shooter girl, whom he didn't have to pay for a dance, sitting in his lap. Next thing you know, they were kissing like a couple of teenagers in heat. That damn Deuce needs to get a grip on his public displays of debauchery. But he no sooner was about to get her number, I think by way of reading the bumps on her chest, when that $1000 dancer girl, which he didn't like in the first place, proceded to push the cute shooter girl from his lap and proclaim, "She has to leave, your friend just bought you two dances from me."

"But t t t...but.. but.." was all he could mutter as the shooter girl disappeared into the smoke filled room of bouncing bodacious boobs and butts.

The obnoxious dancer now sat in his lap... for two songs and then suddenly Fred declares, "Deuce, we have to go, I've run out of money."

"All right by me." Deuce said standing up. And then it got strange.

The rude dancer girl, grabbed Deuce's glasses and declared, "You owe me $200 for dances."

"Hold on there, and give me those back," Deuce said sternly.

"Not until you pay me," she replied in defiance.

Whether it was some stroke of genius or out of shear blind panic, Deuce grabbed her by the wrist and yelled out at the top of his lungs, "HELP!!!! HELP!!!!"

The girl quickly stuck his glasses in his hands and when he let go of her she vanished much the same as the shooter girl into the smoke and mirrors.Then as the security guard comes up to find out about Deuce's girlish scream, Fred suddenly declares, "Those bitches stole my phone!"

The bouncer was then shining his light all over the floor as the two drunken stumblers searched for the "lost" phone. Totally rejected, the two saturated compadres headed back to their prospective hotels. The desert sun was coming up, and it was miserably hot. Deuce was falling forward catching his feet under him, drunk as he headed back to his room. As he crossed Las Vegas boulevard to the Mirage, he was almost to the door when it dawned on him. "OH MY GOD!! I DON'T HAVE MY CAMERA!"

His mind (what little was left of it) raced for an answer.. "Where the hell did he leave it." He recalled having it at the bar when he and Fred had won the $400 jackpot. Now it was full sun up as he dragged himself from bar to bar in search of his camera, he finally came to the bar where he thought it was to be found. Of course they were already vacuuming the floors and the chairs were upside down on the tables. The one person there, a janitor, was quick to say, we didn't find it, but you should check with security, they have a lost and found.

So Deuce made his way to the lost and found almost beyond hope. He was starting to tear up over the loss of his $3000 camera, which he knew was crucial to his trip and filled with pictures for his blog. When the security guard told him, "sorry we don't have it." He burst into tears, saying in his drunken downturn to himself, "My life just sux."

He dragged himself dejectedly back across the street, hot, still stumbling, tired as hell, completely worn out and now beginning to sweat the alcohol from the night before. As he walked up to the doorman the doorman looked and him and said, "Looks like somebody had a hell of a night."

Deuce grumbled something back and somehow made it to the right floor. Walking down the hall he had never felt so awful in his life, so low, he was truly that drunk loser everyone has seen in Vegas. It was at that moment that he fell to his own lifetime low, as he spied a food cart, and there on it, a plate of macaronni and cheese, neatly set outside of the guest's room for the cleanup crew.

"Hell they only ate a little of it." he thought to himself. And like the drunk degenerate he'd become he grabbed a handful of the tasty treat and shoved it in his mouth declaring "why the hell not," in his mind.

The next thing he recalls was finding himself fully dressed laying on the bed staring at the clock radio which was now blaring a beep, beep, beep.

"Oh %$#@! it's 11:30. What time is checkout?"

Deuce called down to the front desk, yes, and then paid the extra $39 late checkout fee.

His next memory is waking up to a maid who was saying, "Oh so sorry, Senor. My apologies." and her scurrying out the door before he even realized he was completely naked. You see Deuce had gotten his clothes off this time, but still not made it back into the bed.

He looked at the clock and it was now 3:00. His head was throbbing now, but his mind was beggining to clear. Images of the night were like old Polaroid pictures taking shape as he held them under his sweaty armpits. Then there it was on the floor, a piece of macaroni.

He had a huge laugh for at that very moment he not only recalled eating the handful of macaroni, he realized...

OMG!!! They check cameras before you go into a strip club..

And there in his wallet was a ticket, a receipt, for the love of his life, his Canon 30D camera.

And now you know the story that is or isn't true about what really happened that night in Vegas.

Oh and Fred found his phone at that same bar where Deuce thought he'd left his camera.

Escape to San Francisco

2012-07-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

As I took a picture from the window of my Jeep, a Hells Angel appears from nowhere.

It was difficult to leave Southern California behind with it's amazing people and beautiful beaches. Los Angeles is a city of angels (hells angels?) and even more a city of kings. (think hockey.)

However, as I crossed the bridge into San Francisco, I marveled at the magical mysteries in front of me. It is a city like no other, a bay often clouded in mysterious mist, with a history as colorful and rich as the gold which filled the leather satchels of the forty-niners during the gold rush. To this day the song still rings out "open up those golden gate, California here I come."

The city by the bay has a flavor (mostly Chinese) and temperature all its own. It's often said, "the coldest winter I ever spent was the summer I spent in San Francisco." But even after purchasing a sweatshirt because of an unexpected temperature on July fourth, San Francisco is an easy place with which to fall in love. I've often felt as I do now that, "I left my heart ... in San Francisco." It is beautiful, has amazing food, but I'm sure that living in San Francisco must have it's ups and downs (that's a joke.) I once walked up and down the entire city from downtown to the bay. If you don't have good shoes, and strong legs, take the trolly car.

When I got to San Fran I had two wonderful friends to stay with, Mike and Lisa. Lisa reminded me that we have a tradition for spending the 4th of July together. I'm not sure she recalls our very first, but many years ago, 1998 to be exact, we were out with her and her boyfriend on 4th of July in Martha's Vineyard, and I was friends with her boyfriend and really didn't know her all that well. After a night of drinks and fun, I told her and my wife at the time, that we needed to go home. She told me, "A, it isn't happening, and 2, you're a f%$#ing @#!hole" So the next day I brought it up jokingly and she was embarrassed about the incident. So in order to defuse any tension, I told her that now because of that, we were going to be friends for life. I figured we had to be friends because she had my number, and it was the number: "2."

Mike and Lisa and new baby.

Mike and Lisa were great hosts, and we spent the 4th of July at a family BBQ. Of course it wasn't over 'til I did a little magic. Then one of the little girls told me that she knew a trick. Of course it was one with 21 cards. (An inside joke for magicians) You see almost everyone in the world that "knows a trick" wants to show you the 21 card trick. So much so that my friend, magician, Jon Racherbaumer, (from an earlier posting) wrote a book dedicated to what to do when someone brings up the 21 card trick, which is available at H&R Magic Books.

Louie, Louie, Louie, Louieeee

I had a wonderful time and I usually wouldn't complain about anything, but I think this is worth a mention. You see, their dog, Louie, must have had one too many sausages at the BBQ. Seems that he is "sausage intolerant." That dog passed gas sitting next to me that made my eyes water. I had no idea such a cute little guy could be so powerful. I think that Louie would be a great weapon of war because he seems to be filled with deadly gas. However I do believe that I need to switch gears and write about magic, since farting dogs really have nothing to do with magic at all. Unless you need to make an audience vanish, in which case Louie would be a great addition to the show. Okay back to magic.

I had no idea where I'd meet a magician in San Francisco to interview. But, as fate would have it, when I got there Mike told me that right around their house lies a little magic shop. One of the last of a dieing breed. Most Magic shops have pretty much disappeared from existence because of competition with the online magic sites. But there are still a few spread around the country and this one is called, Misdirections Magic Shop. I thought that I had found my magic connection for San Francisco, as I hadn't really booked a magician to talk to and just figured that the magic universe would somehow provide one for me. Now I could just walk around the corner and talk to the proprietor about the vanishing magic shops around the country and once again, the death of magic.

