Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

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tomyleft
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Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby tomyleft » July 27th, 2021, 6:39 pm

These two are not the same thing: Genii is a fine magazine, and I have enjoyed it. But I'm leaving magic, and therefore am not renewing my subscription.

I could write PAGES on this, but I will be reductive, and not discussing the reasons in any particular order.

--In the few months that I've been totally out of magic, I have found that if I am leading a "regular" life as a layman, magic never appears on my radar. I am going to assume that it doesn't appear on most people's. Like opera, a performance art that is not mainstream will stay that way. It's not hard to cultivate a "who needs it?" attitude.
--There's way too much mediocre magic out there, and it is as prevalent as mediocre politics or fast food. Maskelyne and Devant published Our Magic in 1911. They spend 150 pages telling magicians what is wrong with the prevailing performance of magic, and how to fix it. This was over ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO, and their message has gone unheeded by a majority of magicians for that time. (Oh yes, it has. Admit it... or go read it if you haven't. Or reread it.)
--Let me go "Zen" here for a moment, and offer a story: In an essay of a few years ago British mentalist Scott Creasy tells of a walkaround event he was doing. It went ok, but when he offered to do some regular card deck fortune-telling for the guests, they went nuts. The women, especially, lined up. I have tried it, and it really does get people excited. The POINT, to be blunt: If your magic isn't about the audience, you're wasting THEIR time. How often does this have to be repeated? Finding their card in the deck isn't ABOUT THEM. People want to be amazed about THEMSELVES; THEY are THEIR favorite subjects.
--Too much crap is for sale. Really. You want to do "Oil and Water"? Read Juan Tamariz's study on it, then learn it. DO NOT BUY anybody's "new no-sleight" version or whatever. Retread, repackage, recycle, and call it "new"? I've been in the business of selling it, and I'm a bit bitter now about it now, and a bit embarrassed.

That's enough. May better, SMARTER magic be yours.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Brad Henderson » July 27th, 2021, 6:55 pm

The arrogance to think you will be missed.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Jonathan Townsend » July 27th, 2021, 8:12 pm

Enjoy your life. To whatever extent novelty sales and deception are a part of your life - enjoy them too. :)
tomyleft wrote:... I've been in the business of selling it, and I'm a bit bitter now about it now, and a bit embarrassed.

Kudos for the self awareness.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Joe Mckay » July 27th, 2021, 9:07 pm

I pretty much hate magic as well.

But - I think artistic growth comes when you can take or leave something. That is when you get enough distance from the field to look at it objectively. And that is essential when it comes to connecting with disinterested spectators.

It is a bit of a paradox.

So - I see it as mostly a good thing. I am more excited now about magic than ever before. But only because I don't like it. I see it instead as a canvas for personal expression and as an opportunity to do something exciting and new.

I guess that is how magicians are supposed to feel in the first place. But I don't think it is possible to reach that mindset, if you are still enamoured with the tricks and methods.

I remember Derren Brown saying he could take or leave magic as well (he was originally a hypnotist and got into magic late). So, I do think it is the key to doing something interesting.

I remember readin once that the best sex you ever have with your partner is AFTER you break-up. Maybe magic is similar?

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Bob Farmer » July 28th, 2021, 8:55 am

I can understand Tomyleft's feelings. Magic can be exhilarating and depressing: exhilarating when seeing or creating great magic; depressing when the magic and/or the magician is terrible. Then there is the ripoff artists that have no respect for magic or its creators.

There is a middle-ground solution: you don't have to be all in or all out, you can do what I do.

I pay absolutely no attention to what's going on in the magic world. I don't care who the latest hot magician is or what is the latest hot trick. I never heard of most of the people on the Slaight awards lists. I seldom, if ever, buy a book or a trick. I can't watch videos: I find them boring and slow. What I do is work on my stuff since I am not a performer but an inventor. I pursue my particular interests and really don't care about anything else.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 28th, 2021, 12:41 pm

I love magic.
I pay attention to a good deal of what's going on in the magic world.
I ignore the dross and celebrate the good.
I enjoy doing magic for people and making them happy.
I enjoy the history.
End of story.
Subscribe today to Genii Magazine

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Leo Garet » July 28th, 2021, 1:48 pm

Richard Kaufman wrote:I love magic.
I pay attention to a good deal of what's going on in the magic world.
I ignore the dross and celebrate the good.
I enjoy doing magic for people and making them happy.
I enjoy the history.
End of story.

