Magic Portal Newsletter mentions my Android App for Magicians!

[James Laudermilk]

Hey all,

Jim Canaday just sent out his email newsletter and I thought I would share it with you. I think you will enjoy reading it. He even mentions me and my new Android App for magicians in it! Woohoo!

You can sign up for the email newsletter at http://mysite.verizon.net/jhcanaday/, tell him SSG James Laudermilk sent you!


From: Jim Canaday (The Magic Portal)

Hi all,

Went to see the Jersey Boys last night and was surprised to find out that one of the Four Seasons enjoyed doing card tricks. Unfortunately that was his only good characteristic. Still a fabulous show and I will be humming the music for the nest month.

Now, down to business. Way to much this month to waste time with idle chat

First off, Happy Birthday to Ray Goulet. If I had to think of someone in the Boston area who has been most helpful or influential to magi in this area, the two names that come to mind would be Ray (who has helped everyone and been a friend to us all) and David Oliver, whose work with the SYM kids has been phenomenal. If you are not familiar with Ray, here are a couple of articles. The first written by John Booth http://www.magicartstudio.com/html/booth_1.html

And an article in the Boston Globe http://www.magicartstudio.com/html/boston_globe.html

He was also the publisher of the book on the bullet catch Twelve Have Died. So, if you have every been the beneficiary or Rays generosity of you are just a friend who wants to say Happy Birthday, here is his email address. annrayg@comcast.net

Oh yeah, almost forgot. Rays gambling collection is up for auction by Potter & Potter is Chicago and wit will be held on January 29th. So if you have ever wanted that first edition of Erdnase, it is time to jump on board. The auction catalog can be downloaded at http://www.potterauctions.com/LinkClick ... &tabid=949

I recently have run across a couple of card effects that I think deserve a mention. I have added them and have been getting great response. The Fist in the Annihilation Deck by Cameron Francis. Very easy to do and is absolutely devastating. The other is Steve Shufton and Ben Harris X-Ray. Does not work 100% of the time but since it is a Mentalism effect that can be explained. I am probably hitting about 75-80% of the time and do it when I can now.

I would also like to mention a few books. The first is Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions by Steven Macknik and Susanna Martinez-Conde. http://www.sleightsofmind.com/ Fascinating book on why magic deceived the mind. The two authors will also be giving a free lecture on the subject at Tufts University in Medford, MA, on Feb. 4.

http://www.amazon.com/Sleights-Mind-Neu ... 0805092811

Mickey Silver wrote about a book by his friend, Rick Lax, on how not to get screwed in Vegas. I have been told that if you are a student of cheating, it is very good. http://www.amazon.com/Fool-Me-Once-Hust ... 178&sr=8-1

And lastly is The Suicide Collectors by David Oppengaard. I know a lot of you spent a lot of time traveling and a book helps while away the hours. This is not a magic book. I got hooked on scifi at a young age while reading Ray Bradbury. I have always been partial to post-apocalypse stories (The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, the tv show Jericho and , of course Mad Max all come to mind). I ran across this one by accident and have been thoroughly enjoying it. You probably would not even know of this book unless someone else mentioned it to you. I just did.

[url]http://www.amazon.com/Suicide-Collectors-David-Oppegaard/dp/B0043RTB9W/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1295630547&sr=1-1
[/url]

In January, Mickey Silver (oh, him again, huh?) lectured to our ring and showed us his wonderful DLite routine. He told us that it is important to have a light source to take the light from (such as an exit sign or if you are in a bar with a band, the red light on one of the amps). Fortuitously a week later, I got an email from SSG James Laudermilk (who is a veteran of Iraq) and has created an app for the Android that solves this problem the DBall app.

http://magictricks4all.com/Home.php

http://www.androidzoom.com/android_appl ... _pums.html

Now, for the links

http://www.magiciansresource.com/ Find a magician, reviews, conventions etc.

http://illusioncontest.neuralcorrelate.com/ Illusion of the Year contest. This is not magic but science. And it is fascinating.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/keit ... magic.html Another of the Wonderful Ted lectures.

http://virtual.magicalwisdom.com/infopages/view/tv Jeff McBride latest venture.

http://magicnewstelevision.com/ New web-based TV magic show. Just getting started.

http://www.youtube.com/user/LeclericShow This guy is trying to post a new trick every day for a full year. Who knows? Maybe there is something good here.

I realize there is a lot this time and I hope you find something that interest you. I am going to finish off with a trick that I have been doing quite a while.

Half a Chicago Opener

Back in the early 1980s, I bought my first good magic book. Million Dollar Card Secrets by Frank Garcia and learned my first piece of rally powerful magic, the wonderful Chicago Opener. I came up with a variation that has played very nicely for me.

You will need a deck of cards and a single card from a deck with a contrasting back (I use a Joker). It will also take a tube of repositionable glue. I get mine at Staples for about 2 bucks and use it in a lot of tricks that specify double sided tape. A quick X on the card usually does just fine. Make your X on the face of the Joker and put it on the bottom of the Deck. Spread the deck for selection, have it signed. Then either cut the deck and have the selection returned so you can drop the Joker on top of it or use the standard Hindu shuffle to place it there. Either one works. This then allows you to ribbon spread the deck, remove their signed selection with a different colored back and handle it as a single card, throwing it into the air or whatever proving method that you prefer. Not a ground breaking idea but thought you might have some fun with it.

Thanks for reading. Happy New Year everyone.

Jim Canaday

The Magic Portal http://mysite.verizon.net/jhcanaday/

_________________
James Laudermilk
http://www.MagicTricks4all.com
Creator of the D'ball Android App accessory for the D'Lite!

[James Laudermilk]

By the way, I did get permission to post his newsletter. Just for any legal questions. :)