But I found that magic was indeed dead. At least July 3rd through 5th, as the shop was closed for the holiday. So much for my theory that the universe was going to provide everything so easily. I decided that I'd have to go down to Fisherman's Wharf and see if I could find a magician working the street. If not then San Francisco could end up being a total bust.
I found a place to park and wandered the streets for a while searching for someone doing magic. Instead I saw and smelled amazing sea food. My search was looking somewhat bleak, as I wanted to get on the road before 3:00 in the afternoon so I would make it to Reno before night fall. I was beginning to think my San Francisco search was a bust, however, it was a beautiful day down at Fisherman's Wharf and I so I stopped in the oldest seafood restaurant in San Fran. It established in 1925, a place called Alioto's, and at least the food was magical. Of course when you are in San Francisco, at the Fisherman's Wharf, there are two things which I believe you should eat. First and foremost, Crab in garlic butter dip and you have to absolutely have some clam chowder. And this is exactly what I did before I continued my search for the elusive San Francisco magician.A delicious meal and I was once more invigorated to find a magician.

Then I saw someone that I just new would point me in the right direction. It was as if the very gold of the gold rush had come to life to show me the way. There he was a shining pedestal of gold. Of course I gave him a dollar and asked him if he knew where I could find a magician performing. "Sure," he replied, "Just go on down to pier 39, you'll find one there." Just as the forty-niners before me I had struck gold.

When I got to pier 39 life was once again shouting, "MAGIC!!" at me. There was a magic shop on location, a theater showing a magician three nights a week, and as I wondered to the back of the pier area, there was the prize, a real live magician performing. His name was ""BIG AL CATRAZ."

.... next time we talk to Big Al about the death of magic.

Movies, Music, and The Death of Magic

2012-07-09T12:41:00.002-07:00

Movies are but an illusion of captured light, still images which create movement due to a trick of the eye and confusion of the brain. Of course it would make sense that one of the earliest movie makers was himself an illusionist. French stage magician, Georges Melies. Melies was not only one of the first feature film creators, he was the first to use "trick" photography in his movies. His very first film was called "Playing Cards" and his first production company was named "Star Film Company." This information is coming to you from a guy who received his magician name, "Ace Star" in this very place, Southern California performing card tricks at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

Magician/Musician/Movie Mogul

My visit to Southern California didn't include a trip to Hollywood, a place where I've ventured many times in my life. But Southern California includes many magical places. I was on a mission to find a magician whom I'd known for many years. His name is Tony Maclaren. He invited me over to his home in Chatsworth, California, a different kind of movie making capital. (for a laugh, look it up.) OK I won't make you look it up. It's the porn capital of the world. So naturally when this old magician/rockstar friend of mine tells me he's making movies and living in Chatsworth, naturally, I have to wonder to myself. (Then he tells me that he may even have a part for me.) Of course as I drove to his home, letting Nelly, my navigation system lead the way, my mind wandered, exploring the possibilities of the magic this interview might conjure up. LOL!!!

However, I was relieved (slightly disappointed) to discover that he is making a feature film called THE FROZEN TUNDRA, which he described to me during our visit. The story is one of a neurotic guy who fears life, who has a sudden journey almost forced upon him and has to learn to deal with his on phobias. (Wow come to think of it, this is sounding familiar)

Tony Maclaren is one of those rare breed of individuals who is extremely blessed with multiple talents. I've found that many magicians are talented musicians as well and have a knack for writing songs. He is very bright and creative beyond belief. He has been a professional guitarist, and an accomplished song writer, as well as a talented conjurer. As a young boy he was a guitar prodigy, and if you ever hear him play, he'll blow you away. If and when I get to interview him on video we are going to get him to play a little guitar for us too.

As most magicians are, Tony was bitten by the magic bug at an early age and began performing magic when he was only 6 years old. I met Tony when he was a working pro magician in Southern California which he has done for quite a few years. So when he told me that he had finally given up on magic to produce, write and direct movies, I was quite taken aback. The fact that this life long magician would now leave his life's work, was one of the most surprising things I've heard during this amazing journey. Then when he told me why, I was even more astounded and I admit somewhat depressed. You see he told me, "Magic is dead."

From a guy who has been in the magic business for more years than me, that was a seriously depressing remark. What another of my interviews, Jon Racherbaumer, had mentioned was that he believed was a change in the culture of magic, was now coming out of Tony's mouth as "the death of magic." And after listening to his rational, I was almost ready to agree with him. IS MAGIC DEAD????

For you, the non-magicians, things may appear to be the same. But to the working professional, the world of magic has changed dramatically. When Tony began magic, it was an art which had to be studied and almost revered in order for one to participate in it's realm. Now with the world of Internet, cable TV, and YouTube, the world of magic has been turned upside down. Today anyone with a cellphone can immediately go online and search for the trick which they have just seen performed. And usually they will discover that its secret is readily available for a simple click. Why are kids who learn a trick these days so quick to jump on the Internet and reveal the secret? I'm not sure what they derive from it? Is it is an ego boost for them or something. But they are doing this over and over. Here, I'm going to give you an example:

This is a simple trick and I'm not certainly on to reveal tricks, so it pains me to even put this on the blog. But this is a well known trick that was easy to master once the secret was known. However, it is so sad to me that some kid goes to all the trouble to put the very secret to a trick he didn't create, and probably learned by watching a video like this in order to somehow gain recognition he so craves.

A long time ago I decided not to put my own magic on the Internet. Years ago, I invented a couple of sleights which were very magical and back then I decided to put them on YouTube. It was a matter of hours and the postings began about how to possibly do the trick, as if I was looking for them to solve a puzzle. So I quickly took them off. It wasn't that the posters had even figured out what I was doing, but that for some reason, they saw my video as a challenge to come up with and post the solution, which of course it wasn't at all. I just wanted to share the magic feeling that they should derive out of seeing the impossible accomplished. If magic is performed as a challenge to the audience then it's true magic is lost.

When I asked Tony if he'd perform something original to me to video tape for the blog, he politely said no. Without considering my own policy, I'd asked him to do that very thing I was against. He told me that their was no point to putting things on the Internet for others to run over and over again, in order to discover its secret. "For what purpose?" he asked, "so they could then post the secret to show how smart they are?" He told me in his last days of being a working professional magician that he would quit whenever he saw someone recording him with a phone. Is this what magic has come to?

If it's not the YouTube wanna be magicians aren't enough to make one think that magic is over, working magicians have another real problem. He is that guy who calls himself, THE MASKED MAGICIAN. We all know him, and quite frankly he disgusts me.

Sawing a lady illusion I built by hand.

I'll tell you why. Many magicians are making a living doing small shows, trade shows, even birthday parties. These guys don't have a nine to five with health insurance, and for the most of them, they don't make a lot of money. So to improve the show, a guy like me will build or buy a small illusion, such as sawing a lady in half. Time money and effort go into making this a valuable part of the show. An illusion like that may cost him $5000 or even more. For most of us, that is a major investment. But, once the masked magician puts how to do it on his show, that illusion is nothing more than a box with a couple of mirrors. Kids who used to stare wide eyed in amazement now yell, "I know that one! It's a mirror! Right there, look everyone he's a fake!!"

For another magician to reveal the secrets of magic to kids, is the equivalent of running through a toy store at Christmas time and yelling, "Santa isn't real! He's your parents! Don't fall for it kids, your parents put that stuff under the tree." What is the point of taking that magical feeling away from them. For any of you who are a parent, please don't take that magic away. Let them discover the magic in life.

Mirage and Miracles of Las Vegas

2012-07-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

A mirage is that illusive illusion in the desert which appears to be a reflection of cool clean water, your salvation from the searing heat of the desert sun. When you are just about to give up you see it calling to you. But like that illusionary glimmering water, the Las Vegas mirage is something that will stay beyond your reach, teasing you like a sexy siren each step towards it. A city of magic, Vegas is an illusion consisting of glittering neon lights, glorious games of chance, and let’s not forget sensual show girls, all seducing you to sip it’s cool water, and eventually kiss it’s enticing lips. The city of “lost wages” is a monument in and of itself built upon the power and seduction of illusion.

Known for making fortunes appear and disappear in the blink of an eye, Las Vegas is something of a Mecca for working magicians and wanna-be magicians alike. Much as actors go to Hollywood and New York, magicians arrive in dedicated droves to this desert oasis, usually with not much more than a deck of cards, and a dove up their sleeves. But they do still arrive here in search of the illusive illusionist’s dream. All of us magicians, at one time in our lives, dream of following the footsteps of Siegfried and Roy, the two German magicians who appeared in the desert and first started the empire of magic. Every magician dreams at one time of having his own show on the Vegas strip, with a huge billboard with his most mysterious pose surrounded by beautiful exotic animals and even more exotic show girls, and of course the flashing neon lights.

