Gregory Wilson!

Holy Mother Magnus in a buttermilk biscuit........Gregory Wilson is AAAAA-------WWWWWWESOME!!!!!!!

This guy has re-awakened a love for performing magic in me that I just can't describe!! A bunch of us from the Tyler IBM Ring saw him lecture in Longview, Texas a few weeks back........words cannot describe this man's thinking! Absolute brilliance!!

Aldo and Rachel

First things first: Aldo and Rachel Colombini are NOT moving to the UK!!  That was a weird little rumor.....who knows how it got started!!  HOWEVER, this photo was taken when they lectured in Longview, Texas last month..........as a part of their VERY LAST BIG LECTURE TOUR EVER.  They won't do another big tour like this one again.  Yes, the photo's a bit blurry....sorry!  It was, without a doubt, the best magic lecture I've ever attended....and I won a DVD!

Wow!!

I wrote some ad copy for a web site my buddy, Jeff Stone designed (not a magic related site, but a site nonetheless)........and he paid me with product!  A big box of Stone Cold Magic DVD's! Wow! What a guy!  I just like looking at them all stacked up and shrinkwrapped!

Jump over to Jeff's site......he's a real creative guy!

Aldo Colombini

Very very soon......Aldo Colombini is coming to East Texas on his last big US lecture tour.  (I'd wrongly posted that Aldo and his wife were moving back to the UK.......that was false......they're staying in the US!!) [I'm correcting this post on January 19, 2013].

...and a photo to boot!

Check out Nathan Kranzo's site to order this cool DVD on the Mene Tekel deck!!

Mene Tekel

I felt it only right and proper to include a link to Nathan's cool DVD on uses for the Mene Tekel deck:

"Mene Tekel Miracles" by Nathan Kranzo

Kranzilla!!

Nathan Kranzo! Kranzilla!!  That dude is talented!  He lectured for Ring 266 last night in Tyler, Texas....awesome! Cool stuff with a Mene Tekel deck!

In Memoriam:Tim Conover

Although I never saw him in-person, I have seen a few video clips of mentalist Tim Conover online.  Great stage persona!  Fantastic!  Sadly, found out via Carl Jones' send-outs and Genii's forums that he took his own life a few days ago. Profoundly sad.......one great entertainer, man.

I had the great privilege of having dinner a few nights ago with Richard Hatch. He was at Discovery Science Place in Tyler performing and our Ring's V.P. (Mark Kilsby) and I went out to dinner with him and his friend, Joe (from Houston). Richard is a smart guy!  Recently sold H&R Magic Books to a former employee.

Nathan Kranzo is coming to Tyler

The East Texas Court of Magic (IBM Ring 266) will soon host Nathan Kranzo.....originator of numerous close-up and mentalism effects. Nathan is slated to lecture for our Ring on February 7th in the beautiful city of Tyler, Texas. I'll try to get a photo up soon.

Instant Radio

Such a cool device!! Love it!! Buy one now!

I did a show!

A couple of Sundays ago....I performed at the Holiday Inn Express (located on S. Broadway in Tyler, Texas)...for my church's 3-year anniversary party. Fifteen minutes.....and only two flub-ups! It was fun!

Labor Day 2010

Great Labor Day event at our Ring V.P.'s house! We had a short performance session in the back yard....here's a photo of Gene Colteaux and Terry Teene looking on as David Gish performs.

Mark Kilsby and Gene Colteaux

Here's a photo I stumbled across tonight......Ring 266's current President, Gene Colteaux and our current Vice President, Mark Kilsby talking outside Lindo Mexico in Tyler one Saturday morning (sometime last Fall).

Tyler Junior College Magic Class

In July, our Ring taught a 2-day magic class at Tyler Junior College. Here's a little photo of board member, Terry Teene and Secretary/Treasurer Neta Colteaux (sorry, Terry got chopped out slightly!).

Andy Hickman

Well, I was on vacation with the fam earlier this month (in Galveston, Texas.......fun!)......Andy Hickman, motivational speaker and magician (who's also a new member of our club in Tyler) spoke/lectured. But, alas, I missed it. Bummer. It received great comments, though!

Anyway, I also got some sort of 12-hour flu thing a few nights ago and missed a walk-around performance our Ring did in downtown Tyler........I hated missing that.

Coming along..........

Visited with my good friend, Mark Kilsby a few nights ago........spent some time working on my new effect, "Salem's Lottery". I also recently purchased a Ryobi band saw which will be instrumental in creating the wooden tiles needed for that effect.

"Reel Magic"

That's the title of a little book I picked up via an eBay auction a few weeks back. It's one of those old sadle-stapled books from the 50's........written by "Albenice". Haven't used many reels myself.....but they look like clever little items.

Hocus Pocus Parade: R.C. Buff (February 1978)

Once again, a true gem found within the pages of The Linking Ring. Mr. Buff was enamored with rope, string and ribbon effects and there're some top notch items in this contribution. The first effect entitled, "Ancient Ropes, Oops, Rope" is quite intriguing. I like quirky off-beat effects and this one focuses on different colored ropes and even using a self-made gimmick to gimmick a length of rope.....reads kind of HARD but I actually think once you got your mojo working on this one, it'd be worth the effort. I will re-visit this bad boy at a later date.

The Linking Ring magazine annotated index

I spend a'lot of time reading magic-related magazines (not to mention books). Sometimes, it just seems kind of purposeless (I know, I could practice!!)...so I decided that I'd start a bit of an annotated index of tricks found in The Linking Ring. What magician doesn't know about the monthly publication of the IBM? I've ammased quite a collection of those mags!! So, keep a lookout on what's going on here.....especially if you have access to a'lot of Linking Rings!!

Just to be nice

Just so ya know where I found that little hit counter below there...........

you can grab one at:

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Enjoy!!

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Diamond Jim Tyler video

Can't shut up

Well.....apparently, I just can't shut up about Diamond Jim Tyler, now can I? I think I'll post a video on YouTube I took at his lecture.

IBM Ring 266 hosts Diamond Jim Tyler

Our local Ring (Tyler, Texas) was fortunate to have Diamond Jim Tyler lecture for our club recently.........I bought a sweet little DVD (with cards) for an effect he calls, "DiaMonte".......very nice!! I made a few short videos clips.

Salem's Lottery

If you'll look waaaaaaaa-aaaaay back here, you'll find me referencing a little effect entitled, "Animentalism" (created by a gentleman from Singapore named Tan Choon Tee) that was published in The Linking Ring quite some years back.

That effect sparked an idea in my head pertaining to the Salem Witch trials........and using (potentially) the names of women from that century.

Well.......after MUCH workshopping of this effect......it's really coming to fruition: it'll be called, "Salem's Lottery" and will be produced/released by my little company I'm starting. I've got a massive pile of little wooden tiles all cut up real proper-like.....check back here for more later!

...and on a sour note.

....I'd referenced Bro. John Hamman's packet trick, "Hamman Eggs" here a few months back. I sent that packet trick into the ether at Ring 266's Chinese Auction (fundraiser) a few months back as it's just too darned complex!! If you become exhausting just watching a packet trick.....imagine learning to perform it! ......anyone disagree??