I could try to enlarge on that, but it would be wasted effort.

For me it says it all.

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JimKane
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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby JimKane » July 28th, 2021, 1:55 pm

These comments:

"Maskelyne and Devant published Our Magic in 1911. They spend 150 pages telling magicians what is wrong with the prevailing performance of magic, and how to fix it. This was over ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO, and their message has gone unheeded by a majority of magicians for that time." - Tomyleft

"I see it instead as a canvas for personal expression and as an opportunity to do something exciting and new." - Joe McKay

and, especially this one; this one is the Master Key:

"I pay absolutely no attention to what's going on in the magic world. I don't care who the latest hot magician is or what is the latest hot trick...I pursue my particular interests and really don't care about anything else." - Bob Farmer

Following trends and the crowd works directly against the ultimate goal of the individual expressive artist, if he chooses to be a break-through innovator in his field-of-interest; however, if you want get booked and work, you have fall in line with the current commercial standard which bookers/promoters are looking to cash-in on - which is always changing to become the next trend/wave. I have lived through the dinner-jacketed magician with the bosomy, bee-hived hairdo'ed assistant trend; the long-haired, sparkled spandex magician frantically pushing around big colorful boxes phase; the business-professional attired magician in tie and sport-coat trend, and now, the hoodie and tattooed magician on the street trend; and soon, next will be the Fill-in-the-Blank trend.

Tomyleft's two statements are quite correct about individuals being most interested in themselves; and, Dale Carnegie would quite agree, as this is the main psychological key of his all-time best selling book: 'How to Win Friends and Influence People'. Tomyleft's other statement about presenting what is of interest to an audience for maximum pulling-power is also quite correct; and, Fitzkee and Tarbell would both quite agree, as this is one of the main things that Fitzkee drives home; and, Tarbell devotes one of his very first lessons in Volume One on, entitled: 'How to Please an Audience' - while an individual may not agree with Tarbell's methodology/suggestions, the goal is absolutely indisputable.

Considering all Tomyleft has expressed, I say these are actually and properly reasons why he should NOT drop his subscription to Genii Magazine.

I say this, if only he were to use Genii Magazine as an up-to-date monthly reference with which to reinforce what he does NOT want to do with his magic, and, how he does NOT want to express himself, and, how he does NOT wish to present himself to an audience - and, if he were to follow Bob Farmer's excellent philosophy - and, cut-off the outside and imitative active influence of others - and, disregard the current trend they are following - and instead, devote himself to developing a unique style and presentation of self-expression with his own magic... where maybe, just maybe, he becomes the next trend-setting Fill-in-the-Blank break-through innovator in magic trends.

Maybe...

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Tom Stone
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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Tom Stone » July 28th, 2021, 3:43 pm

tomyleft wrote:I'm leaving magic


It is a bit odd to see an anonymous person post an anonymously authored manifesto as an announcment of their departure from a field they've made no mark in.
I totally get that it is possible to become disillusioned by the field, and that one's enthusiasm might wax and wane over time... but the field have made no promises to you, and your manifesto looks like projection, like you are trying to blame the field for personal problems that it have had no hand in.