Impossibility is the nature of magic, and some of those magicians are successful in this almost impossible journey. However to be so they need to not only be the best at their craft, they have to have something known to make you successful in Vegas, luck. Names like David Copperfield, Penn and Teller, Lance Burton, The Amazing Jonathan, Rick Thomas, Nathan Burton, Steve Wyric, Mac King, Jeff McBride and Cris Angel have blessed the skyline with their likeness.

The drive from Albuquerque to Vegas is long, but beautiful, filled with amazing scenery. Then as if to announce the coming attractions you finally arrive at Hoover Damn, which creates the energy and somehow prepares you for the awesome grandeur that is Las Vegas. Then when you reach that oasis in the desert you are struck by the very electricity which the magnificent marvel of engineering provides .

Vegas Seductress?

What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but there are a few things I can tell you about my visit to this amazing magical place which I’m able to share with you. As I wandered the strip I was struck by the statues all beckoning me to come share the magic. It is as if the Casinos were bastions of the erudite nobles. A noble venture awaited me I was certain. Then I saw the beautiful woman on a ship, there in the desert, she was the goddess of the water. And somehow she reminded me of a certain model I’d met in Austin. So of course I’ll have another excuse to put another picture of her in my blog.

Brittnay Lynn

There of course are details of a night or two which will remain secret, as always with Vegas. And of course as a magician, I can keep a secret. I’d probably share that night too, except that I ran into Zach Galifianakis (from THE HANGOVER) on Las Vegas Blvd., and I can’t even remember what happened that night. (yes that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)

It was a magic life circumstance that I even included Vegas on my journey. You see my original plan was to go straight to Los Angeles from Albuquerque, however my friend whom I planned on staying with, in LA, Jack Span, (more about this later) was going to be out of town at that time. So I decided, that I’d take a little side trip to Vegas.

Ace Starry and Zach Galifianakis

Why not? I knew that Vegas was filled with magicians and to find one would not be difficult. It’s practically as easy as walking down the street and throwing a deck of cards in the air, you’ll probably hit a magician. I no more than hit the street when I discovered a Magic Show by Baltimore Tom. Magic is everywhere you turn in Vegas. It’s ubiquitous. I even found this machine which made money appear for me. No it wasn’t this slot machine called Magic Wish, it was the ATM.

Baltimore Tom

However, I did parlay that withdrawal into enough cash to cover my night out by playing my favorite slot, THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE. But we aren’t going to talk about that now are we. Back to how I eventually found my magician.

I called upon a friend of mine, an amazing magician who lives and works in Vegas, Jeff McBride. Jeff is a master illusionist and teacher of magic, I’ve met on several occasions over the years. Jeff was traveling, so he was unable to give me the interview, but he gave me the introduction to a young magician working there in the Mirage.

His name is Paul Vigil, (pronounced VeeHill) and Jeff told me that this guy was an up and coming superstar. I was able to meet and talk with Paul as well as witness his amazing magic. I have to agree with McBride, Paul Vigil is a rising star. He is a polished performer and he amazes his audience there in the Ink King Lounge in the Mirage Hotel. Of course I was interested in knowing the real secret. What set him apart from those thousand of other magicians who made the pilgrimage to Nevada? What secrets does he old that enabled him to manifest his reality? ... next time.

No "Witch" in Wichita

2012-06-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

Life is Like a Kaleidoscope

Life is the synthesis of the passing of time and specific events all of which seem random at first, but eventually they coalesce into something beautiful, and when we reflect on them, they show us patterns, much like the turning of a kaleidoscope. What seems to be just a few objects trapped in a telescopic tunnel, when turned to the sunlight, they shine inspiration and reflect memories for us in magnificent colorful patterns. This is the kaleidoscope of life, it at time appears random and then suddenly when you look into the light, life changes from random events to form colorful concentric images almost perfect in their beauty. Here in Wichita Kansas, I found myself looking into that wonderful color-filled tube of life. This is a moment in my life where I reflected and suddenly it all came into focus if for only a brief moment.

I'd only been to Wichita once before in my life. It was a moment which was almost surreal in my foggy un-focusing memories. You see one of the women in my past was friends with Kirstie Alley's family (she is from Witchita) actually she babysat Kirstie, when she was a kid, as she lived next door to her parents. But that's another story. Anyway, it was Christmas time and we were invited over to their house to have a drink with Kirstie and her husband, Parker Stevenson. Of course I was invited for one reason... to perform magic. So the only memory I really have of that time in Kansas was that I did some tricks for Kirstie and Parker. I never knew I'd be asked to perform magic again in Witchita.

When I began my Magic Life journey I wasn't planning on visiting Kansas. Yet I made a comment that "Magicians are given a rare opportunity to peek behind the curtain and see the workings of the wizard in this marvelous world." That of course is a reference to THE WIZARD OF OZ. Thus I may have inadvertently opened up the heavens and a tornado of serendipity may have caused my path to end up in the land of the yellow brick road. It was after that, that I received a message from a friend from my past asking me if I would be close to Wichita during my travels.

Linda Swafford in High School

Her name is Linda, just think of her as the "good witch" in this tale of magic. Linda was a girl with whom I attended high school. On the acknowledgements page of THE MAGIC LIFE there is a list of names which are people within my life who have been my teachers. The list starts with a young carpenter who worked for my father when I was just a little boy. His name was Marty Barts and everyday I should thank him for something he taught me. He taught me to tie my shoes. There is my English teacher in that high school who really inspired me to become a writer, Carol Allred. These are people all who I treasure in one way or another. Well, one of those person's on that page, whose name is there in small print is a young girl named "Linda Swafford." Linda, (as she was then in the picture) was my first magician's assistant.

Well Linda went on to develop something of a love for the conjuring arts herself. Never becoming a true pro magician, she does perform magic at least once a year. Her son has also developed a love for magic and has performed magic in his talent show. She is an amazing person and has devoted herself to teaching, loving, and helping those in need. Over the years I've heard from Linda now and then asking me about magic and where to find a new trick or two.

Linda "Swafford" Dickerson and I Today

I truly believe that life will give us so many opportunities for magic if we simply follow it's flow and stop swimming upstream. I mention this, because it was in a book which my English teacher, Carol Allred, mentioned above, had assigned and the concept stuck with me and changed me and eventually led me back to Kansas. It was this book by Richard Bach, ILLUSIONS, about a reluctant messiah, a pilot, who traveled the country in a bi-plane, barnstorming, and teaching his philosophy that inspired me to write THE MAGIC LIFE. And it was this philosophy which inspired me to "go with the flow" when I received an invitation from Linda. Is it a coincidence that the main character was barnstorming, in a mythical place like Wichita Kansas?

So when I started my drive from Dallas to Wichita I pulled on the freeway and a huge billboard caught my attention, it said, "Be Sure and Try the Magic of Magic Dental." Then I turned on my radio and a song by Heart was playing, "Magic Man." I smiled, knowing I was on the right path that morning.

Later that evening, Linda wanted to share Wichita with me, almost apologetically, since some of the people who posted about my blog had made a few seemingly disparaging remarks. Well her and her boyfriend, Craig, took me to one of their favorite places to hang out, and there was a band playing. The bands name, THE BAND OF OZ, and of course they had to be singing, Steve Miller Band's song "ABRACADABRA."

It was then that the amazing magic life came full circle. Out of nowhere, a girl approaches us at the table. As if to tell me, "Don't ever forget that life is filled with magic" she states that she is with a bachelorette party and is on a scavenger hunt. She asks, "Can any of you do a magic trick?"And now I have two memories of performing magic in Wichita. There may not be two "t's" in Wichita, but there does seem to be magic to be found there. Thanks Linda, you are bewitching. Thank you for inviting, allowing me to stay at your home and again for reminding me of our magic time together.

And so I will continue my journey.. going with the flow of this magic life.

