The Genii Forum

Bill Mullins

Notes on Sprong John Sprong told Dai Vernon that he found out from Drake that Erdnase's real name was Andrews. Vernon wrote this up in his "Vernon Touch" column in 1970, but didn't say when Sprong told him this. He did say that he pestered Drake for months to get more info, and Richard Hat...

Bill Mullins

I don't buy that much new magic -- I mostly get books. But when I do buy new magic tricks, it won't be from a dealer who comes onto a forum and brags about how he is only knocking off a little. I realize the problem is endemic to the industry. I just don't like Bigfoot's attitude -- he should show a...

Bill Mullins

So, to support John Cornelius, you are going to stop selling knockoffs of "Pen Through Anything".

Just not yet, though, you are waiting until you have [s]stolen a little more money[/s] sold a few more.

But after that, you will be honorable.

Good for you!!!

Bill Mullins

Your Tax Dollars at Work:

Check This Page(about two-thirds of the way down, search the page Ctrl-F for "Erdnase") for a govt Erdnase grant.

I'd sure like to get $15k for Erdnase purposes.

Bill Mullins

Earlier I posted that M F Andrews was arrested in 1894 for robbing a cigar store in Hartford CT. I just found out (from an article in the Syracuse Herald) that he was "arrested once when he lived in Holyoke, Mass., for breaking a letter box with a firecracker." I've written to the Records ...

Bill Mullins

Jonathan Townsend wrote: cruise on a bone shrine

That's what SHE said.

Bill Mullins

Jonathan Townsend wrote: Just how wise does it make us seem to go about disrespecting people's religions?

If you want respect, be respectful.

Unless, of course, you are disrespecting Voodoo.

Bill Mullins

Bob Farmer wrote:Unfortunately, the closing ceremonies completely overshadowed the only Canadian sporting event I do like -- the running of the bears in Moosejaw.

I'd rather see the running of the mooses in Bearjaw.

Bill Mullins

Jason -- what happened to all of the photos of the various editions of Erdnase that used to be at Erdnase.com?

Bill Mullins

There is, no doubt, some useful work to be done by computer analysis of Erdnase and various other texts, but it will take some real work. You need clean texts which have been carefully proofread a stray period can skew sentence length analysis, which is a common tool. There needs to be a set of cont...

Bill Mullins

Actually, if you discount the differences in vocabulary in a Mining text and in EATCT, Mine Timbering might be a good book for a stylistic comparison. Both are instructional texts, written at a high level for readers who are conversant with the subject. Both have sufficient length that a comparison ...

Bill Mullins

From what I read, these analyses need several thousand words to be of any use. It might be better to use Sanders' text on Mine Timbering, which is available on Google Books. HERE

Bill Mullins

"On Custer Hill", a POEM by Wilbur Edgerton Sanders. The book it is from (_Contributions to the Historical Society of Montana, Vol 7_) has a biographical note on Sanders, and says: "He prepared much of the manuscript for Volume II of the Contributions, 1896, and had charge of the publ...

Bill Mullins

This week's Antiques Roadshow had a magic-related segment. Apparently, Prof. Anderson performed for Prince Albert's birthday in 1849. The prince gave Prof. a nice presentation piece -- see HERE.

Bill Mullins

The "With a Flair" act was in the DVD and it wasn't performed by Larsen -- it was performed by David Tomlinson. IMDB IMPLIES that Larsen was a spectator in Tomlinson's audience. The DVD doesn't state if this sequence was a restoration or not (or if it does, I missed it). I don't know if it...

Bill Mullins

Jonathan Townsend wrote:What's the appeal of Latin?

You don't post in it.

Bill Mullins

it had nothing to do with fish, or cod, or sea food of any sort. It was a joke magic act.

Jeez, just go rent the DVD.

Bill Mullins

I like this one better.

Bill Mullins

Jonathan Townsend wrote:
...I'm a little bit worried as to how common knowledge these wonderful secrets will be....

And for that reason we should also ask that schools stop teaching folks to read, right?

No, Jon, we shouldn't ask that schools stop teaching folks to read.

Bill Mullins

A cod magic act? Is there a description of this act? cod, n. slang A joke; a hoax, leg-pull; a parody, a take-off. Also attrib. or quasi-adj., parodying, burlesque; mock. When I first read Joe's post, I assumed he cut-and-pasted from a digitized version of the article, and that "cod" was ...