Regarding your points:
- And? Most art isn't mainstream. Contemporary jazz never blips on the average layperson's radar either. Even mainstream entertainment fail to be noticed by large swatches of laypeople - most moviegoers are unable to name even one of the directors who directed the ten most successful animated movies from the last decade. Millions of uninformed laypeople can say "who needs it?" about thousands of fields that they know nothing about - but why do you consider their opinion to carry more worth or be more valid that the many informed people who say "I need it" ?
- The quality within our field has a gaussian distribution, just as within any other field populated by autodidact practitioners. Compared with the average level, some will be found mediocre and others will be found excellent. That is not unique for magic. What you are missing is that the average level is a lot higher today compared with 1911, and the same goes for the mediocre level. The worst magicians of today are leagues better than the worst magicians a century ago. So, while the relative quality might seem unchanged, the absolute quality have most definitely improved.
- I find your "fastfood" philosophy detestable. Yes, faking a fascination for unknown people can be an effective shortcut, any sociopath can tell you that, but making that an absolute constant is just stupid. An audience is rarely a good director, but trust the audience to know how to be audience, and they'll excel at it. Nonsense like "make the magic about THEM" invariably leads to shallow fastfood crap.
- Yes, the market for non-performing hobbyist have exploded. A large portion of that marketplace is filled with "James Bond"-gadgets, that is void of any cancelling strategies or gambits on how to get into, or out of, the piece. Looking for too long at it would make anyone disillusioned... but you have to remind yourself that most of the buyers never (or rarely) perform, so actual performance techniques would be wasted on them anyway. The non-performing hobbyist look at other things than performability when they evaluate the worth of a trick, so what might be crap to us might be gold to them. That market is however not the whole market. There's a lot for the actual performer too. John Carney's recent book is wonderful. Ben Hart's book is fabulous. Charlie Miller's Magicana is filled with performance material...

I wish you success in your future endeavours, whoever you are.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Bob Farmer » July 28th, 2021, 4:28 pm

Tom, you nailed it.

Okay, I will admit to reading Genii every month from cover to cover.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Diego » July 28th, 2021, 9:52 pm

I didn't read into this, that this person felt anyone would/should miss their pursuing other interests...often magic can consume much of one's thinking and time, and one decides to not do that anymore, and change the channel. Or out of boredom or career/relationships,etc. get other interests and you let it go until maybe later. Yes there is a lot of dreck and drecks around but it is great when you experience (for yourself or watching others) "Now that's what it's supposed to look like." I always remember after watching Rene Levand for the first time at The Castle, and experiencing it for myself and watching the audience and seasoned performers in awe of what we all experienced....I realized later leaving the close-up room I was hyperventilating. It showed 98% of most performers were just doing a bunch of stupid magic tricks.

Much in the post can be applied to many/most areas of interest/pursuits and it is OK to move on.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Diego » July 28th, 2021, 10:02 pm

Magic vs. fortune-telling has been known for decades...Orson Welles (and others) wrote if a magician is on one side of a room and a fortune-teller is on the other, the women will gather around the later and more men as well nowadays. Lee Earle told of doing walk around close up at a corporate party and being rejected by tables that didn't want to see his card work, BUT when he started doing some impromptu palm reading, the same people who rejected him, hurried over and stood in line to be next. It IS about them, the audience's experience they have, whether witnessing the art of Rene Levand, or the the story/emotion/wonder Copperfield touches spectators with.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Joe Lyons » July 28th, 2021, 11:11 pm

Magic hasn't changed much in 110 years, human nature even less.

I've left Magic a few times in our volatile relationship, luckily she is a forgiving mistress.

Mr. Stone is correct, the quality of the average practitioner is much greater today, but I fear, somehow, that is as relevant as the rise in purchase power of a 1911 dollar.

I've met a lot of different personalities in Magic - pompous fools, polite and generous geniuses, thieves, pompous geniuses and really nice average folks. In the end it's about personalities and who you want to spend your limited time with. I don't know who said it first but (if you're interested in magic) we have more in common than what divides us.

Of course the magic has to be about them or something they value. You are selling something after all, even if you're giving it away.

If you decide to come back, Magic will be here. It almost always has been...

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Roger M. » July 28th, 2021, 11:45 pm

tomyleft wrote:..... Genii is a fine magazine, and I have enjoyed it. But I'm leaving magic..........


OK ... "bye"

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Bill Duncan » July 29th, 2021, 12:57 am

It might be worthwhile to point out that most folks have seen a card trick, but fewer have had their palm read. And among the groups of people who have seen a card trick, most did not seek it out, while those have have previously had their palm read probably did. These probably contribute to what Mr. Earle observed.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Chris Aguilar » July 29th, 2021, 2:24 am

Image

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Mark Tams » July 29th, 2021, 6:38 am

The arrogance to think you will be missed.


