A Throwback

.:Finally Putting This One Up...:.

One of my older videos. First time I was recorded on camera doing a performance...

Enjoy!

The Past Shows...

Yes, this will be a mentalism-driven post.

.:Sapulso, Finally:.

If you still haven't seen the clip, you can check it out here.

Well, they finally aired the episode of Sapulso where I was featured as a mentalist along with street magician/former child star Lester Llansang and The Story Circle member Crizz. While we weren't shot together, it was fun watching the episode, definitely.

I met the crew of Sapulso a few weeks ago to shoot my segment, as I went through Starbucks Katipunan, UP Sunken Garden, and TIP Aurora to demonstrate a wide range of mentalism effects including Positive-Negative, Liquid Metal, PK Touch, and the ORBS (Osterlind Rubiks Blindfold Solve). It was a fairly lengthy shoot for a two to five-minute segment, but it was well worth it, as the results were pleasant and I got a pretty good reaction from the people. Mentalism is akin to Puroresu compared to Magic's "sports entertainment". In Japan, the audience isn't as rowdy, but you know they appreciate the show.

It was a really good run. I could've fixed some glitches here and there, but for the most part, I had no regrets. It's not everyday I get good feedback from my mentor, so I'm taking that for sure.

.:Kurismas Pangkalawakan:.

Last Saturday was party-time for Cosplay.ph, and I must say, it was a great party at Joy's place, and I've run into a lot of awesome members of the Philippine cosplay community, including "Hard Gay" Khel (I need the h in there to distinguish him from me. Heh.), Nissie, Jewel, Adz, Robert, and of course, Markpoa.

That being said, I walked into a trap, as I found myself part of group 5 (Starship Santas FTW!), getting myself involved in everything from doing macho dancing to dressing up one of our co-members for "Pretty Crossplayer", which was a riot and a half, as we saw things we unfortunately can't unsee.

After great food, great stories, a round of "Jeopardy" where nobody seemed to remember that you answer in the form of a question, I was called upon to do my routine. I didn't keep things long, and just went for some predictions, coins, numbers, and then following up with metal bending, and concluding the presentation with some mass hypnosis and a book test.

In any case, I made some new friends that day, and it was an awesome time, as I went off to meet up with TSC immediately after the party... although being browbeat by Jewel to get a Nintendo DS was an unusual way to cap my day off... heh.

When Skeptics Attack!

This interestingly clueless tidbit just in...

"Mornings at ANC is just a show and like any other show they aim for high ratings, there is a possibility that the production crew are accomplices to the act, while the fact that the show 'maybe' shot live which removes the possibility of camera tricks and special effects for the fork bending it is still possible that the forks used are trick forks. There is also a possibility that the positioning of the glass of water was pre-determined"

Obviously, the person placing these suggestions is being facetious, because...

1. Trick forks? Who needs trick forks? This is just highly amusing.

2. Pre-determined glasses? I'm sure it was also a pre-determined cube done with a blindfold, right?

Skepticism with no amount of knowledge whatsoever? Just sheer hilarity. The best skeptics are born because they know better, not because they don't know a single thing.

Well, that being said, it's a bit sad that the challenge for the Psychic Entertainment Network under test conditions will simply be, well, put off for until next year.

.:DFA Sucks!:.

I'm sitting here, waiting for my chance to get my records at 2 in the freaking afternoon. Wonderful. What a waste of a morning here.

My TV Appearance!

.:It's On YouTube, guys! Enjoy!:.

It's my TV appearance last Monday. Hope you guys like it. :)

So...

Anyone watched last night? How'd you like it? :D

Once More, With Feeling...

.:It's Tonight!:.

Don't miss out on Monday's telecast of my mentalism, at QTV-11, Sapulso, 10PM.

Hope you guys would enjoy it!

TV Plug!

.:Still Exhausted!:.

That field trip really got me out of sorts, but I'm managing.

Nonetheless, don't miss out on Monday's telecast of my mentalism, at QTV-11, Sapulso, 10PM.

Hope you guys would enjoy it!

I'm A Bit Miffed Over This, But Hey, What Can I Do?

.:I'll Be On TV Next Monday, December 10!:.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Sapulso episode yours truly will be featured in is happening next Monday, at 10 PM, still on QTV 11.

I don't know if I should be miffed that the show was postponed, or that next to nobody watched last night that they didn't even know it was postponed... =(

Yes, it's still the magic/mentalism feature, and I'm representing the mentalism side of the spectrum.

.:Nice Seeing You Again...:.

Hi Crissie! Bye Crissie! =P

Still Shilling For Tonight!

Yes, I'm shilling again. I'll be on TV, Channel 11, QTV, tonight, at 10PM. Don't miss it!

My TV Appearance Tomorrow...

.:Watch Out For Me Tomorrow On TV!!!:.

Don't miss out on Kapulso, Monday night on QTV Channel 11, at 10PM! I'll be featured as a street mentalist, performing as well as having an interview of sorts.

It'll be loads of fun, rest assured!

.:Thoughts On Things I Have To Accomplish...:.

1. A performance guide...
2. A frank essay on my thoughts on the state of Philippine magic, or at least, the magic groups I'm in the proximity of. It will step on a few toes, but it will all be honest and recommendatory, more than anything else.

Snide!

.:That's Snide...:.

So I got my hands on Ellusionist's coin-in-bottle tutorials, "Factory Sealed", and "Bullet". It's pretty sad how the fall from grace for the E has resulted in them taking a potshot at former E-member Wayne Houchin (Now of Theory 11.)has led to them taking what I view to be a veiled swipe at Houchin at one of the videos.

At the start of "Bullet", I believe, Justin Miller stomps on a can and says that "bottles are the new cans", which is in allusion to "Sinful" by Houchin, a coin-through-can effect.

Not very amusing at all, E. Not. Very. Amusing. At. All.

.:Brushing Up:.

Treated myself to a whole day of watching instructional videos to brush up on my knowledge base, and it's done me a world of good, to say the least. Needless to say, I'm glad...

I'll Be On TV!!!

.:Mentalism Feature!:.

Next Monday, December 3, I'll be on QTV-11 at 10PM, demonstrating some mentalism.

