Happy 4th of July from The Genii!

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Richard Kaufman
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Joined: July 18th, 2001, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Theodore DeLand
Location: Washington DC
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Happy 4th of July from The Genii!

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 4th, 2015, 7:33 pm

I'm sitting in the airport, waiting to board a plane for Frankfurt. Once there, I have an almost 5 hour layover before taking another plane from Frankfurt to Bologna. Then it's another hour by some means of transport to Rimini, where FISM is to be held. Total travel time (from door to door) about 18 hours.

When some of you ask where I find the time to work on books, this is it!

And I hope all of you have a great 4th with family and friends.
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Vince Hancock
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Location: Bear Lake, Michigan
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Re: Happy 4th of July from The Genii!

Postby Vince Hancock » July 5th, 2015, 9:11 am

Happy July 4th, Richard!

When I was a kid, the tradition of going to my grandparents came to feel like an absolute necessity. A big backyard provided space for picnic and ping-pong tables. I gave a show for family members one year. It included a Square Circle I made from cardboard and spray paint. The 4th of July still smells like cardboard and spray paint to me.

I had a great idea for turning one of my hollow, plastic wands into a real wizard's accessory: put a sparkler in it. I had never thought about the amount of heat in play; the end of the wand melted and puckered outward, echoing Mr. Bill's exclamation.

When there was a hiccup in family relations one year, July 4th was observed at separate residences. It felt like treason to me. Our own dingy street wasn't up to the task. It didn't have Grandpa's fireworks stand, made of stepladders, boards and clamps (with a vertical piece for the pinwheel). I stayed inside, in protest, and read all of Crime and Punishment.

A week or two before making the big move to northern Michigan, to set out on my own, the pieces fell together and I was able to bring old friends over to the big yard for a final 4th gathering. It's never fair to compare those patinated memories with the new configurations of tradition assembled by different families, but it's hard not to. Like the exercise in reading, years earlier, which had to stand in for external festivities, this year I dabbled with vinegar and baking soda ratios and spent some time in Alliance, Ohio (courtesy of Arthur Brandon).

Cheers to all!

Vince

I.M. Magician
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Re: Happy 4th of July from The Genii!

Postby I.M. Magician » July 5th, 2015, 9:58 am

I hope that everyone had a safe and enjoyable 4th.

This year, my wife and I decided to do something different for the 4th. We went to New York City to see the Broadway show A FISH IN THE DARK starring Jason Alexander.

The show was sensational. Non-stop funny. After the show, we got to meet Jason Alexander for a brief moment. I don't think I have ever met a nicer, more down to earth guy in my life!

Enjoy the rest of this holiday weekend everybody!


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