Best Quote

[Cugel]

From the foreword of Bro John Hamman's book. "Magic is in the mind of the spectator-not in your fingers". I posted this on Conjure Nation's website and damn did I get flamed from the a- holes on that site. Guess all on CN know more about card magic than Bro. John Hamman. NOT! Peace to all that know.
Lee,

Hey Lee,

The guys at CN still miss your insightful posts and robust sense of humor. Too bad to see you're still upset after 3 years.

Cugel

[Brad Henderson]

I have had the opportunity to witness a couple of of the "high volume" posters of CN "perform."

1) It is clear that the Hamman post is beyond their comprehension.
2) You didn't miss anything.

Brad Henderson

[Jeff Eline]

I have had the opportunity to witness a couple of of the "high volume" posters of CN "perform."

1) It is clear that the Hamman post is beyond their comprehension.
2) You didn't miss anything.

Brad Henderson

I wouldn't take that Mr. Farmer if I was you.

[Silly Walter]

I have had the opportunity to witness a couple of of the "high volume" posters of CN "perform."

1) It is clear that the Hamman post is beyond their comprehension.
2) You didn't miss anything.

Brad Henderson

I do find it remarkable that you know who the high volume posters are on a forum that would never have the likes of you as a member (although it would exponentially increase the "a-hole" quotient if they accepted you).

[Richard Kaufman]

You guys really want to force me to close this thread, don't you.

[Brad Henderson]

Walter,

He was introduced to me as such.

I am sure there are many brilliant magicians who frequent CN. However, I am equally sure that these are not the "aholes" referred to by Lee.

As to your last comment, I am torn between replying with either the "I'm rubber and you're glue" gambit, or the classic "it takes one to know one." So, whichever one stings more, pretend it was that which I hurled in your general direction.

Brad

[Bill Duncan]

The nice thing about Conjure Nation is that the conversations are funny, intelligent, and the ratio of posts ABOUT something vs. posts selling stuff is amazingly high.

Plus, I get to bust Whimhurst's chops on a regular basis, which I can't do here, 'cause he got his ass banned.

[Silly Walter]

...As to your last comment, I am torn between replying with either the "I'm rubber and you're glue" gambit, or the classic "it takes one to know one." So, whichever one stings more, pretend it was that which I hurled in your general direction.

Brad

Brad, you are absolutely correct. My comment insinuating that you were an "a-hole" was completely out of line and for that I do apologize.

On a related note, I want to thank my 37 "magic" friends on Facebook that sent me the bevy of virtual martinis, potted plants and a "you da man!" greeting. Guys - you shouldn't have !!

Now that we are all good friends through magic again I did have a question concerning this comment:

Walter,

He was introduced to me as such.

after you had stated:

I have had the opportunity to witness a couple of of the "high volume" posters of CN "perform."

So when does "he" equal "a couple of" (or as you wrote "a couple of of")?

I am not trying to nit pick, but if you are going to put your nuts out there for Lee Almond to swing from, you should tell the truth there Truthteller, rather than turn this wonderful forum into a haven of lies and misinformation.

Just my opinion !!!

Hey. I made a funny. Nuts. Almond. HA HA HA HA HA !! Foghorn Leghorn would be oh so proud of li'l ole me.

[Bill Duncan]

I've just been informed that I am one of the top five posters on Conjure Nation, so thank's for that Brad. When exactly did you see me work?

[Brad Henderson]

Walter, there were two occasions, two people. The first, the person was introduced to me as being one of the most prolific contributors to the forum. The other time, which was more of a convention hallway performance moment, I was told after the fact that this person was - and I honestly don't recall the exact choice of words - a "regular," and was compared to other members of other forums known for their frequent posting. I didn't reference this encounter in my followup post because I did not want to mention the specific names compared to - and I won't. In both cases I was with cardmen I respect who are also members, and we spoke about their participation in that forum. It was then that any desire I had to participate wilted. I found Lee's anecdote interesting, and fitting, hence my comment. Neither of these people were Bill Duncan or Bob Farmer. Maybe I was just unlucky and saw the only two guys on that forum who are all type and no Elmsley.

[Cugel]

Good Lord, man. Get over it.

[Francesca Moffet]

From a conversation with Jules Lenier who was kindly trying to encourage me - a novice to the world of magic - "Men do magic tricks; women do magic."

I like that one. :-)

Not a magic quote but brilliant however is "I'd rather have a bottle in front on me than a frontal labotomy" Dorothy Parker.

