Beehive Birthday Bash V - A Magical Experience

So on Saturday, January 9, 2010, I had the privilege of being one of the acts for the Beehive Birthday Bash held at Full Circle Brewery. This was the largest crowd in front of which I have ever performed magic. My estimation was somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 to 200 people (granted many of theme were waiting in long lines for booze). I put together a set that played into the carnival theme of the night. I had to, I follow a guy named Scurvy who ate fire and set his areolae ablaze.

I've included video clips from some of my routines. The room was very loud so the audio may be difficult to hear, but I assure it was one hell of an experience.

Fire Eating (booze + fire = fun)

*technical difficulties with the damn candle

Guess the Emotion (oooh my psychic powers)

Wooden Penetration (that's really what it's called)

Crucifixion (went a little far with this one)

Thanks to all my volunteers: Conlan (not shown, but very important), Josh, Chloe, Kimburly, Jay & Marty (I may have messed up on that last name).

It was also great to meet a lot of new people, be "exposed" to some classy talent and drink some really good beer.

BTW, if you didn't see the prize list, check it out. I beat Mike Oz in an epic battle of Paper, Rock, Scissors. The community really stepped up for this one.

Had a great time. The Fresno Beehive knows how to rock it!!!

Watch me pull cynaide out of my hat

This. Is. So. Cool.

A new book was recently published and it is immediately going on my Christmas list. The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception discusses way in which the CIA learned and used techniques from the world of magic in an effort to counter Soviet mind-control and interrogation tactics (see full story at the Sydney Morning Herald).

I am glad this book was published. Far too long people have thought that magic was best suited for kids parties, carnivals, and dudes walking around the street acting creepy. I content that there are several more applications. I use techniques from magic when I teach, attend business meetings, present to boards of directors, and socially to try and score a few free drinks. I promise to only use my powers for good, regardless of what I might learn from this book.

What applications do you see for magic? What is you opinion of the "craft"? I know some people claim that I might suffer from a Peter Pan complex, but I really do use my trickery for grown-up stuff (usually).

As an added note, I recently put together the bag-o-tricks participants will learn at the upcoming workshop. The skills and principles taught in this workshop will make you more engaging professionally and socially.

Thank you to @CircusMagic for bringing this book to my attention.

You can do magic...

...you can do anything your heart desires.

So, I made this pledge to not buy drinks for myself for the remainder of the year. I've done pretty well and only purchased my own drink(s) on Friday the 13th (that is my holiday from magic). In my effort to score free booze, I've learned from a lot of people that magic isn't as geeky as I once thought.

I've been doing magic for about 8 years and generally use my powers for good (free drinks = powers being used for bad). I do kids parties, corporate events and often use magic when I teach or give presentations.

It never fails, people are engaged by magic. Even the doubters and naysayers seem to enjoy a good illusion or mind trick. Are cards involved? Yes, but only sometimes.

Here is my new power-for-good moment: I am going to hold a magically magic workshop for people--a training opportunity so others can learn how to use magic powers for good (or evil (i.e. free drinks)).

What would you like to learn in a Magically Magic Workshop?

But wait, there's more...

Pervious Post:

Not a Designer & Not a Bartender = Fun Night

Super Secret Drink Menu:

The Magic of Technology: New Old School

Do you remember your first cell phone (or car phone as they were once called)? I do. Mine was zipped up in a bag. I kept it under the seat of my 1990 Nissan Sentra and nearly got in a car accident when people called me. Since I only was alloted 60 free minutes a month, people had to first call me on my pager(aka beeper). I would then decide if I could afford to call them back from my mobile phone. After all, it was $1.35/minute back then. Ouch man.

I kinda miss those days. I miss them so much that I decided to return to the days of yor and find myself an old school celly. Thanks to the folks at YUBZ (pronounced Why You Busy), I was able to go back to the future and rock the car phone with a coiled cord.

Check it out...

I love the magic of technology. What would you like to see modernized?

Recession Proof the 4th

I spent the Fourth of July with some friends. It was cool and I even brought some fireworks for others to light (I do not like lighting fireworks myself). Now, I kinda regifted the family pack I brought, but in this economy, it is perfectly fine to regift stuff.

I personally don't think watching fountains of sparks is all that
exciting. They are all pretty much the
same...and then there was this one.

There was actually a fountain called the "Golden Shower." Really? Really.

I actually had more fun with the sparklers and listening to this kid named Cody make his own fireworks noises.

Why do we insist on spending tons-o-cash on cardboard and gun powder? If you really want to have fun, grab a camera, a kid and a box of sparklers. The rest will magically take care of itself.

Show & Tell & Buy

UPDATE: I did not invent this trick...I recently learned how to perform it.

Why do the Costco samplers drawn us in like proverbial moths to a proverbial flame (btw, I've read the Book of Proverbs several times...moths and flames are not mentioned)? People always say that they can't escape from Costco without spending at least $100. Cool. Costco gets it. They are skilled at the sneaky sample strategy.

When I was in high school I worked at a hardware store and was a good salesman because I would offer to demonstrate items and hand out samples (insert joke about demonstrating plungers and offering stool samples). Now that I am an adult, I still like to show people instead of simply tell them. People buy more when they are shown. I think I am strong enough to not get sucked in. After all, a sucker can't be suckered...can they?

I am a sucker. I got suckered. While dabbling online I found a magic trick that aligns with my past experience at the hardware store and my current interest in hearing my own voice doing magic.

Here is a video of a guy demonstrating my new trick.

I wonder if Home Depot would hire me to sell pluming supplies...

Entrepreneurs Make Pain in the Marketplace Disappear

I met with Sam Hansen the owner of FTK Music & Apparel in Fresno. I like this cat. He is passionate about music, fashion, and making the hangover headache go away...these are all good/commendable things. I first met Sam at a Creative Fresno event and I could tell that he was an entrepreneur. Hs was not a hustler or did not appear shady, he was a man with a product to move. Time passed and we didn't meet up agin until today. Today he came with gifts in hand. He brought me a 12er of HangOver--which I quickly shared with a couple of colleagues--and a tight shirt that he designed. These two items got me thinking about the role of entrepreneurs and the fact that they are a lot like magicians. 

Here are three key ways magicians and entrepreneurs are similar:

1) You need to know what type of magician you are.

David Blaine is different than David Copperfield. Cris Angel is different than Siegfried and "Tiger Bait". Just as each magician is different, each entrepreneur must differentiate him/herself within an industry. This is the old "know thyself" adage. 

2) You need to know who is performing down the street.

In Las Vegas there are several different magic shows. You know what? Odds are good that they have all seen each others show. Why wouldn't they. Not only can you get to know competition, but you can get to know their audience. Knowing the competition and the audience are keys to success.

3) You need to have a magic word.

That is where the magic happens. I know it and you know it. For an entrepreneur, that magic word allows the customer to loosen his/her grip on the dollar bill and watch it magically float into the magician's cash register. The customer walks out of the store, gets home, and wonders how that magic trick happened. Then they come back and say, "Do it again."

Three easy similarities to duplicate: 

Who are you?

Who is around you?

How do they give me a buck?

When you focus on being a good magician/entrepreneur, it frees you up to try new tricks and bring new "pain remedies" to the marketplace...

Cool Stuff to Get You (or keep you) Going...Magic

Magic

Hocus Pocus

Wayne Houchin

Donny Crandell

Other Resource Pages: Creativity Leadership