Inside Magic

Dr. Richard Mossey

Mike Nichols  of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a wrap-up of the year?s Wisconsin-centered stories and suggests we would benefit by hoping for serendipity in the new year.  We do better, he suggests, when we can?t predict what will happen and we allow for mystery in our lives. 

Mr. Nichols points out that ?73% of physicians believe miracles occur. It’s a belief that spans all religions. Among the 1,100 doctors surveyed, some were Christian. Others were Jewish or Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist.?

So, Mr. Nichols points to his discussion with former surgeon Richard Mossey in support of his pro-serendipity agenda.  Dr. Mossey said there are things that cannot be explained even in the most scientific realm.  “I think that has happened to every physician,” he told Mr. Nichols, “the complete reversal of a case that is not supposed to go that way.”

Talk about serendipity, Dr. Mossy is one of us, a magician, and a member of the board of the Houdini Club of Wisconsin.  This connection leads to another serendipitous connection for Mr. Nichols.  The Outagamie County Historical Society Museum in Appleton, Wisconsin, attempted to steal the mystery, the fun of not knowing by exposing the secret to Houdini?s Metamorphosis. 

Dr. Mossey was not concerned folks would forever remember the secret.  He told Mr. Nichols that ?most people quickly forget the secrets to magic tricks.?  Mossey didn’t seem overly concerned, noting that most people quickly forget the secrets to magic tricks.?  The tragedy of the exposure is that by ?removing the mystery? you remove enjoyment. 

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Continue reading A Final Word on the Outagamie County Historical Society

I saw my very pretty friend Sarah across the street and called to her.
“Sarah! Sarah!” I yelled.
She turned towards me and waved back.
I expected her to wait for me to cross the busy street but she just kept walking. It was a cold day, so I guess I couldn’t blame her for wanting to get out of the snow and into the warmth of some bar where the beer flowed easily and was served with breakfast.
I ran across the busy Avenue de Robert Houdin – the main north/south road through Mystic Hollow, Michigan.
I was nearly clipped by a small red sports car but managed to leap over the hood and avoid broken bones and (another) head injury.
I followed Sarah “The Girl Magician” Buena into the Thumb Tip Tap Bar.
She was already racked up with a boiler maker and the newspaper.
“Hi, Sarah!” I yelled from the end of the bar.
“Look at this,” I said as I walked towards the former star of the tri-state circuit. I handed her my copy of Genii. She smiled at me as if I was some “special” student showing her an art project.
“Yes, I got that in the mail too,” she said.
She ordered another shot – her beer chaser was still untouched.
Continue reading Strat-O-Jokers: Penguin Magic vs. Sarah