Hope you guys can catch me there! :)

Success!!!

.:Talecraft FTW!:.

I had my mentalism demonstration using Talecraft at yesterday's Komikon.

It was a smashing success.

Will fill you in on the details next time, but I'm a happy panda.

Starting PEN...

.:Time For PEN...:.

I met up last night with Nomer and David Elefant to discuss how things should go for PEN, and I must say that it's looking real good.

We'll keep you posted what's next on our agenda...

TV Appearance Here...

.:And Here We Are... My TV Appearance...:.

Well, as you can see, it's not like I claimed any special powers. As I always say, my abilities are always in the realm of psychology and humanism, and hey, it works just fine for me.

Part one...


Part two...

Enjoy!

Press Release...

Much credit to Richard Osterlind for the format of this announcement.

What Is The Psychic Entertainment Network?

The Psychic Entertainment Network, or P.E.N. for short, is the tentative name for a collective of Psychic Entertainers. It is the first and only one of its kind in the Philippines.

What Is Psychic Entertainment?

Psychic Entertainment is the use of widely discussed skills of the mind, such as telepathy, psychokinesis, clairvoyance, and so forth. Unlike others, however, this is done mainly for entertainment purposes.

Psychic Entertainment is one of the most sought-after attractions in corporate events, trade shows, private parties, and even at times in mall tours. To say that there is a steadily increasing buzz about the craft is an understatement, and the credentials of these psychic entertainers with their own personal specialties, more than speak for itself. Collectively, they have done shows for the likes of SM North EDSA, SM Mall Of Asia, Podium, EDSA Shangrila, Hyatt Hotel, Eastwood City, I-Blog 3, Ayala Aeon, and the Philippine Toy Convention.

Who’s Who In The Psychic Entertainment Network?

Nomer Lasala is an accomplished Aura Reader and Psychokinetic who has been doing psychic entertainment for years. His ability to move objects with but a mere thought has been the subject of much debate and consternation among some of his contemporaries, who are practically unilaterally admirers of his work. One of his most well-known talents is metal bending, where he demonstrates his ability to move silverware without exerting physical force or the like.

Kel Fabie is the master of Remote Viewing: the ability to see through other people’s eyes. Through this gift, he has demonstrated in numerous public performances his ability to solve a Rubik’s cube blindfolded. Others who do blindfolded solutions require some time to study the shuffled cube before applying a blindfold. In contrast, Kel solves the cube by mentally visualizing the colors of the cube through the eyes of another person observing the cube with him. He applies the blindfold before the cube is shuffled.

Lei Sarmiento is a Wiccan who practices the art of the occult. He is also a member and writer for the Wiccan community in the country. His skill at gaining powerful insights into other people is also exhibited when he does Tarot card readings and the like. Few people can match Lei when it comes to his apparent connection with the intriguing and mysterious world of the occult and paranormal.

Sonny Minoza is a well-known Psychic Entertainer who specializes in Clairvoyance: the ability to foretell something before it even happens. With his nuanced performances involving psychology and outright uncanny intuition, his hit rate of getting predictions correct is as accurate as any quack fortune teller telling us that “the elections will be messy”. Given his impressive repertoire and resume, it is easy to imagine why he is practically a household name in the Psychic Entertainment circles.

David Elefant has been a Psychic Entertainer since the 1970’s, and he has written books on the topic in the past. His knowledge of the art is virtually unmatched, and his range of abilities is the stuff of legend. To describe his range of abilities to you would not do enough justice to his over three decades of experience as well as expertise in the field.

How Can We Entertain You?

Whether individually or collectively, these Psychic Entertainers are available for numerous different functions, including but not limited to parties, corporate events, trade shows, and lectures. Given the versatility of these Psychic Entertainers, they are capable of entertaining all sorts of people, from children to adults, in all types of venues, from hotels to trade floors, and are fully capable of incorporating some other forms of entertainment to further enhance the experience.

These performers have the ability to perform in several diverse albeit complimentary formats. They are flexible and adaptable and through this they ensure that clients maximize their entertainment investment, and reap unparalleled returns from the astonishment and profound entertainment of attendees.

In a nutshell, these Psychic Entertainers will pull out all the stops in order to entertain you and your attendees. Why bother with the same old song and dance routine? Think- and let your audience think as well! Give them an experience that they will continue talking about long after the party’s over.

Close-Up (Walkaround): The performer/s will approach tables or individuals and demonstrate their skills through a variety of simple tests in order to entertain them through feats of psychokinesis, telepathy, clairvoyance, and the like. This is perfect for quiet dinner parties, or even in between sets of stage performers or entertainers.

Stage Show: The stage show typically follows dinner, and often as one of the highlights of any program. Here, the performer/s will conduct several tests of his skills onstage and ask the audience to participate as he does it. The stage show can also be confined into a parlor show, to demonstrate these skills even to children at children’s parties with more visual implements in order to attract their attention.

Trade Show : Whether as a booth where the performer/s will entertain your audience, or even as the attraction of choice at your hospitality suites, Psychic Entertainment at Trade Shows is definitely a big deal. Be it through various tests of skill, or even Aura readings or Tarot Card readings, these performers are fully capable of drawing traffic to your Trade Show.

Don’t Be Left Behind!

Don’t be fooled. Settle for nothing less. The Psychic Entertainment Network is available for bookings for a wide variety of audiences and functions, from stage shows to lectures to birthday parties. If you want top-notch entertainment that grabs everyone’s attention, then get in touch with us.

… In fact, we already know you want to get in touch with us. ;)

Success!!!

.:The TV Appearance Of The Ages...:.

Well, guys, it looks like the Psychic Entertainment Network was a hit this morning at ANC.

Three guests were there: Nomer, David Elefant, and myself.

While I really wanted to do my effect on television in its unadulterated glory, the floor director didn't like the idea of me potentially drinking acid instead of milk, and so they opted to go for water instead. Be that as it may, the effect still worked to good effect, and it still had some measure of suspense to it. They even showed some clips of me solving a rubik's cube while blindfolded.

While David didn't do anything for the people on the air, his air of authority really helped carry the point across, as Nomer proceeded to demonstrate Liquid Metal to the hosts.