Beyond the Blondes - Finding Magic in Dallas

2012-06-21T09:38:00.001-07:00

Carl making killer jerky.

My latest stop on this Magic Life journey was Dallas, Texas where I stayed with my brother, Carl, a master of the smoked meats, especially his home made beef jerky....mmmmmmmmmmmm. He made me a whole batch to take on the road, but now as I ready to leave I've realized it is nothing but an empty plastic bag.

Dallas brings to mind beef brisket bar-b-que, blonde two-stepping divorcee's, and tall glistening glass buildings. I always see in my mind those longhorn statues, dashing through a fountain in front of those big shiny buildings. Perhaps you think of the most amazing professional football team ever known, (for cheerleaders in hot pants that is) the Dallas Cowboys. Not to mention a giant sized stadium filled with over-sized foam cowboy hats. But I often think of Dallas itself as filled with cantankerous cattlemen or billionaire oil barrens, sitting around a Texas Holdem poker table, gambling more on a hand than we make in our lives. Betting those big glass buildings, as we would a stack of chips. Seems that most of those high stakes billionaires, for some unknown reason eventually become real estate developers. I was involved in real estate here in Texas and my younger brother Carl is a developer here in Dallas. I've seen many of those billionaire/millionaire developer types over the years.

This is a typical Dallas girl, so friendly.

Why do they become developers? I'm not sure. Maybe they do it so they can eventually dump the woman who gave them a wonderful family and "land" a beautiful blond trophy wife, whom they then can then buy huge... tracks of land. You thought I was going to say " fake boobs" didn't you? But it didn't really fit in the whole "land" concept now did it?

The real wealth in Dallas comes from the land, and not just from the oil. And one thing Dallas has is lots and lots of beautiful, build-able, flat land. And when I visit Dallas, I think of this land filled with wonderful buildings, and beautiful golf communities with lakes and amazing country clubs. I can almost hear the theme song to the show, Dallas playing in my mind as I write this blog; with scenes of the famous South Fork Ranch, home to JR Ewing. But Dallas is a huge place and has many magical things to offer.

One magical thing they always seem to have an abundance of is beautiful blond women. And they know how to flaunt it. With restaurants like, Twin Peaks, Hooters, and Bone Daddy's you can always find an over abundance of beautiful blonds to bring you a cold Lone Star beer.

Model Brittnay Lynn

I really hadn't planned what magician I'd try to meet in Dallas when I first decided to come here. Mostly I just wanted to spend time with my younger brother Carl and his wife, Steffany and their beautiful little girl. (No, not to chase those blondes) But THE MAGIC LIFE sometimes just hands me things out of thin air, almost like magic. And it did again.

Dallas is a home to two great mysteries of our times and both involve who shot whom? We may never know who really shot JFK here in Dealy Plaza. And we may never really know who shot JR either. But it was a different kind of shooting all together which led me to a Dallas based magician. It was a photo shoot of a beautiful model named Brittnay Lynn (in the previous blog) who led me to a young magician named, Aaron Stone. This is a good enough reason to put in another picture of Brittnay, isn't it?

I called Aaron and told him I'd like to interview him over breakfast and he was as amazing as those mysteries for which Dallas is famous.

Dallas Magician Aaron Stone

Aaron, is a young professional magician here in Dallas and I can see that he is indeed a real pro. It doesn't take long in our conversation to see that I'm talking to one of "us" and not just some kid who wants to be a magician. He drops the proper names and talks good trick trash. Aaron has been performing magic for over 10 years. He reminded me of so many of "us" who started as a teen and found ourselves living with a deck of cards in our hands over a period of years, until finally we have a revelation, that someone will actually pay us to do tricks. He is young and is trying to look cutting edge. He had an eyebrow piercing and a dash of bright red in his otherwise black hair.

There is a point among magicians where one discovers that magic works not on secrets, but upon principles. I think it is around this time that we start discovering our own magic. Watching a magician perform something which he has created in his own mind and then mastered at his own fingertips is always a pleasure for me. Aaron showed me one of his own creations and I've chosen to share it with you on his video.

But I wanted to delve deeper to find what made this guy, who went out of his way to apologize for his recently died red finger nails, (which changed colors when he colored the top of his hair) tick. How was he, so many years younger, and so different on the surface, so much like me.

Many of us grow up with family strife and relational issues in this day and age. Aaron was raised not knowing his mother. And the one thing which most professional magicians will tell you is that, "their father never supported their career choice." Here was something which Aaron and I shared. Both of us decided to become a magician in spite of our father's wishes. My father almost disowned me when I decided to pursue magic, and Aaron's father was no different. They offered no support and certainly would be reticent to come watch their son's perform. I remember when I finally "forced" my father to come watch me perform and recall his eating crow, telling me that he had no idea I was so good at what I'd chosen to do. He said, "if I'd known you were going to be this good, I'd have told you to do it."

But Aaron's story takes the cake in this contest.

All boys want to please their fathers and receive their praise. Many of us spend years trying to please our fathers, and some of us, rebel against having to seek their approval. For Aaron, I think he really took his father's denial to heart. Maybe it was because he was the child of just a single parent. But Aaron, tells the story of how he put a special tribute to his father in his show: and no, not the good kind. During the show he actually tells the audience to give his father the finger, in a clever way of course, for not supporting his choice to become a magician. Well years after he'd used the line a hundred times, he gets his father to come to see the show. When he gets to the part in the show where he says to "give his father the finger," he paused and thought about whether or not to say it. He didn't tell his father to stand, or point him out of the crowd at least before he continued.

However, his good judgement probably derailed due to some emotional train wreck going on in his head, and he decided to go ahead and use the same routine. Maybe it was for a little payback, or maybe for his own pride, but he used his same routine and his father sat there and heard him ask the audience to "give him the finger." I'm sure it was an emotional, if not educational, moment for both of them. I can only imagine his father's hard swallow as that huge crow passed down his esophagus.

However, this story does have a happy ending, as his father was moved by the show and afterwards apologized for not believing in his son. I doubt that my father would have been so generous, I think he'd have come back stage and hit me behind the ear with a two-by-four.

Austin Still Keeping it Weird

2012-06-20T09:31:00.001-07:00

Austin, a strange mix of cowboys and college students, of politicians and programmers, creates an atmosphere where almost anything, even magic can happen. Austin is full of eclectic eccentricities. It's a place where Michael Dell started a computer company and Willy Nelson lost everything to the IRS (and now has a street named after him.) Both strange and wonderful is this city on the Colorado River. And the Austinites know it. In fact you can often see them wearing the slogan on a tee shirt, "Keep Austin Weird." Weird yes, but the one thing that almost everyone says who goes to school there or practically anyone who has ever lived there is, "I love Austin."

Brittnay Lynn in Cid's Apartment

Having spent time as a student at the University of Texas, I too say, "I love Austin." In my book, THE MAGIC LIFE, the main character, James, first comes in contact with the magician at a street festival in this magical place. The scene in the book is actually based upon my own experience of performing on the street at the Pecan street Festival. Austin is indeed a magical place, which has several note worthy magicians.

When I put Austin on my map, I figured I'd go ahead and stay with one of my old college buddies and call up one of those local magicians for an interview. I called my old college compadre Cid Galindo, an amazing friend I've had for all these many years. Cid gave me the thumbs up and pretty much said, "mi casa es su casa." So Austin was going to be included and I'd also get a chance to see my friend and patent attorney, Anthony Campbell, who was my first editor in grad school.

My intention was to get an interview with one of the local magicians there in Austin, but my magic life seemed to take an interesting turn which never included interviewing a magician. First there was meeting Cid's wonderful little girl Lola. That was where I got to use some of my own magic, Lola wanted me to do a couple tricks for her, so I did. When her Mom came to pick her up, (Cid and her are separated) she wanted to see some too. So I showed her and Lola magic, and also sang them a couple of songs which I figured I'd video for you there in Austin, because after all it is a music mecca.

Brittnay in workout shot for LTBOMG

Wow!

But I decided to get some work done and unfortunately, or actually amazingly fortunately, work led to fun which led to never interviewing a magician or even recording my songs.