[Dick Christian]

Years ago when I was the regular table-to-table close-up performer every Sunday evening at a restaurant in the Washington DC suburbs, because I wore a tux I would occasionally be summoned to a table of diners who were new to the establishment and, not knowing who I was, they assumed I was a waiter or the maitre d' and would try to place a drink order. My standard reply was, "I'm sorry folks, but this is a union restaurant and since I'm the house magician I'm not allowed to take drink orders and the waitresses aren't allowed to do tricks."

Always got a laugh, a request to perform and more often than not a nice tip.

[Bill Mullins]

Not a magic quote but brilliant however is "I'd rather have a bottle in front on me than a frontal labotomy" Dorothy Parker.

That comes from Tom Waits, not Ms. Parker.

[Steve Hook]

Not a magic quote but brilliant however is "I'd rather have a bottle in front on me than a frontal labotomy" Dorothy Parker.

That comes from Tom Waits, not Ms. Parker.

It's still not crystal clear who said this first, though it indeed doesn't look like it was Dorothy Parker:

http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new ... _lobotomy/

"The musician Tom Waits said the line on the August 1, 1977 episode of the television show Fernwood2night, a parody of The Tonight Show. Waits played a song, and then said the line in pre-scripted banter with the shows host.

It would appear that a television comedy writer should get credit for the line, but Waits said in a 2005 interview that he first read it on a bathroom wall...

Google Books has an interesting citation... of the quotation from 1965. If properly verified, it is the earliest citation of the quip. There is also a 1976 citation (see below) from comedian Steve Allen, who possibly used the joke much earlier on a television show."

In this case, the Wonderful Web has so far dished up only more question marks. It's a great quote regardless.

[Richard Kaufman]

I read a lot of stuff on bathroom walls at Queens College. The bathroom literature there was much more literate than the stuff scrawled on the wall in the NYU toilets, to which I later transferred. (Not to the toilets, per se.)

[Cugel]

I read a lot of stuff on bathroom walls at Queens College. The bathroom literature there was much more literate than the stuff scrawled on the wall in the NYU toilets, to which I later transferred. (Not to the toilets, per se.)

The best university graffiti advice I know of is the following:

"Half of the girls at this college have VD, the other half have TB. Sleep with the ones that cough."

[Richard Kaufman]

I always found this one amusing (it was one of a series):

"The Fields Plan for Finding a Job: Never have any liquor bottles visible on your person during a job interview."

In another bathroom I found a different entry:

"The Fields Plan for Finding a Job: Never get caught reading your prospective employer's mail during a job interview."

[Dick Christian]

The funniest exchange of notes I recall reading scrawled on the wall of a men's room read as follows:

"I like grils"

"That's girls, stupid"

"Yeh, but what about us grils?"

[George Olson]

How about:

There once was a cowboy so
Stupid,
The other ones noticed!

GO

PS In light of some of the banter here, perhaps you could substitute "magician."

[AMCabral]

It's still not crystal clear who said this first, though it indeed doesn't look like it was Dorothy Parker:

http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new ... _lobotomy/

That reference misses the first place I ever heard that line: "The Existential Blues" (1979) by Tom "T-Bone" Stankus. I always thought the Randy Hanzlik song "I'd Rather Have A Bottle In Front of Me" was in fact a Stankus song that predated "Existential Blues" until I looked it up. Now I know.

One of my favorite magician-related quotes came from an anime:
"Ninjas are like magicians that kill on purpose." -Shin Chan

-T

[Kent Gunn]

Senor Cabral,

Do not get me started on the subject of chiasmus. Oops too late.

Some other examples, while we're quoting.

It's bound to be fun and
Fun to be bound.

Why do we drive on the parkway and park on the driveway?

There's also implied chiasmus.

A waist is a terrible thing to mind . . .

Time wounds all heels . . .

I do like the lobotomy chiasmus best. However it's not the most obscure. Top awards for obscurity must go to our old pal Sam T. Colridge:

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan . . .

http://www.drmardy.com/chiasmus/definit ... ion1.shtml

PS. I'm a little disappointed Jon T. did not already make this reference. Jon . . . Jon . . .

[George Olson]

Magic does not exist in the mechanics of an effect. It exists somewhere between you and the mind of the spectator. We handle the mechanics and present them to the mind and emotions of the spectator. He reacts and the illusion is born, That is magic.

FR CYPRIAN, 1980

PP 80;

The Elegant Card Magic of Father Cyprian

Frank Garcia

[Dick Christian]

"Hookers do tricks, magicians make magic." Brief and to the point.

[Dick Christian]

"Hookers do tricks, magicians make magic." Brief and to the point.