After the show, Nomer was literally swamped with text messages asking about us and if they could book us.

Well, looks like we're off to a good start. Perfect way to start off November, what with yesterday being an awesome day spent with My Beloved... we just pigged out on movies, as we watched three movies at home.

Lemme Reiterate...

.:TV Appearance Tomorrow!:.

Tomorrow, I'll be making an appearance for an interview regarding psychic phenomena in ANC around 9:30 AM or so. I'll be doing the Acid Test, so this will be a doozy that you better not miss out on!

.:What Business Do They Have Exposing The Art?:.

Last Saturday, GMA-7's program, "Imbestigador", had a segment where they exposed several magic illusions including the Zig-Zag Lady, the Linking Rings, and even a locally devised effect known as "Burikadabra".

For a program that prides itself in bringing to justice the less desirable elements of our society, it boggles the mind why they would make it a point to disrespect the art of magic and expose these effects? Has it ever occurred to them that these people perform and keep a code of secrecy to preserve the integrity of the art? Or are they too concerned in exposing magic for no other reason than to just bring the craft down even further?

Programs like these are not unlikely to find themselves at odds with pirates: people with no regard for intellectual property and profit off of it. Isn't that what they just did here? Did they ever care about the livelihood of magicians whose credibility they undermined with their exposure? Did they even care that they were divulging ideas that they did not themselves own, and almost assuredly did not pay for either?

It's a slap in the face of an art that has made it clear that they deal in deception to begin with. People pay to be deceived. To even compare the art of magic to street hustlers and swindlers is an outright insult to magic as a whole.

What business does Imbestigador, a show meant as a public service, in sticking their noses into someone's decent, honest livelihood? If they want to do a witch-hunt of quacks and frauds whose claims bite off more than they can choose, sure thing, but expose magic wantonly and irregardless of the fact that people pay their bills through it? That's just uncalled for, especially when it even goes as far as to trample over intellectual property rights?

This isn't just a protest over something petty. It's a protest over a very unethical, unscrupulous, and willful exposure of an art whose key to success is secrecy, for no malicious reason, but simply to entertain. It honestly makes no sense why a reputable program like Imbestigador would go against its own principles of fair play and justice and flat-out ignore the welfare of magicians trying to make a living all for the sake of what? For the sake of ratings?

Count me in as someone who wishes to file my indignation against this program.

TV Appearance!

.:A Discussion On Psychic Phenomena...:.

I'll be at ANC tomorrow around 9:30 AM, for the November 1 episode where I and fellow TSC member Nomer will be interviewed about psychich phenomena. =)

Awesome!

This Saturday, I'll be on Lovely Day as well, on GMA 7.

Random Update...

.:Jon Stewart, The Green Lantern...:.

Picture from Shaft Agents...

.:Bookings Galore!:.

I'm booked to go and do magic every Sunday at Global Fun Carnival in Mall of Asia...

And then, I'm doing mentalism in The Block tomorrow and Tuesday. Real awesome, to say the least... I have a bunch of gigs after a long time...

It's Never Too Late...

Finally, More Magic...

.:Mixing Mentalism With My Children's Party Routine...:.

Let's face it. Children's party magic is expensive. You need lots of colorful, gaudy props, at times, even live animals, and compacted versions of stage magic effects just so you can keep the interest of kids going.

Mentalism, in contrast, is a relatively low-cost endeavor, which is ironic when you realize that it plays off very well in a stage setting.

That being said, last Sunday, I found a way to have a decent mix of the two going, albeit I have to admit that it wasn't perfect yet, it was, at least, interesting in that I knew for a fact that it worked well enough, since doing ORBS, Liquid Metal, and the Wizard Manual, while all very much mentalism effects, still captured the fancy of the children, even if some of them were preoccupied with me pulling their underwear from out of them. =P

The Weekend Report...

.:Talecraft!:.

Well, after having given them ample demonstrations, it looks like I'll be doing a little something come the comicon for Talecraft. I've developed a mentalism finale that will suit their cards just fine, so I'm glad I have this opportunity.

Now, all I really need is to develop a proper story that I can use, and I'll be all good to go, for sure.

I can't believe how short my blogging has been lately! Blame work and Monster Hunter Freedom 2 for that, I guess, because that's what's been eating up most of my time lately.

.:Missing My Beloved...:.

I'm a bit sad I haven't been seeing her long enough lately... truth be told, she's had lots of free time, but I'm the one who's almost eternally occupied, sadly...

.:Guys, Guys, Guys...:.

... could you let up on teasing you-know-who? She doesn't appreciate the attention much...

.:Work Is Burying Me!:.

I'm bushed. I really am. Lots of stuff happened, and last I remembered, I was doing, of all things, a substitute class for P.E. for one of my three favorite classes!

I swear, that just really made me freeze for a moment.

I'm no slouch, but I'd be the last guy you'd expect to teach P.E. class, so I was really amused that I ended up doing substitution over the weekend, to say the least.

Now, time to get off the computer for a bit because I *really* should be recording papers already... gah.

Gah!

.:Out Of Touch:.

How's the blogosphere lately? I've been so busy with work, I wouldn't know where to begin to catch up already!

Expect this trend to keep up for quite a while, where I'd only have one or two substantial posts a week, sadly...

.:TSC Mini-Gathering:.

Hung out last night with Nomer and Jake, and the ideas we've been exchanging have been awesome. The fact that the three of us had an inclination for mentalism really made for an interesting discussion that evening, so I was really happy about how things have been turning out.

Anyways, lots of stories were swapped, and there were oodles of comedic moments as well.

Weekend Report...

.:PTC Day?:.

Last Saturday was the first time I took part in a Parents-Teachers Conference, and I must say that it was very interesting to say the least.

To protect the identity of my students, I won't mention any names, but let's just say that the whole gamut of requests was practically run past me, although I am glad that I got along well with most of the parents, and it was definitely a good, engaging time with most of them. Truth be told, I was really just glad to find the opportunity to meet some of the parents, and they have been very encouraging, and the students have been telling them about that other thing I do lately... so yes, there was also a bit of mentalism.

Well, it was a pretty great day, and hopefully, I continue on this fairly good trend of getting along with my students and their parents...