Instead I have to share my wonderful happenstance meeting with a beautiful model named Brittnay Lynn. I decided to shoot some workout shots with her for the Lions, Tigers, and Bears, OMG! website. Which led to trying to find a bikini bottom, which she didn't have, and eventually buying her a pair of tie-dyed shorts for the workout shots. Cid offered the use of his Hilton Fitness Center membership and I was allowed to use their gym for the shoot. This was a great location and Brittnay was absolutely beautiful and she actually got a pretty good workout during the photo session too.

We had so much fun at the shoot that she asked me to take her out afterward for a drink, which led to dinner, then more drinks. She started getting really hot, and I'm not just talking about my "beer goggle eyes" here either. No her skin was getting hot and flushed. We then discovered that Brittnay was allergic to something we had for dinner. Soon she was breaking out with hives. (End of the evening for me unless I take care of her.) So of course we had to go back to Cid's place and get her an allergy pill and lay her down in his bed. I gave her an Allegra and put some cold wash cloths on her, and we watched "Adult Swim" cartoons for a while. Eventually she was OK. And she was actually ready to rally just as Cid came in the door from his evening out. He had quite a surprised look on his face when he saw me sitting on the bed with Brittany in it wearing wet wash cloths. Come on, she was hot, she had to take her cloths off to put the wet wash cloths on her. (I know your minds are in the gutter at this point.)

Even Hot with Hives

But this was the beginning of a wonderful, magical night with Brittnay and Cid in Austin.We went out 'til way too late, and Brittnay led the way. By the end of the evening, or about when the sun was to come up, we had to call it a night, so we went back to Cid's to dance in his gallery and continue the night. My diet certainly seems to be going to hell on this trip as we not only stopped for a slice of pizza but then Cid made us all a sandwich at his place. And of course the magic life wouldn't have been complete without a little bit of the bubbly.

And such is another night in the magic life.

Cowboys, Carpentry, and Conjuring

2012-06-12T10:59:00.003-07:00

Houston, TX

Nothing is more magical than being loved and admired. As I played my guitar and sang for my 10 year old niece, Sugarbean, I felt that magic. She didn't know I could play a guitar and I think she likes her ol' uncle Ace. I did have to take all the dirty words out of my songs though. But simply spending a couple days with my younger brother, Stuart, (my first partner in magic) and his wonderful family was magic beyond compare. One of the maxims in my book, THE MAGIC LIFE, simply states, "Enjoy the time you spend with family and friends." I truly believe this is a key success factor in creating a magic life, one we often forget. I want to thank Stuart, Shannon and Natalie, (Sugarbean) for a wonderful stay with them. Of course I need to give a plug to QuickPoles, his amazing invention, which is a magic trick in and of itself.

Now, as I sit in what is one of the largest Starbucks I've ever seen, here on Post Oak in Houston, I'm amazed at the diversity and activity. Of course it's big, cause everything's big in Texas. Big SUV's, pickups and vans pull up to the drive in window, filled with women with big hair, bigger boobs, and men with big boots, and belt buckles. There aren't many men wearing cowboy hats though, but it's filled with the big dogs, the movers and shakers. Right here in this Starbucks, so many people, all moving and shaking, perhaps from too much caffeine.

Houston, a place where cows and cowboys mix it up with oil barrens and metro-sexuals, is filled with magic memories for me. My father, John Starry, lived here after he and my mother divorced, and so I discovered this magical place during my summer visits as a teen. But it wasn't until years later that I adopted it as my own home. Over the years here, I met and made many fantastic friends, many marvelous magicians, and even a few wondrous wizards. It was a place where there were always opportunities for anyone with a drive and willingness to work to make it happen.


Building a John Starry home

We create ourselves and leave a trail of our creations along the way in life. My father chose Houston to make his mark and he passed away here a few years back leaving a trail, a path, a proof of his life, so to speak, behind.

Same home front view years later

I was living in LA performing magic at Six Flags Magic Mountain, when my father who was building homes in a northern suburb of Houston called me. It was the end of the amusement park season, and he asked me to come and work for him. We built three homes that year all in the same neighborhood.

I decided to go find those homes which my father and I built years ago, just to see what memories they evoked. When I saw them, I teared up. My father, were he alive today, should be proud of his creation, of the trail he left behind. My father died not leaving much behind, but he did certainly leave his proof of life. Those homes all looked amazing, and the neighborhood, which had only a few homes in it at the time, now, just as Dad predicted was filled with beautiful homes. My life is so filled with wonderful memories of my magical youth in this amazing place spent building homes with my sometimes cantankerous father.

Sawing illusion built in those houses

Strait Jacket Escape

I remember standing like a wire walker on the rafters and nailing them risking a thirty foot fall (above.) I used the same tools to cut cabinets for the kitchens to build my sawing a lady in half illusion in the garage of that house on the weekends. And it was here in Houston, that I met a magician named Sam Martin, who owned a magic/novelty/costume shop he called "Just for Laughs." It was Sam who first talked me into doing a "hanging strait jacket escape from a burning rope." That was truly a defining moment in my magic life, it was certainly part of my proof of life.

What was meant to be a short stay ended up being a large chunk of my magic life.

Ghosts, Vampires and Voodoo

2012-06-08T10:48:00.001-07:00

A Gentleman and Scholar

Along with the jazz and party atmosphere of New Orleans, are the stories of ghosts in haunted cemeteries, of vampires walking amongst the night, and of voodoo witches who can work their magic on you. None of which would compare with the pure mystical power demonstrated by a magician who calls this mysterious place his home. His name is Jon Racherbaumer. And my meeting with him was mystical, magical, and more than I had imagined.

Jon is one of those magicians which can blend into the scenery, but he has those clues which to the trained eye, identify him as different, as someone special, even someone with extraordinary abilities. First he dresses in black - often a tell tale sign of a magician. When I asked him about if it were some mystical or magical thing, he disarmingly stated, "I started wearing black, because I could never decide which colors went together. I'm just glad you can buy the black underwear to go with it."

I believe that Jon is without a doubt "the expert" on card magic. Even though Jon and I have known one another for a while, for me to perform a card trick in front of him makes my hands shake. To me it's like "trying to do algebra in front of Einstein." We met years ago (when I looked much older) both of us sporting the gray pony tailed look. I drove to his home and when he first greeted me, of course he noticed my change, and we started our discussion with a talk about haircuts and Just For Men beard dye. This was probably the best illusion I was going to do the entire afternoon. But when Jon and I began to talk about "the magic life" he was simply amazing. Jon grew up in a truly historical time for magicians. We talked about the change in culture amongst magicians.

You see, when we started in magic, both Jon and I learned from books and if we could find them, other magicians. Today magicians are really spoon fed from the likes of readily available DVD's and Youtube videos. A couple of clicks and you've downloaded what took years for us to find and read. Well I should say some of us learned from books, and some of us wrote those books. Jon wrote 72 books on magic so far, (mostly on cards) and amongst magicians he is famous for his works. His personal library of magic books is the most impressive I've seen so far in my life.

I wanted to talk with Jon, not about magic and tricks, although we spent hours talking cards, but I wanted to talk about the real magic in life, about life's challenges and mysteries. He opened up to me and we talked about his relationships over the years. Jon has been married three times, he has 7 children and 10 grand children. I can tell what his priority in life is because when his phone rang during my interview, he said, "I don't have to take that unless it's one of my kids."

Jon and I discussed how magicians look at life differently and always look for more information. Magicians are curious by nature. Something about learning that there are secrets behind those things we call illusions lead us magicians to search for those secrets behind the mysteries and the problems or puzzles which life presents to us. Jon told me something quite interesting, which he was told by a former CIA agent. He said, ninety percent of the decisions we make, both large and small are made with insufficient information. All of us, from the President making earth impacting decisions, to you and I deciding which toothpaste to buy. He believes magicians at least take the search for information one step farther because we are skeptical from the start. Jon believes we have an obligation to research our questions thoroughly before making our decisions.