Bill Mullins

Does anyone know of any comics, magicians etc who have ( successfully) portrayed themselves as mean unlikeable characters? Mark Lewis? Stephen Bargatze once roasted a prominent mentalist: "You are one of those folks that likes to ask people questions that you already know the answers to. You j...

Bill Mullins

Just watched this DVD. I had never known that Milt Larsen was an adviser, but there he was, big as day, in the credits.

Bill Mullins

Will Houstoun told me his friend bought a hardbacked Cards as Weapons at Blackpoool for 10 ($17). Another dealer was selling the Encyclopedia of Impromptu Magic for 250 ($400). Matt Field In terms of their actual usefulness to magicians, that ratio is about right. But _Cards as Weapons_ is a great ...

Bill Mullins

David Alexander wrote:It was, possibly, a design patent . . .

In the UK, what we call a "design Patent" is called simply a "design", I believe. Since the quote uses the word "patent", it probaly refers to a utility patent.

Bill Mullins

If we continue to rationalize using others work without permission it's going to be a tough seeking respect as an art or craft. So far it seems that if someone hears about an item then reconstructs it from that description and offers that reconstruction for sale - any customer of that item can refi...

Bill Mullins

but Harbin didn't take "reasonable steps" to preserve the secrets therein once it was published, so they don't qualify as trade secrets. The item was published in a book that required a signed, witnessed agreement not to divulge the material within; the plates to that book destroyed to pr...

Bill Mullins

I believe (and I could be wrong, so any attorneys out there correct me please), part of maintaining copyright is that the rights holders have to demonstrate that they act to protect the copyright from infringement after publication over time (regardless of what the original agreement was). This wou...

Bill Mullins

Bill Mullins wrote: And for those who missed all of these copies, but have to have a copy of the book, THISauction closes tomorrow.

Sold for $2700 HERE

Bill Mullins

Ordinarily one seeks permission to use the work of another. Stated bluntly, that is a generalization, so overbroad as to be of little guidance. In the real world, if the work of another is patented, and the patent has run out, there is no need, custom, or expectation to seek permission. In the real...

Bill Mullins

? what do you mean aesthetic? The basic folding design with cutouts and how it opens up after unfolding is the matter in question. It's his. No idea if he gave anyone rights to manufacture for resale. Umpa is referring to the rights found within a design patent. You are talking about a utility pate...

Bill Mullins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umRRCkspaQU

Bill Mullins

I have no idea how far back book tests go, or who invented them. But this description must be of an early one (and I've never heard of doing one with a hymnal before, either): "Race Gleanings," The Freeman [Indianapolis, IN]. June 8 1901, p 2 col 2. "Prof. J. H. Moore, the Negro wizar...

Bill Mullins

Wow! That clears up several mysteries about MFA, particularly the question of the absent father (his mother was listed in Hartford directors as living alone after a certain point, but not listed as a widow), while adding several others. No direct bearing on the question of authorship, but fascinati...

Bill Mullins

It was a wonderful movie, and used to be available on VHS tape. Worth looking up.

Bill Mullins

If I recall my conversation with his daughter correctly, Dr. Maurer had a nasty form of cancer and did not have a pleasant future so he chose a way of avoiding a lot of pain before the inevitable. This is what happened also with the great character actor Richard Farnsworth, right after he sstarred ...

Bill Mullins

I don't recall ever having seen this before: "Queer Family History," Boston Daily Globe ; Jan 14, 1894; pg. 1 Milton F. Andrews Said to Have Confessed to Robbing a Cigar Store in Hartford Hartford, Conn, Jan. 13 -- Soby's cigar store was entered on July 26, 1893, and property valued at $10...

Bill Mullins

Bill Mullins

Rotor  the center, spinning part of a roulette wheel. Rounders  a marked card system in which certain corners are shaved to be rounder than others. Runner  a cheater who assists in secretly transferring chips, cards or dice. Thanks Tom. This is exactly the sort of thin...

Bill Mullins

How about leaving off discussing of the card cheats language unless you're an active card cheat and want to spread the word. Same for jugglers IMHO. Do you believe that card cheats have a right to a secret code so they can continue to cheat? What about the rights of people not to be cheated? And as...

Bill Mullins

Jon, I got a little worked up earlier (as I seem to do in discussions with you -- shame on me). Let me try again to say why I think helping the OED with citations and definitions of magic-related terms is not a bad thing, and is even a good thing. 1. Substantive exposure is extremely unlikely in the...

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