.:Bessie-Moo's Birthday!:.

Well, Estelle actually had her birthday last August 20, but despite that, she had her party last Saturday night, and it happened in RJTV bar. It was a laugh and a half, particularly since there were two magicians and a stand-up comedian in the festivities, and I must say that performing over-the-head with a confederate really slays your spectator.

That being said, I'm glad Estelle had fun at her party. I brought my A-game there, and I'm glad to hear how Jay has been complimenting me on the stuff that I've been up to. I had a similar congratulatory note from sir Bing last time I dropped in on him, so that has definitely made my day...

Apparently, my presentation style is so lively and engaging that my actual skill is of little relevance to the show already, since they're almost more interested in what I have to actually say! =P

.:Sunday Was Loaded...:.

Well, it was loaded in that I ran into some tournament players. I didn't even know there was a tournament yesterday, so I was just glad that I got to hang out with some people.

When Trade Shows Attack!

.:When Trade Shows Attack: The 3rd Music And Arts Festival Aftermath!:.

Saturday and Sunday were days meant to wow the crowds in SM Megamall, as I went and took part in the 3rd Music And Arts Festival over the weekend, armed with my mentalism routine that's normally not meant for walkaround. That being said, both days were really interesting, albeit cosplayers were present during Saturday, but I managed to do magic for much more people on Sunday, even when I went down to the Neutral Grounds tournament area and did a blindfolded Rubik's solve that attracted the attention of a lot of people. I was genuinely surprised when I took the blindfold off and found myself practically surrounded, and soon enough, I displayed quite an interesting mentalism repertoire that I managed to pull off solely because I finally managed to be seated on a table to rest.

Saturday and Sunday were fairly fun days, to say the least, albeit I definitely wished I had better opportunities to approach people. I found myself on camera a couple of times, particularly when I ran into people from UniversiTV and JackTV. It was all good, really, and I can't wait until I start getting some new items for my walkaround to be a complete package and with as little props on me as possible. While I love using props since it proves to yield extremely visual magic, I think being able to come to a walkaround session with only a couple of decks of cards and maybe a few billets and coins and the like can really help minimize the clutter I feel when I do walkaround, since my walkaround involves bringing a book, a white board, a rubik's cube, two different blindfolds, and a gaggle of other props. Definitely one of the most elaborate walkaround routines money can buy, but obviously because it's almost a stage show brought down from the stage to the walkaround level...

Anyways, after everything has been said and done, it was a very fruitful two days for me as far as my magic goes. There were very appreciative audiences all around, and I'm definitely glad that I found the opportunity to really hang out in Megamall and perform to really just get my name out there in the open...

The Mentalism Workshop!

.:Whoa, You Just Never Stop Learning!:.

Last Friday was the venue for The Story Circle's Mentalism Workshop, and considering how much I devour material on mentalists, that night was a refeshing and reinvigorating time for even the more veteran mentalists among us, like myself, TJ, Lei, and Nomer.

It was all about getting people used to the basic concepts of mentalism, and how it stands apart from the rest of the art, as I outlined in The Mentalist's FAQ, as taken from Richard Osterlind. So we talked about four of the most commonly used aspects of mentalism:

1. Telepathy - The ability to read a person's mind.
2. Clairvoyance - The ability to foresee something that has yet to happen.
3. Psychokinesis - The ability to move objects without employing physical force.
4. Suggestion - The ability to control or influence another person's mind, including but not limited to hypnosis.

Anyways, we talked about a lot of general concepts, such as the Q and A segment, the Book Test, the prediction, the 1A/1B principle, and so forth. What was really amusing was the fact that when they tried doing a representative version of Psychometry, and someone was thinking of a celebrity.

Turns out, I got it right when I made a guess... was this celebrity Maria Ozawa? Yes it was.

The funny thing was, I wasn't exactly the performer at the time. It was Lei who was doing the routine, but I just tossed an offhand joke which turned out to be a hit... heh.

Aside from that, we went about demonstrating a whole bunch of classic effects, and what really made the night awesome was the realization that mentalism really has a lot of hard work needed to make it work, because if the criteria for magicians would be technical skill and presentation skill, mentalism's technical skill requirement is so minimal, but the presentation skill requirements are astronomically high. In any case, it all works out for people who really put a lot of work into their craft, as would be the case in pretty much anything one would want to do, to begin with.

This was a really great seminar for people with a mild interest in mentalism, as well as veterans who'd want to share ideas and give themselves a chance to remind themselves of old gems they may have discarded only because they forgot about the effect already.

Kudos to the organizers of this seminar, Lei and Nomer. Kudos as well to all the people who went to the workshop and made this one a hit, since your thoughts and ideas are precisely what allows the craft to evolve into an art that is uniquely your own. It was a really great time for all the people involved, and who says mentalism is boring?!? Let this stand as living proof to all those naysayers:

I rest my case.

To All JackTV Or UniversiTV Viewers...

.:I Have No Idea When I'd Show Up On TV, But...:.

... if you guys run into my TV appearance, can you guys let me know how it went? I'm supposed to appear on either or both of those channels because they caught me on camera while I was doing my walkaround magic at the Music And Arts Festival... =P

Thanks!!!

A Prelude

.:Eventful Weekend FTW:.

Just to let you know what's been happening during the past weekend, here's what I was up to, before I mention details...

Friday:

- The Mentalism workshop with The Story Circle.

Saturday:

- Did some walkaround magic for the 3rd Music And Arts Festival at Megatrade 3.

- Spent time with a colleague at work, just bonding.

Sunday:

- Had a smorgasbord lunch buffet at Cafe Ysabel for my mom's graduation from Culinary class.

- Did more walkaround magic for the 3rd Music And Arts Festival. =)

The Mentalist's FAQ

.:The Mentalist's FAQ:.

These answers are taken from the site of one of my biggest influences in mentalism, the world-famous Richard Osterlind, although I changed some answers to suit me personally, which I will note in blue font.

This is the resource to refer to if you want to know exactly what a Mentalist is.

What is a Mentalist?

A mentalist is an individual with the ability to identify and manipulate one or more of the parapsychological elements of the human psyche. I, like Osterlind, have specialized in the areas of ESP (Extra Sensory Perception), Mindreading, Psychokinesis and Suggestion.