Magicians are almost always infected by what we refer to among us as "the bug." It is the moment that we see that magic trick for the first time that just blows our mind and suddenly we are thrown into the realm of being haunted by not knowing the secret. For Jon he was in the right place at the right time. When he was about ten years old, he saw a magician perform some miraculous illusions in Elmhurst, Illinois. Little did he know that that magician turned out to be the father of the magic encyclopedia (which to this day is a hall mark of magician's education). His name was Harlan Tarbell and his seven volume course on magic written in 1928 became a standard. Jon received the first autographed, volume of the Tarbell Course in Magic, encyclopedia as a kid, and was at that time, injected with the magic virus. He has had a bad case of magicianitus ever since. He showed me some of the results of his almost obsessive studies of the paste boards.

Years later he discovered, as I did, that asking a magician "how do you do that?" was pretty much forbidden. It not only branded you as an amateur, it was in bad form. Magicians then, simply said, "where did you find that?" or if you couldn't find it, or eventually figure out how something was done, you hoped you had something good enough of your own to trade.

Jon was lucky in that respect because he learned much of his magic in a totally different way, one which shaped him into the magician he is today. One magician asked Jon to write his tricks into a book, and after much cajoling, Jon agreed to do it, and a defining moment of his life took shape. Jon learned many of the tricks of his trade by writing books about magic for other magicians.

Quite frankly, I found this leaning method quite a trick in itself. It's no wonder the man is so skilled. Describing a magic trick in writing, especially something involving sleight of hand, is extremely difficult and time consuming. To do it well takes a certain knack for creating and expressing details. This may well be why Jon has been so successful, his attention to details. But also the mere act of writing the trick up for students of the craft, would include learning the trick far better than any student ever would be able. Even today, finding new magic sometimes involves the old fashioned, meeting with other magicians.

As I've stated before, there is just something about a magician which others in the profession or even amateurs can somehow perceive or identify. Perhaps the way they dress (black underwear?) or the way they seem to hold objects in their hands, but there is something about them. When Jon and I went from his home to go have a bite at a local pub, before we practically set down, a young man came up to our table from across the restaurant and asked, "Are you guys magicians?" We both answered, "yes" and Jon told him to come back after we had lunch and we'd talk tricks with him.

His name was Andrew. Andrew was actually studying to be a chef, but he was still bitten by the magic bug. I could see it in his eyes. He had the same eager look which I had when I was young and hungry to find more and more magic. Jon and I shared some tricks with Andrew and I certainly enjoyed Andrew's positive participation in the conversation. I could see his amazement when Jon did certain tricks and could tell that Andrew was dying to ask that age old question, "How did you do that." But I think that the magic culture hasn't changed much in that respect over the years as he only asked for our autographs. I'm sure he had no idea who I was, but he no doubt had heard of Jon.

As for me, I've learned that when you get older and have done magic for what seems like a hundred years, you never even find yourself finding anything which prompts that feeling of "how did you do that?" However, Jon did bring that to me once during this meeting. And unlike our young friend still bound by a brotherhoods conventions, I said "Jon, tell me how you did that one thing where you?" And he did. LOL Older does have it's advantages.

Last Magical Night in NOLA

2012-06-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

Girls in Pat O's

A trip to New Orleans isn't complete unless I venture at least once into the French Quarter to wander down Bourbon Street, drink a hurricane at Pat O'briens bar, sing a song at the Cat's Meow, hug and kiss a strange woman on the street, and suddenly realize it's after 1:00. So was last night. At 1:00 most of Bourbon Street is just getting started, but I realized I had a long drive in front of me today, so I'd better call it an early night. I made my way past the hawkers, all trying me to come check out their nude dancers and live sex shows, which along with a free cover charge and five dollar beer, were almost too hard to resist. Almost? So it's now approximately 1:37 A.M. as I make it to the corner on Canal Street to wait for the street car up to the "Hotel Lyles" on St. Charles. I wait a while and a cab pulls up and tells me that the street cars are about an hour apart. So I decide that I'll go ahead and jump in a cab.

The Sign on the Building Next to Us as We Pulled Up.

An almost magical life event takes place at that magical hour. Out of nowhere a girl appears and jumps into the cab after me. She says she is going up St. Charles and would love to share the cab with me. Who am I to say no? She chats me up and tells me that she's going to an all night restaurant. As we pull up she says, "Why don't you come have dinner with me?" Must have been my charm and good looks, or the sign on the wall which I saw as we pulled up. Magic life is amazing when you just let it guide you. And of course who am I to say no? Well we have the "best Jambalaya you can get at 2:00 in the morning. And before you know it she is telling me her life story, and I'm thinking this is going to be great. However, the life story ends with, "... and I love my boyfriend so much. He is my everything. I want him to have my babies." So ends my magical story and it's now 3:00 A.M. I'm way too tired and I have so much to do before I leave New Orleans.

I'm up at 8:00, have a cup of coffee, pack the Jeep, and now I'm at Starbucks hacking away at my blog. I am bound and determined to get this article on the magician, Jon Racherbaumer out before I hit the trail to Houston town. But I just had to share my last night in NOLA with you before I did. I'm trying to download a little video clip of Jon doing a trick for me and it's pretty cool

And so it continues...

New Orleans: The Trickster Appears

2012-06-07T10:39:00.001-07:00

New Orleans, a city that is a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, calls to me like an old, silver-haired, black gentleman, strumming a worn out guitar with his time calloused fingers. He's singing a blues from his wicker rocker on his front porch, filling the humid air with his raspy voice between puffs on his long-ashed cigarette. The Big Easy, is that music, moving slowly to the rhythms of that unique sound of blues and jazz. Blues are the heart and souls, and jazz is the music which always remains true to it's source, playing notes and riffs around the true unchanged melody. Through a hundred years NOLA often seems frozen in time. But change is the one true constant in life and even a world tied to tradition such as New Orleans will succumb to it's power.

Jack Lyles "Where's my stuff?"

For me, I've been fortunate enough to have included in my magic life, some magical friends, and through their generosity and love I've included much time in New Orleans in my life's journey. My time spent here will no doubt be some of the most magical and wondrous times of my life.

Living in Houston, years ago I had the privilege to meet the Lyles family, Jack and Pam and their son and daughter, Jeffery and Taylor. When they moved to New Orleans, they took my friendship with them and over the years, I've spent many, nights and days, reveling with them at their home endearingly referred to as "Hotel Lyles." I've learned the wonders of Mardi Gras, walked amongst the topless women on Bourbon Street, marveled at the street magic in the French Quarter, and seen the ravages of hurricane Katrina.

Change is not a welcomed adversary, but like the mythical "trickster" change appears to wreak havoc upon his stealthful visit. But hopefully when he departs, a life lesson has been learned. And as change is the only true constant in life, we must learn to embrace each new chapter, cherishing the memories of that which lay behind us as magical illusions fading in our mind as the years go by. The Lyles offered me a place to stay in New Orleans one last time. And I feel a true privilege being the last real guest of Hotel Lyles. Pam and Jack are embracing a new chapter in their lives too and doing it with gusto. Looking forward to the adventures that await them.

NOLA - A Mystical City Wrapped in Magical Traditions

I'll miss the Hotel Lyles with all it's amazing memories and traditions, but our friendships will be that true melody which only the riffs and notes encircle to make that beautiful magical life sound. I know that all my New Orleans friends and those who have had this wonderful, magical encounter with this amazing family, will miss our times at "Hotel Lyles" but we will always cherish those memories which "the trickster" cannot ever take from us.

But there is more magic in New Orleans to come...

A Magical Cat in Orlando

2012-06-04T07:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you get the magic, sometimes the magic gets you. As my big black jeep and I hit the Florida turnpike I had the probability of meeting a magician who worked in Orlando. Even Mickey Mouse seemed to foretell a magical meeting as even at the rest stop there was his statue with "share the magic" written below. Orlando wreaks of "magic" you can practically smell the magic in the air. Actually that's the burnt gunpowder from a dozen different fireworks shows that seem to appear nightly in and around The Magic Kingdom. But my trip to this city, in which magic itself resonates, was not to meet a conjuror of sorts. (Even though his credit card said "magic" on it.) And fortunately for me it made dinner and a couple of drinks appear. Let me explain.

The word magic, has magic in it.

Years ago when I first penned The Magic Life I put the chapters on the Internet one at a time, in a newsgroup for writers. At that time the book wasn't even called The Magic Life, but rather The Magic One.