Love this GREAT comment!!!

And . . . Hahahahahahahahahahaha

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Tom Gilbert » July 29th, 2021, 8:05 am

The Genii Forum is not an airport, your departure does not need to be announced.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Edward Pungot » July 29th, 2021, 5:33 pm

"Go and sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything." -- Abba "Presto" Moses

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Tarotist » July 30th, 2021, 6:14 am

I don't normally post on magic forums. To be quite frank I find magicians generally speaking to be very unpleasant people as is illustrated by this very thread. . However, I really feel compelled to comment on the disgusting comments made to the original poster who is obviously just a little burned out and needs a bit of empathy rather than the arrogance that has been shown to him. I can tell from his post that he is very experienced and knowledgeable about magic and probably more so than the idiots who are being rude to him. I have no idea who he is but somehow I get a feeling that he may be more well known than you imagine. No evidence for it------just a feeling.

I don't blame him for being burned out by magic. Sometimes I almost get burned out too. One of the reasons is magicians themselves. They are generally speaking insecure, egotistical and incompetent. Especially incompetent. As magicians most of you couldn't make the contents of an empty box disappear.

I don't agree with the notion that there is more competence around now than there was in the old days. Sure, there was always lots of crap around then but the good performers were more numerous than they are now. That is because the bar has been lowered nowadays with you tube exposures and the popularization of something which I wish wasn't popular at all. More people are entering magic now when I would far prefer it if they were kept out to put a damper on the trivialization and degradation of the art form. When laymen even know the names of the tricks it is a very good reason to be burned out.

I expect our original poster will come back to magic at some time in the future. When he does he would be well advised to keep away from "magicians" and I use the inverted commas deliberately.

I am not sure what fortune telling has to do with the matter. I do a bit of that myself and it is indeed true that a bit of palmistry and tarot reading will garner a lot of interest that magic might not. However, magic is far more fun and more exciting. It garners laughter and excitement! Oddly enough you can get burned out far more quickly doing fortune telling than you ever will performing magic.

I wish tomyleft well and urge him (or possibly her) to ignore the ignoramuses who have decided to attack him because of their own insecurities. He will be back in time to come and I suspect with a vengeance. Good luck.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby AJM » July 30th, 2021, 9:57 am

Lark Mewis returns.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Roger M. » July 30th, 2021, 12:17 pm

Good grief ... so many new Genii Forum members power-hating on magicians and magic! (3 posts and 1 post).

Would it be too obvious to suggest that you two goobers immediately depart from all internet magic forums, and seek another outlet for your (apparently) all-consuming hatred of all things conjuring related?

Would it speed your departure if we all said that we'd all miss you terribly? (a bold faced lie, but if it gets the two of you out the door faster, it's a lie that's very much worth telling!).

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Tom Stone » July 30th, 2021, 1:11 pm

Tarotist wrote:I can tell from his post that he is very experienced and knowledgeable about magic and probably more so than the idiots who are being rude to him. I have no idea who he is but somehow I get a feeling that he may be more well known than you imagine.

Hi Mark!
On a different forum, he wrote, in 2018: "While not a young man, I'm a "young" magic student, having only been in the field of study for a few years." - so, while not impossible, your hypothesis about his knowledge and reputation seem a bit unlikely.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Brad Jeffers » July 31st, 2021, 3:52 am

This brings to mind Mark Taimonov, who upon losing his 1971 chess match against Bobby Fischer by the unprecedented score of 6-0, famously said, "At least I still have my music".

So if you are this tomyleft (and I believe you are), then like Taimonov, at least you still have your music!

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Paco Nagata » July 31st, 2021, 4:08 am

tomyleft wrote: --In the few months that I've been totally out of magic, I have found that if I am leading a "regular" life as a layman, magic never appears on my radar. I am going to assume that it doesn't appear on most people's. Like opera, a performance art that is not mainstream will stay that way.

I quit being a lay-person many times along my life.
I'm sure you'll quit it again too ^_^
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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Leo Garet » July 31st, 2021, 10:06 am

Perhaps tomyleft isn’t a Genii subscriber. Perhaps he’s not even a magician of any kind. Perhaps his sole purpose is to create a discussion thread of the type and variety seen here. Then sit back and enjoy.