Is a Mentalist a magician?

It's difficult to answer that question without raising some very tricky questions. Yes, most mentalists are also magicians. Yes, both mentalists and magicians seem to achieve things that seem to be outside the realms of reality.

But if the definition of a magician is one who "tricks" people through illusion or sleight of hand, then a mentalist is not a magician. When you watch a magician, you know he is fooling you, and the only barometer by which you are entertained is that you, despite knowing full well that you are being fooled, cannot pinpoint how he does it. A magician's implicit promise is a challenge to you: you will not catch him.

A mentalist, in contrast, is someone who "collaborates" with people to achieve their feats. If the person is in the least bit unwilling to aid the mentalist as he attempts to undertake a particular test, then there is a good chance that the mentalist will be unable to achieve what he intends to achieve. A mentalist's implicit promise is a collaboration with you: you will help him achieve the seemingly impossible.

Is a Mentalist psychic?

The term "psychic" has been a bit overused and abused in today's media. It conjures up everything from carnival fortune tellers to the infamous "Psychic Hot Line." I think it is fair to say that everyone has the potential to exercise some level of extrasensory or non-physical power. Much like a sense that can be sharpened to compensate for the loss of another sense or the way human memory can be expanded and sharpened, one's psychic potential is always an unknown until it is revealed and explored. The ability to focus on that potential and to expand its boundaries is at the heart of a psychic's extrasensory power.

Like Derren Brown, I emphasize that my skill in being "psychic" is less about being psychic in common parlance, and more a display of psychology, insight, suggestion, guesswork, misdirection, and showmanship. While I will make no claim of having special gifts that none of us can tap into, I can safely say that I am one of the few people who actively choose to tap into the vast well of the innate potency of the human mind, both as a Philosopher and a Mentalist.

Can you "read my mind?"

I have yet to see anyone outside of Hollywood who is truly able to read someone else's mind. Having said that, I believe - and demonstrate to an audience's delight - that it is quite possible to detect individual thoughts or thought processes, to explore them in context with other indicators or clues (verbal, non-verbal, historical, etc.), and influence what a person will think. This is called suggestion or "Power of Suggestion."

Can an individual prevent you from reading specific thoughts?

The human mind is an amazing thing. Just as there are widely varied levels of intellectual capability, people vary greatly in the degree to which they open themselves up verbally or non-verbally, consciously - or unconsciously. We always hear about how certain people are more susceptible to the power of suggestion. Others are reluctant to open themselves up to the concept of psychic energy and paranormal phenomena. The truth is, without someone who is willing to meet me halfway on stage, the mind retains its secrets like an iron box.

Do you ever use illusion in your show?

I am an entertainer. I love mystery and creating mystery. I always try to give the impression what I do is extraordinary. That involves using illusion in the same way as theatrical productions, movies and television. The goal of my performance is to create an environment that includes humor, awe, and wonder.

Are you ever wrong?

Mentalism is an art that requires a lot of attunement, and to say that I have a hit rate of 100% would be absurd. In spite of that, I would say that over the time since I have gone public, I have been steadily improving my skills to a very reliable rate, as most of the people who have seen me perform would know.

Do you ever teach any of your skills?

As a friend of The Story Circle, a good deal of them are privy to some of my work and my insights, albeit I am not alone in that department insofar as the members of TSC are all very aware of the workings of the mentalist. However, I am a teacher by profession as well, and welcome the opportunity to impart my skills to those willing enough to learn, and have used my skills to aid my attempts at elucidation in seminars and classes that I have been involved in.

What do you wish to accomplish?

As a Philosopher and as an educator, I am after the unlocking of wonder within those whom I do my mentalism for. In a world of cynicism where we seem to know how everything works, it is comforting to know that the very thing that tries to make sense of our world, our minds, is the very thing whose potency we understand the least.

As an entertainer, I desire nothing but the utmost entertainment of my audience. Whether through a humorous performance or a nerve-wracking crescendo, I am willing to pull out all the stops to make my mark as a Filipino mentalist, as an "ambassador" of sorts to the rest of the world in the realm of mentalism.

Sheer Hilarity

.:Dan Michael: The Master Magician:.

Hi. I am Dan Michael. I believe that with magic, there is nothing impossible to the naked eye.

To see is to believe, and to believe is to dream, and to dream is to survive.

That is why I am the Master Magician!



I don't think I need to say anything else beyond that. Just watch and weep. Tin siykunds!!! =P

A Big Request, And Magic-Related Stuff...

.:A Heads Up:.

After this post, I am considering if I should post exclusively in my magic weblog whenever I will do any magic-related press releases. When I do that, I will simply direct you via link to the Magikel blog, which I am hoping to make far more interesting in the coming weeks, albeit I'm still very iffy about showing a lot of my magic on video.

As much as I want everything to be found on my main blog or my LJ, it seems making a semblance of a break between my magic and the rest of my life would keep myself from ingratiating myself to readers who don't want to see me shilling myself for gigs, which I feel justified doing in the Magikel blog.

In any case, whether or not I will do this to establish a clean break remains to be seen, but do let me know what you think, because I really am unsure about doing what I intend to do, since I personally like finding all my posts in one place.

.:A Request To My Blogger Friends:.

For those who are willing to spare me some pictures, I am in the process of creating a brochure of my magic and hosting work for potential clients. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I would like to request anyone willing to send me pictures if you've ever taken a picture with me in a blogger event, whether it be for magic, hosting, or just plain hanging out. I've been very shoddy with documentation, but I'm hoping I can still scrounge up some pictures and the like for a brochure.

Please provide me with a name and a website so I can fully credit you if the picture you send me ends up in my brochure. Furthermore, if anyone would be willing to make testimonials for me regarding my magic, that would also be much appreciated, be it via e-mail, or over the blogs itself.

I know this is a pretty big request I'm asking of you, but I really need it to get my publicity machine going. My e-mail address is at mistervader@gmail.com, so anyone who's so kind enough to help me out a bit would very much give me some cause for joy. =)

Thanks to everyone, in advance!

The After-Partymath

.:So I Have This Friend Named Audrey...:.