There were no clever "maxims" at the beginning of each chapter, and the dream sequences weren't even in the book. For those of you who read the hard copy version, it would be quite a different book. However there were many for whom the book still resonated and they wrote to me telling me so.

One such person was a guy named "Tim Roebuck." He was 25 at the time and living in Virginia Beach. If you own the book, you'll see he has his comments included on the back cover. He said,

"You have given a gift. Your words of encouragement and hope, intricately woven into a well structured novel, enraptured me. It was very entertaining, while pulling on the very core of existence. ...Thank you for your gift."

An original "magic lifer."

Tim and I have kept in touch over the year,s as I have with a few of the early readers, who have watched the book come from such humble beginnings to be so well received. Well when I proposed this trip, Tim, was one of the first to contact me with a generous offer to come stay at his home in Orlando. So after I re-routed my trip, I said that I'd love to meet him after all these many years. Here is a guy that I've never met and really only had a dozen contacts with over 15 years and when I met him, within minutes I felt as though we had been old friends for many years.

Angi the cute and sweet bartender.

Tim took me out and knowing my reputation, it was to a place which made amazing margaritas. He must have also known my preference for cute bartenders as he seemed to have supplied that also. I sat with Tim and discussed many magical things in life. He told me as if I were his true confident of the many trials which he as been through over the years and as he did it became evident why I found myself with this "magic lifer." I was there for a reason.

So many times in my magic life, I find myself being drawn to people who are having self doubt about following their passions. I asked Tim if he had ever imagined, when he read my manuscript so many years ago, if he would ever in his wildest dreams sitting across from his table drinking morning coffee. I was surprised at his answer. He said, "actually I knew we'd meet someday."

Two future millionaire entrepreneurs

Well, I realized at that moment that it was he who manifested this reality. And in truth "he" simply asked me to come see him. Imagine me finding a reader who read the book 14 years ago and now finds he needs the advice more than ever. Tim, who works for Deloitte and Touche, was having doubts about starting his own photography business. And believe me, he is a great photographer.

I tried to give him some solid advice about following his dreams, to take it slow and ease himself into that direction as he could afford the time and money. But to be sure and take the extra effort that it requires to move that direction. And to start now. The happiness he received as reward would be worth the work.

World's softest cat

But then I was doubly surprised to see his wife, Lisa, was also starting a business and had just put up a website. The product pictures were fantastic, one with their cat, (who is just as soft as the blankets) and of course her husband had taken them. I helped her a little with the website and I absolutely loved her product. They are these amazingly soft personalized baby blankets. She has an amazing eye and touch for the fabric. You touch them and want to snuggle them. Please check them out if you have a baby or someone who does. Or even if you have a cat that want's one. I know I'll be getting one of these for someone on this trip. They are simply magical and so are these two "magic life" people.

Of course I couldn't leave without performing a little of the other kind of magic. Tim and Lisa's girls really enjoyed seeing two rubber bands pass through each other and of course my fave, the kings and queens card trick. Tim did video tape it, so hopefully I'll have it on here soon.

A Glance into Glancey

2012-06-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

Two wizards and a magician walk into a bar. the first wizard say's, "watch this" and he waves his wand and three drinks appear in front of them. He points his wand to the next wizard and states, "your turn."
The second wizard responds "Ok, watch this." He waves his wand and the three drinks disappear. Both wizards then point their wands at the magician, who suddenly turns into a duck. The duck looks up at them and says, "You bastards just stuck me with the bill again, didn't you."

If you sat down next to a wizard you might realize it, but the magician somehow blends into the scenery. At least in Key West, where such characters abound, they do. Here are three men sitting at a bar and one of them is the magician. The others are wizards in their own right, but I doubt they can turn the magician into a duck.

His name is Tim Glancey, he is the one in the hat, not the top hat, but the one in the loud shirt, who looks as though he's hiding a coin or something in his right hand. Tim has had an amazing magic life and I have had a true opportunity to have crossed his path with mine.

I met Glancey while I was attending Boise State University, studying theater. He got me my first restaurant job at the Grizzly Bear Pizza parlor, doing table to table magic. He introduced me to other magicians and many, many sleights and tricks. I ran into him years later in Las Vegas at a magician's convention and he'd been doing magic all over the country, at the time he was living and working in Orlando, Florida.

Tim, was the original magician for the Orlando magic, which considering the position was a miracle in and of itself. When the Orlando Magic first announced that their name was to be "the magic," a thousand magicians quickly shot them a proposal and resume. Tim told me he was different. He camped at their doorstep. When he finally got a chance to meet with them and introduced himself as a magician, they said, "We aren't that kind of magic." And he off the top of his head replied, "Well I'm not that kind of magician."

"Well, what kind of magician are you then?"

"I do team sports magic."

And at that moment the concept of "Team Sports Magic" was born. He told me that he was just shooting from the hip. He envisioned and eventually created someone pulling a basketball from a briefcase. From then on Tim developed the sports team magic program which created an intimate relationship with a sports arena audience to get them involved. He told me that the principle was to bring the person in the back of the crowd into the show as he would a person watching him do a close-up trick. How does one do that? You might ask. How can you personally connect with an enormous crowd.

If you've ever been to a game where someone shoots a tee-shirt into the audience with and air cannon, then you can thank this magician. While creating this concept of team sports magic, he came up with that idea and invented the way to get a tee shirt, Nerf ball, etc, into the hands of a person yelling and screaming from twenty rows up.

I had the pleasure once again of watching Tim perform some of his close-up magic that night. I was absolutely dumbfounded by a simple little illusion. He pulled a match from a pack of matches, lit it, held it in his hand and it changed into a silver dollar. I don't mean it looked like it changed. It was a match one moment and a dollar the next instant, with smoke still rising from it's edge. Tim later shared with me that simple magic is always the best.

Tim has lived a life of a magician, from time to time it's hard like most lives can be. But he told me that he has never filled out a job application in his life and knows that security for him is an illusion. But his security has been that he could walk into a restaurant if he needed and would tell the manager, let me perform tonight and see if it works for both of us. Within 30 minutes the manager would be asking, "how much do you charge to do this." He has managed to work, travel and live life as a magician, relying on his skills and abilities to make others happy.

I sat with Tim and talked about life and the magic moments he has had throughout his. He calls them "click" moments. The time he closed up his magic shop and headed for Orlando, the door went "click." I like to call them "defining moments." Those moments that change the direction of your life, they define your life. The moment that Tim said the words "I do team sports magic" for example was a defining moment a "click" in Tim's life.

When I asked him what the most amazing thin he has ever done, he didn't tell me about making a dragon appear in a box hanging a hundred feet in the air, or sawing a woman in two. No, he told me about a time he surprised his girlfriend by getting some of her relatives to come make a surprise visit. It made him relive that magic moment and he teared up with tears of joy. We talked about so many things, magical things, amazing things. I know that this old friend of mine, this magic mentor, who has taught so many and helped so many others get their lives on track, does know the difference between real magic, and those things a magician does with cards.

Live the magic, my magician brother!

Key West - The Magic Begins

2012-06-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

When I think of Key West it brings to mind, some marvelous imagery, as well as conjuring up foggy rum soaked memories of fantasy fests gone by. The farthest southern point of the US, it is more than snorkel trips, sunset cruises, and restaurants where chickens scratch at your feet. It is a mysterious island filled with hidden secrets. Beyond the delicious taste of a cool slice of key lime pie, and the palm trees split by a serene sunset, most of all, it is a place filled with characters. As though Hemingway himself had provided background and filled this tourist town with his own eclectic creations. It is in this very place indeed where he staggered down to a local bar, to challenge a friend to a drinking contest or boxing match. The saloons still echo his bygone bravado,with names such as Sloppy Joe's, Captain Tony's, or The Schooner Warf, they are a magnet to the often loud, wrinkled, liver ravaged, pirates which wander Duval Street in search of a drop of the magic which fortunately this wonderful, eye-opening, island can provide.

My search for magic began with my own christening as I finished packing the Jeep. The very last thing after everything was packed was to take out the leftover groceries from my refrigerator to give to a friend. When I did the bottom of the bag fell out and a half bottle of Cabernet went pouring down my shorts, ran down my right leg, soaked into my white gym sock and pretty much dyed my white tennis shoe instantly. My trip was going to begin as random as my life, like the man who is picked to be a spy simply because he has "one red shoe."

