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Good News In the Washington Post – Barry’s Magic Shop

The
front page of the Washington Post this morning displays a picture of an
American soldier atop a tank guarding the area where a funeral is to be
held.


The stories are grim and the death toll announced in the various articles from locations around the world, is far too high. But within the Post, there is a wonderful article that will make you smile ? I predict. Check it out.


Barry?s Magic Shop in D.C. gets its due with a nice, short description of what it is like to stand at the counter of a traditional magic shop.


It will no doubt bring back memories to you of how you would hang out all day watching effects and, perhaps, buying an effect. You
would likely then practice the trick the rest of the day and
intermittently seek the assistance of the demonstrator or owner.


The following brought such a smile to my face that the other guys in my holding cell thought I was making fun of them:

Magicians
appear here — amateurs and pros of every stripe who come to talk and
perform tricks. But it’s kids who often fill the place, eagerly
watching a trick and then imagining their own potential audience for
it. That was how Barry, now 50, fell in love with magic: “I’d burst in
on my mom in the bathroom. ‘Mom. Mom. You have to see this.’”

Magic really is a wonderful art.

We’re adding Barry’s Magic Shop to the Links of Fame.
Check out his site for magic and the amazing story of how he…
Continue reading Good News In the Washington Post – Barry’s Magic Shop

September 14th, 2003 | Category: Magic News | Leave a comment

What are the Odds? Giovanni Sits Next To Me — And Doesn’t Ask to be Moved?

I was on a plane flying somewhere ? which made sense at the time ? and by pure chance was seated right next to Giovanni Livera. Giovanni is from Orlando and I was from Orlando ? another pure coincidence. I knew Giovanni from the IBM Ring meetings in Orlando where he displayed his incredible talent and taught with the patience of a saint. He had no recollection of me.

This only proves that coincidence holds up only so long.

Giovanni was gracious and willing to show me trick after trick during our flight. We discussed the tremendous success he had as one of the two founding magicians and overall fun-makers (not at all like the Mentos ?fresh makers?) that revolutionized the NBA with stunts and events.

Wait, what?s the point of this story?

The point is determining odds ? figuring out the chance of something happening.

Giovanni explained to me that he had just figured out how to use a faro shuffle ? a perfect faro shuffle ? eight times to arrange a brand new deck into an incredible poker deal and how to use the same perfect faro shuffle two times to arrange it into a Si Stebbens order. Giovanni did not claim discovered this system, only that…
Continue reading What are the Odds? Giovanni Sits Next To Me — And Doesn’t Ask to be Moved?

September 14th, 2003 | Category: Magic Stories | Leave a comment