Funny thing about one of my co-teachers, Audrey Tong.

Apparently, her middle name is Uy, making her Audrey U. Tong.

That's just wrong. =P

.:Must. Make. Weekly. Plan. First.:.

This is the last non-teaching day I have in Reedley, so now is a good time to make sure I acclimate myself to how a weekly lesson plan ought to look like.

Unlike Philosophy and unlike college teaching, high school teaching has an inherent amount of difficulty to it, marked by its incredibly rigorous way of dealing with students, in contrast to the generally more laissez faire method employed in college teaching.

For the longest time, I always said I will forever hold elementary and high school teachers to a different level of regard from even my favorite college teachers. Yes, my favorite college teachers are all brilliant and shaped me in unbelievable ways, but at the end of the day, what Ms. Rivero did for me in high school will forever be on a level all its own, regardless of how huge an influence the likes of Mr. Bulaong or Mr. Calasanz have managed to exert on me.

And now, I'm heeding one of the most challenging vocations on Earth: teaching high school. I can't even begin to tell you how daunting it is to someone like myself, but it's a challenge I will myself to face.

.:Taste Asia 2: When Sequels Outdo Their Predecessors:.

Picture taken from Aileen Apolo. Marcelle the host, and Sorsi, the head-banging rock star? You be the judge!

Taste Asia 2 was a success, much kudos to SM Hypermarket and Aileen, and I'd like to give a shout-out to my co-host, Sorsi, as we just really enjoyed hosting the event for the 400++ strong crowd composed of bloggers.

It was a fun-filled night, and congratulations to all the winners, of course including the likes of Anton Diaz, and the grand prize winner himself, Anitokid!. With so many raffle prizes to give away that we ran out of calling cards to draw from our fishbowl, practically everyone who came there did not leave empty-handed, or at least did not leave with an empty stomach. As I always do, I did some magic for the people there, although Tiffany promptly made my jaw drop by showing me how to really solve a cube. Turns out Tiffany is a speed-cuber, and she can solve cubes in a minute, flat. My best time, whether blindfolded or otherwise, is a mere two minutes, so much respect to Tiff for that feat.

In any case, it was an awesome night, and funny quips left and right were thrown throughout the event. The food was really great as usual, and the people were a joy to perform for, particularly when I actually did magic for the Taste Asia people already, including even the waiters, along with the management. It was a really good run, as I did a bit of Liquid Metal, some Ultimate Transpo, and of course, the Closeup Illusion. The Wizard Manual also served its purpose, and all in all, I was really on a roll, and hosting the event was quite an experience in itself. It did my heart much good as well when someone from SM Hypermarket told the people watching me perform that I wasn't a magician: I was a mentalist. Finally, the notion *is* catching on!

I hung out for a while even after the party to just talk to friends here and there, and it was all good. Much thanks to Shari for letting me hitch a ride home, and a happy birthday to her dad as well.

Again, a big shout-out to everyone who was there, and it was a really great experience! One can only hope this is just the second of even more events courtesy of SM Hypermarket.

You can be sure I'll be around to support them in any way I can. =P

Beginning To Understand An Ethics Of Deception

.:Why Mentalism?:.

For someone who wishes to write a dissertation on the ethics of deception for his doctorate, it's a bit odd that the particular branch I specialize in would be mentalism, which is just a stone's throw from the charlatans of our times, the mediums and the quacks who try to pass off their abilities as genuine supernatural abilities that make their clients hang on to every single word they have to say.

While I do enjoy mentalism, I deliberately keep the opportunities for my audience to be influenced beyond my performance to a minimum, because I really do not want the kind of responsibility that comes with shaping people's lives through a reading of their personality that, while most of the time accurate, is still never foolproof. Reading a person involves psychology, insight, and quite an amount of guesswork, so the fact that you will influence a person, and unlike a teacher, cannot follow up on the effect you managed to catalyze in them.

As a teacher, if I would shape a student, I would have the ability to guide that influence in the proper direction, because I know I would deal with my students often enough to be able to do so. As a mentalist however, I have no such capability since more often than not, that will be the first and the last time I would ever meet that person. Thus, that being the case, I cannot help but underscore that while I certainly have the potential to read people to a tee when I do mentalism, I have little choice but to not rely on it as much lest I influence people adversely.

Despite that obvious conflict, mentalism is still arguably my favorite branch of the art, because it stands as arguably the last bastion of the art, insofar as in a world of special effects and made-for-tv magic, mentalism still holds the morally ambiguous distinction as one of the truest forms of the art that still remains, because of the simplicity of its nature and its dependence on an audience that is not out to see the performer fail.

I choose mentalism because it taps into the unexplored realms of the human person's abilities: it taps into the sense of wonder, yet at the same time is grounded in reality because in a time where everything can seemingly be summed up handily by science, the small nagging questions about clairvoyance, psychokinesis, and telepathy, still hold an allure all its own that few other things in this planet can hope to even approximate.

Mentalism may not require you to have knuckle-busting skill, but the kind of mindset you must constantly and consistently will yourself into when performing does not come easy, even for those with an innate gift for it, as it were. It requires restraint, subtlety, and showmanship all at the same time, and the mix one needs to endeavor into these three factors are unique to mentalism all its own.

Ultimately, as someone who wishes to specialize in ethics for Philosophy, mentalism proves to be a lived example of the fine line that only it manages to cross with much aplomb, that fine line between ethics and deception.

Wheee!!!

.:And I *Still* Haven't Started Teaching...:.

It's Wednesday, and while I was introduced to one of my classes today, aside from the fact that I might be way in over my head in dealing with high-school kids, it would appear to me that I don't really start teaching until next week.

That being the case, I'm going to make the most out of my breathing room at the moment. I really am enjoying the company of my co-workers so far, and meeting the German intern Sven was really fun as well. I hit it off pretty well with most of the people here, especially with Benj, who also owns a PSP, and Audrey, who I just find so easy to talk to about anything and everything, considering we've really only been around each other for three days.

I like it here. And things have been making interesting turns left and right the last few days, so it's all good...

.:That's The Way The Cookie Crumbles...:.