After finally arriving in Key West and getting a shower and changing from my wet shoe, I felt ready to search for the magic. I'd been unable to contact the magician whom I set out on this journey to Key West to see, so I figured a trip down to the Schooner would fill dual purpose. I'd get a drink, number one. And maybe, just maybe I'd see a magician. As I recalled from a vacation on the island years ago, I'd once met a magician there. His name was Frank Everheart Jr.

As I entered the bar which doesn't really amount much to entering, because it it mostly an outside venue. I could see a small crowd gathered in the far corner. There in the middle of that laughing, amazed bunch of drunks was a man wearing a hat (a definite sign of a magician). A small wooden bar wrapped around him and to his right was a wooden box filled with dozens of cases of playing cards. He was sweating profusely in the 90 degree heat and humidity which comes with it. He had a cold drink in one hand and a pack of cards in the other. As a magician who has done many card tricks, I know that humidity is an enemy to a deck of cards. In this case his cards looked like a stack of soggy wash cloths.

Yes indeed, I had found a magician in all his glory.

Frank, had his audience wrapped around his finger, especially the attractive ladies. He was performing one of his signature card tricks in which the chosen card somehow ends up under that magical hat without the knowledge of the very person who chose it. However, Frank puts a twist on the trick as the sign behind him with announces, "Frank's Magic Bar" includes a picture of him wearing the hat, with a card protruding from it. The card is the same card which now appears underneath his hat. As the spectator discovers the image on the sign is indeed her card, the audience is already aware that the card is at the same time protruding from his hat.

It was amazing to see the reaction of the girl when she discovered that Frank had performed not one card trick, but two miracles with those humidity soggened paste-boards. His magic amazed and amused this cadre of rum soaked patrons who were entranced by his often witty patter. At one point he did a card trick which totally caught me off guard in which a chosen card was lost and found rolled up in the beer bottle of the very person who had chosen it. Frank is skilled at his art to say the least, and well he should be, for he's been working this magic life at "Frank's Magic Bar" for fifteen years.

But Frank was not the end of my Key West search for magic life.. there was another.

Rain Means Rebirth

2012-05-31T05:59:00.001-07:00

Raining is the Beginning of Life

Well a little more packing to do, clean up the condo and then it's adios South Beach and on to my first freeloading stop. Of course nothing could be more perfect than to wake up the rain. So that wonderful scenic drive I intended to have down the Florida Keys will now include the eternal sound of squeaky wiper blades. However, again I prefer to frame this in its truely positive perspective, as I wade my way to Einstein Bros. bagels for a thin bagel and egg sandwich. I will look at this sudden cooling rain as nature intended. I don't know how many non magicians out there realize it, but rain means rebirth. Not only does it make our gardens grow, it is something which story tellers and movie makers know and often use to make a character change directions or find an epiphany or new start. I'm trying to think of a good example, but my coffee hasn't kicked in yet. OK, in An Officer and a Gentleman, Gere's character is being drilled "in the pouring rain" when he's finally broken down and almost crying says "cause I got nothing else...cause I got nothing else." It is at this point that he, standing in the pouring rain, becomes a true officer. Next time you are watching a movie and you see a rainstorm remember it means rebirth, and you'll see what I'm talking about.If you can think of other examples, please share them in a comment. So today is my rebirth, my time to discover myself. I've said that in each of us is hidden the ultimate magician. Mine has been hiding for a while, but with help like this from the universe, I know I'll find him.

OK I had a moment left on my computer this morning before I packed it and I came up with another of my favorite examples: The Shawshank Redemption.

Battery's Charged - A Metaphor For My Life?

2012-05-30T16:28:00.001-07:00

Ok I'm working my ass off packing. pfffft.. yeah right, I'm having a vodka drink. But I have had a "heluva" day.. I love that word "helava" don't you. OK, I will be on my journey tomorrow come "helorhi" water. See how I worked that in there.. clever huh?

But I did want you to know that I'm already over budget, thanks to my dead battery. First I tried to get a friend of mine to help me jump the jeep, but he unfortunately was out of town. (yeah right) So after debating what to do I flagged a guy about to park in the garage down, and asked if he'd help me jump my car.

I'm so glad at this moment that this wasn't New York. In New York he would have said something like, "Do I look like triple A?" Of course I would have replied, "No you look like you're either a member of AA, or you're no doubt single aye?" And of course this would have lead to a scuffle in which we'd end up long life drinking buddies. Because that's just the way I am.

I digress. So in my Miami Beach garage the guy says simply, "Do you have cables?"

So yes he gave me a jump.. ladies, I don't need to hear the obvious jokes at this point, even though this is Miami Beach. So I get the car started and drive to the nearest auto parts store. After a battery check, it is determined that my battery needs a funeral. So $140 later and a little sweat, and I'm back on track. Now I need to get this puppy filled.. oh wait I'm talking about the jeep, not my vodka drink.

And So it Begins...

2012-05-30T13:35:00.001-07:00

Ever notice that when you are about to do something great, all of the sudden life puts obstacles in front of you. Not that this trip is going to be something great, but I really have to laugh. I'm trying to get my stuff organized, and packed this morning, so that I can leave tomorrow. Well I need a wrench so that I can take my magic table apart. I haul one load out to the jeep, jump in and give the key a turn.. well here is the result.

Packing Day

2012-05-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

One of Life's True Wonders - Roller Blades

So much to do before I go on my journey. I'm going to miss South Beach. It truly has been magical. (see photo at left) But I digress.

I wish I were truly magic as I'd just snap my fingers and everything would be packed and loaded in my Jeep. But no, I have to slog it all down the hall and along the half mile journey to the garage where it is parked. Living in a condo in Miami Beach does have it's disadvantages, but then I have to remind myself, I live in a condo in Miami Beach. Well, so far some of the schedule is already presenting it's problems. Along with the minor hassles that come with things like this, my video on my camera that I planned to use doesn't seem to be working. And one of my stays has already canceled on me.

But not to worry, I can always use my Iphone or Ipad. But for certain, we're going to need some video along the way. What if I pick up two hot women hitch hiking in short shorts? I know you guys will want to see that right. .. yeah in my dreams. But really what about the magic? Don't worry I'm sure we'll find it as soon as we start looking. But for today I'm going to share something that I think is just weird. Take a look at this video, and those of you who are old enough, shake your heads in disbelief. You've got to wonder about life when you see this. Think of how really crazy life is. Does it really have any meaning at all? Or is it just some random occurrences which have no pattern, no meaning and certainly no justification for being?

Makes me go hmmmmmm?

The Journey Begins..in search of life's magic.

2012-05-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

THE MAGIC LIFE JOURNEY

Boxing the US in 6 weeks.

There is magic all around us, people who do amazing things every day. Magicians in all walks of life; they can be standing in line next to you at a grocery store, sitting next to you on in a bar, crossing the street in front of your car, and you wouldn't know it, unless of course you are one of them. It's almost like a true life Harry Potter story where magician's live in one world and muggles (like most people) live in another, completely different reality.

They have their own set of standards and a code of secrecy which binds them beyond their powers. They dedicate themselves to knowledge of their craft with an obsessive passion.They often gather in large groups and small, to test their skills and learn from the most powerful.

Magicians are given a rare opportunity to peek behind the curtain and see the workings of the wizard in this marvelous world. Though their magic is universal, they have their own unique language, they talk of patters, palms, and prestos. To another magician they are easily spotted amongst the crowd, yet to you they are undefinable, invisible; becoming visible only when they wish to be seen. And they are an exclusive secret club to which the only required membership is a completely different way of thinking about life.

Over the couple months ahead, I'm going to travel the US and Canada, in search of those wondrous wizards. These amazing people who have figured out the true secret and meaning of this magic life. We are going to explore the lives of all magic life magicians, not simply those skilled in the art of conjuring, but those excelling in the art of life. If you are one of us, true magician brothers and sisters, and you know the true secrets of which I'm speaking, I want to meet you, talk with you about your life, your magic life, and let my viewers glance behind our curtain.