If so he’s done a reasonable job. There certainly is some variety.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Steve Mills » July 31st, 2021, 2:26 pm

These type of threads do serve a purpose. You can depend on a certain group of arrogant jack asses chiming in with the same crap every time. These are on my ignore list. Sure enough, there they are. At one time, I would periodically check to see what they said, but no more. Just the same tiresome drivel. I'm sure the postings here are the same.
Hell is empty and all of the devils are here. - William Shakespeare

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Brad Henderson » July 31st, 2021, 3:12 pm

Ok, Dodgson.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Tarotist » August 4th, 2021, 10:57 am

Richard Kaufman wrote:I love magic.
I pay attention to a good deal of what's going on in the magic world.
I ignore the dross and celebrate the good.
I enjoy doing magic for people and making them happy.
I enjoy the history.
End of story.


Your love of magic is very obvious because of your sterling work in the books you have written. It must take a prodigious amount of work to do what you do and I don't imagine the amount of revenue earned from such endeavors is equal to the amount of effort put in. Only a person who loves magic dearly would contribute to the art in the way that you have. Bringing back Greater Magic from its out of print status alone shows great dedication to the art as do your other books. I am particularly impressed by the David Berglas book you wrote and I think you captured David's methods and thinking better than anyone else would have been able to.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Richard Kaufman » August 4th, 2021, 3:34 pm

Thank you!
Subscribe today to Genii Magazine

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Bob Farmer » August 4th, 2021, 4:40 pm

Richard is the only person I know who could have and did convince the Jones family to allow the reprints. That in itself was a tremendous feat of magic.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby I.M. Magician » August 4th, 2021, 8:22 pm

This is to announce that I will be leaving magic this evening from 8:59 to 11:15 eastern time.

Please stand by…thank you!

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Steve Mills » August 5th, 2021, 2:32 pm

Bob Farmer wrote:Richard is the only person I know who could have and did convince the Jones family to allow the reprints. That in itself was a tremendous feat of magic.


Without blowing too much sunshine, there's no doubt magic would look much different today had there been no Richard Kaufman.
Hell is empty and all of the devils are here. - William Shakespeare

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby katterfelt0 » August 6th, 2021, 6:17 pm

Tarotist wrote:
Richard Kaufman wrote:I love magic.
I pay attention to a good deal of what's going on in the magic world.
I ignore the dross and celebrate the good.
I enjoy doing magic for people and making them happy.
I enjoy the history.
End of story.


Your love of magic is very obvious because of your sterling work in the books you have written...


Seconded.
Effect and method are inextricably linked.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby DennisLisi » September 5th, 2021, 12:03 pm

I can't see anything to disagree with in the original post. It is undoubtedly an honest observation. I doubt that its purpose was to get attention. It lacks the kind of up-staging bravado that many of its critics are evidently galvanised by.

It seems more of a fond farewell. It does not strike me as disrespectful of the worthy things in the so-called "world of magic", but only the unworthy. Which none of us can deny. We can only counter with the positive faith in our own potential to impress an audience these days.

I feel he or she is wishing us luck.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby Roger M. » September 5th, 2021, 12:35 pm

Certainly the unfortunate resurrection of this thread will once again fulfil the OP's search for attention, whether he's aware of it or not ... and remind us all of the massive amount of hubris required to pull a loud and unsolicited airport style departure from an otherwise uninterested internet forum.

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Re: Why I'm Leaving Magic; Not Renewing Genii

Postby DennisLisi » September 5th, 2021, 12:46 pm

Roger M. wrote:Certainly the unfortunate resurrection of this thread will once again fulfil the OP's search for attention, whether he's aware of it or not ... and remind us all of the massive amount of hubris required to pull a loud and unsolicited airport style departure from an otherwise uninterested internet forum.


I am grateful to you Roger, for steering us in the right direction. Thanks to you, we can focus on what really matters. Not the state of Magic as a career, but whether or not any of us ought to seek attention in The Genii Forum. You are the proverbial "exception to the rule". You pipe up only to stifle others. Brilliant!


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