Last night was the launch for the Mrs. Fields Cookie Cafe branch in U.N. Avenue, as organized by Jayvee, and it was definitely a success. As always, the usual suspects were there, such as Ms. Noemi, Shari, Sorsi, and Karlo. I even met a few new people, like Nikki, who happens to be the niece of one of my favorite teachers, Mr. Dy-Liacco!

Anyways, I went there as I was tapped by JayVee to do a bit of mentalism for the people, and I came through with all-new material. I want to do another effect over, and I may get a chance when I get to host this Thursday for the SM Hypermart event tomorrow, as requested of me by Aileen, but at the end of the day, I was just glad to have entertained people that night, and slowly but surely, opportunities to take my show on the road have been slowly presenting themselves to me.

Blindsight, Liquid Metal, and of course, the Wizard's Manual were huge reaction-getters that night, even if I was actually using Liquid Metal purely for walkaround at that point, and no longer for stage. The owner of Mrs. Fields was visibly impressed by the effect, and even Nikki and I exchanged souvenirs: I got a copy of her book, The Yellow Paperclip With Purple Spots, and she got a Liquid Metal fork in kind.

It was fun hanging out with all the bloggers, truth be told, and the quote of the night just simply had to be:

Hindi ko naman kelangan ng lalaki, eh. Masaya na ako sa sarili ko.

So pinapaligaya mo ang sarili mo?

Pure gold, and to protect the identities of the culprits of this dialogue, I shall stay mum about it. Heh.

This week is definitely a loaded week for me. On top of my current gigs as listed in one of my recent post, I'm also going to do a children's party for The Ranch in Tiendesitas next Saturday. There are a few more projects here and there waiting in the wings, and it's all good, considering how just a week ago, I was lamenting the lack of gigs coming my way.

For better or for worse, when it rains, it definitely pours.

Randomicity...

.:Saturday Night Magic:.

It was a fairly quiet night for the TSC last night, but it was all good. I did a bit of crashing for a few people at Megastrip, and my first go was when I did magic for some Persians at the behest of Drac, and as soon as he was introduced, he never let go of those spectators.

Meanwhile, I crashed for a couple more people, but I was also doing some magic for a new TSC member, Marla, who was particularly amused by mentalism, and towards the end of the night, me and the rest of the guys were just having fun doing comedy magic for each other, and unbelievably, Marla was actually amazed by the levitating ballpen effect! Heh.

Magical Plugs

.:Shameless Self-Promotion:.

I was tempted to do magic for Quentin Tarantino when he was in town as well, but that would've solely been for bragging rights. It's not like a guy trying to get a drink in the Philippines while on tour would be particularly helpful to a guy like me... =P

Despite that, I ended up doing the unthinkable last Friday night while I was waiting for Sean: yes indeed, I hung out at Pilita Corales's restaurant, and I did magic for her and Kuya Germs! At this point, I'd like to think I impressed them well enough, and Kuya Germs was telling me he'd want me to guest at his show, Walang Tulugan, sometime soon.

Shameless self-promotion FTW!!!

.:Scheduled Appearances...:.

This week is a particularly loaded week for my magic, so anyone who's interested in seeing yours truly in action would be pleased to know that this is what I have lined up for the week...

21 August, Tuesday: Mrs. Fields relaunch at UN Avenue, 7PM.

23 August, Thursday: SM Hypermart, Mall Of Asia, 7PM.

24-26 August, Friday-Sunday: Music And Arts Festival, Megatrade Hall 3, 3PM onwards (Except Friday, where I'd probably be there only during the evening onwards.).

Hopefully, things would really pick up from here, because I've been going out of my way to really plant the seeds for me to really break into the scene, and with nothing but the best magic and mentalism effects in my repertoire, it's not a matter of how far I can go, but how far I'm willing to go.

Magical Thoughts...

.:Genuine Street Magic:.

A few weeks ago, Carlo from TSC and I went and did street magic around Ortigas in the middle of the night, and it was definitely a hit! We went ahead and just walked around, and the reactions we got from the people was just awesome.

Nights like these, I’m reminded why I do magic in the first place… here’s hoping we can do more of that in the future.

.:And Finally, Sightless Vision Is Here:.

I finally got the Richard Osterlind blindfold and it just simply works like a dream. Last Saturday night, I demonstrated O.R.B.S. at least four times in a row at Starbucks in Araneta, and at one point, I solved the cube while being observed by a speed cuber, who was thankfully at least impressed from what I did.

That being said, I had a good run last night. Following after Leonard's magic really works out well for me, mainly because our routines are so widely different that the audiences don't feel bored despite seeing close to half an hour of effects already. I don't think Nomer and I would have the same kind of luxury.

Leonard's over the head routine was incredibly fun as well! It was really amusing seeing him floor his audience with the simplest of effects, and the high energy level of the performance really gives people quite a rush.

In any case, I've been designing a few effects, one of them involving Talecraft. Here's hoping that I can ask permission from the makers of Talecraft to feature the effect in a magic video. That'd be really awesome, since there's nothing quite like a mentalism effect where you construct a short story prediction from Talecraft cards your audience would pick.

Anyways, Starbucks Araneta was an awesome venue for The Story Circle. One can only hope that there's more where that they came from in the future.

.:Book Tests Galore:.

I'm currently going over the new book tests I acquired last Wednesday, and I think I'd like to give a review or two for the books I got. They're really awesome, for the most part, and I think it's high time I did some product reviews of the magic items I've been acquiring over time. It's the least I can do.

That being said, I got my hands on the following book tests:

1. The Wizard Manual, by Docc Hilford
2. Double Coincidence, by Devin Knight
3. The Dracula Book Test, by Black And Cherry
4. The Sherlock Holmes Book Test, by Black And Cherry

Those are the four book tests I got, in order of preference. I really like the Wizard Manual a lot, while the fact that the Sherlock Holmes book test doesn't stand on its own turns me off a bit. Regardless, it's all good, but I should've really gotten my own copy of the Dracula Book Test. I just ended up keeping it warm for Jay, really.

.:Pow Wow:.

Hanging out with the TSC people and Jay Mata has been giving me a lot of ideas for new effects, so we have the likes of a Talecraft story prediction effect, which just really goes over pretty beautifully, if only I can figure out one little hitch in the method...

