Rebuilding A Mystery

Review of Seek 52

My review of the Seek 52 card magic DVD is now available at My Lovely Assistant.

Review: Minotaur The Final Issue

My review of Minotaur's final (DVD) issue is now available.

Review: Devious Standards

My review of Jamy Ian Swiss' new book is now available.

Review of The Card Solutions of Solomon (DVD)

My Lovely Assistant is now hosting my review of The Card Solutions of Solomon.

Jacks Samich

Two links for your enjoyment:

David Solomon performs Jack Sandwich Revisted

Some kid explains it.

The promise and pain of YouTube before your very eyes. Harry Loryane must be spinning in his grave. (Which is quite remarkable, considering he's not dead.)

Review: Out of This World (World's Greatest Magic)

My review of Out of This World (World's Greatest Magic) DVD is now available at My Lovely Assistant.

Do you actually mean that literally?

This week's newsletter from Hank Lee features a trick called "Sign Off" by Damien O'Brien and Leon May. The opening sentence of the ad really caught my eye, and not just because it was emboldened. It's "obscenely visual?" Obscene? As in illegal? I'm thinking that the inventors don't know the definition of the word: Obscene (adjective) 1. offensive to morality or decency; indecent; depraved: obscene language. 2. causing uncontrolled sexual desire. 3. abominable; disgusting; repulsive. I didn't read any further, so I don't even know what the effect is supposed to be, but given the thoughtful attention paid to their opening sentence, perhaps definition #3 is what they had in mind. (A hat tip to The Conjurer.)

The Jinx Companion on McBride TV

The Jinx Companion featured on McBride TV.

Angry Lawyers

Act now, before they're sued into oblivion, but you can now get a sponge ball version of the hot iPhone game, Angry Birds. See Angry Sponges.

Perspective on exposure

In Secret Agenda (pg May 1) Roberto Giobbi writes about finding a German magic book in the library when he was a young man. A book for which the author was expelled from the German magic circle for writing. Without exposure, magic dies. Certainly nobody can argue that getting Giobbi hooked on magic was bad for the art.