Re: Illusions for a show ???

On Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:10:20 -0400, I said, "Pick a card, any card"
and Andy instead replied:

>God knows how you've  managed to hang in 
>here for all these years.

I've been busy.

I'm just a tough old guy who enjoys magic. Also, I truly believe it
is one of the last remaining guilds in existence. Hundreds of years
ago, the only way to become a cobbler was to sign on as an
apprentice to a cobbler and work your way into learning the trade.
Today, there are schools for learning to manufacture shoes.

Magic, for all its internal faults and flaws by its practitioners,
remains a guild. Everyone is taught by the old masters. Nobody ever
fully learns legerdemain without the help of other magicians. To
that end, there are 4 common ways to be taught.

Books. Those who use them treasure them and learn from the master
magicians of the past who thought enough of their art to write it
all down for future generations and a bit of profit for them. Even
the web based sites with their photos and written instructions are
books in the truest sense. They're just pages of a different sort.

Videos. From the VCR to the DVD and now on to the Web, the video
seems to be king of the heap when it comes to teaching magic to the
next generation of magicians.

Lectures. These include formal and informal cl***** for magic.
Whether attendees believe it or not, a lecture is a class in the
form of semi-private tutelage in the subject of magic.

Mentoring. Whether it be done by the Web, by e-mail, by ordinary
post office mail, by phone or in person, the one-on-one contact from
a professional or master in the craft of magic is still alive and
well. I often respond in great detail to questions posted here using
e-mail because the details of my answer would constitute exposure
and I remain dead set against that. This is, after all, public by
definition with no restriction to access.

Some of our local Perth club members have first approached me here
on alt.magic. Certainly many visitors to Perth have contacted me
here and we've met at some lovely places along the beach to discuss
magic and become friends. It's this magical way of life we choose
that makes us automatically much more than casual acquaintances
before we even meet face to face.

I remain, for as long as I am alive and able to type, a resource for
those who seek answers from me. No amount of badgering on a
newsgroup is ever going to change that. The only time I'll depart
these newsgroups is when I tire of them or depart this world.
--
Ray