In any case, Jay and I are considering how to improve stuff for our shows even further, and we kinda resolved to work on a better book for the Wizard Manual, as well as working on developing homemade versions of some other Osterlind effects, like Transparent Forces.

Bushed, As Usual...

.:Frustration:.

For a magician, hecklers could be the worst kind of people you'd ever meet.

However, I am inclined to think otherwise.

I truly believe that the worst spectators around are the ones who practically destroy your props, whether by sheer carelessness or outright malicious intent to ruin you.

Last Saturday, I was treated to the rare privilege of performing, upon request by another magician, for a group of people containing two of the worst possible types of audience ever: the said heckler who had something to say every five seconds, and the blithering nincompoop who heavily damaged my Wizard Manual finale.

I cannot conceal how annoyed I am at the one who asked me to perform for his friends, because he knew in the first place that I was going to deal with a mouthy know-it-all in the audience, when I wasn't even going to do "magic", to begin with. I was going to simply do mentalism, and the bloody fool, in her desire to be the star of the show, was too stupid to remember the two words I asked her to remember on the page. My only vindication was when one of the other people asked me if I could turn her into a monkey, and I snappily retorted, "It's been done already."

Nomer, friend or no friend, I'm never going to do magic upon your request ever again. That was a horrible experience that just pissed the Hades out of me. The Wizard Manual does not grow on trees, so I'm being exceedingly nice in not asking for a replacement.

Le Sigh...

.:And The Ink Has Dried...:.

... Yet somehow, I feel I'm getting the short end of the stick. I'm actually going to making less than I was making from WAVE with my new job, but I guess the normal hours should at least make up for it.

But I just wish I had more breathing room financially. Now, having gigs isn't a "nice-to-have", it's turning into a must...

.:That Took Guts...:.

I approached Pilita Corrales and Kuya Germs last night in Greenhills to give my calling card.

I should've prepared a demo... =(

Guh... Unemployment

.:It's So Weird...:.

After three years, I'm *really* unemployed.

It feels so weird being unemployed, even if I happen to still be a student. I guess it just feels so unnerving, as if this isn't how it's supposed to be for me.

And now, I'm feeling the crunch. Until September, I have no source of income whatsoever, and it's been rather disorienting for me, since for all of my previous company's shortcomings, they were still a reliable source of income...

I know this seems rather blatant of me, but I am really calling on anyone who can help me out of this pickle, because this month may just very well get the best of me otherwise.

Most of you reading here know who I am, and what I do. I am an accomplished host and master of ceremonies, as well as one of the more high-profile mentalists out there not named Sonny Minoza or Erik Mana. I would really appreciate help from any of you who might be able to give me leads and contacts I could use, because I really want to take the next logical step in this "career" of sorts.

I am very much available for bookings, and all you need do is e-mail me at mistervader@gmail.com. I'd really, really appreciate it.

Thanks, guys. This is one of those times where I really can't just coast along. It's time for me to really step up...

Hodgey Podgey

.:Hodgey Podgey:.

Magic items arrived, and I even took the time out to meet up with bloggers in two different gatherings, both involving Yehey.

That being said, I'm too busy to blog properly, and I know I've been delinquent for the past couple of weeks. I can't help it, really, and I'm disappointed in myself, too.

I've been marketing my shows lately, and I'm hoping that I get something out of that this month.

In any case, my thanks to my two favorite guinea pigs for effects I plan to debut, namely, Crissey and Shari. You guys have been a great help in allowing me to gauge how to routine my new stuff.

I'll Be On TV Tonight!

.:The Sweet Life HP7 Launch Episode Is TONIGHT!:.

Check out "The Sweet Life" on QTV-11 tonight, 6:30 PM,as I will be having my fifteen seconds of fame as the magician at the Harry Potter 7 Book Launch they covered last Saturday in Fully Booked @ the Fort.

Lemme know how you like it!

.:Fully Booked Recap:.

So yes, I was booked at Fully Booked (I love saying that.) as the magician-on-call for the Harry Potter 7 book launch (Book Review coming next week, but I finished the ruddy book on the same day I got it.). I got there around 6:20, a good forty or so minutes before the store was going to open, and I immediately saw people in line, albeit not as many as we anticipated at the start.

I immediately got to work, and performed for the first six people in line. They were genuinely pleased with my routine, as one of them was genuinely floored even by my Ring Thing opener, and the Ultimate Transhypno effect was worthy of being a finisher for this group. Nonetheless, I capped my short routine off for them with Liquid Metal, and left it at that.

From there, I moved onto various people, and even ended up being interviewed by some people from QTV-11, and someone from Correspondents Asia, although I think they got disappointed to find out I wasn't a member of Hogwarts Philippines, which was mainly because I have a sinking feeling if I started joining NWA-affiliated organizations, I'd spread myself out too thin. I also love The Matrix, LOTR, Star Wars, and so forth, so if I joined PHP, it'd be a crime not to join the other groups. But I digress.

So in any case, I performed for the next couple of hours, including once for Hope and her cousin. I had some other performances here and there, but I kept my routine mostly the same as most of my walkaround bits everywhere else, since I knew that stuff has always served me well.

However, I knew I was merely gearing up for a short stage presentation, and I told Paolo of NWA about that. I was slowly building a reputation for Osterlind's Rubik's Blindfolded Solve (Henceforth, this effect shall be refered to as ORBS.), and I knew it had to be done.

With much fanfare and a few preliminary effects, I managed to pull the effect off smoothly, and with that, I capped my bit off, and went ahead to collect my bounty: among other things, I received a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for my efforts, and hopefully, a good deal of awareness that there's yet another magician/mentalist running around the metro... =P

Oops!

.:Erratum:.

Apparently, my TV appearance on Channel 11 wasn't tonight, but this Wednesday night, around 6:30 PM. This is for the show "The Sweet Life", and features my magic gig last Saturday for the Harry Potter book launch.

That being said, hope you guys can catch it!

My Magic On TV! (Hopefully)

.:The Sweet Life, QTV Channel 11, 6:30 PM:.

Hey, guys! I might be on TV tonight, or tomorrow night, because of the show I did for the Harry Potter book launch at Fully Booked last Saturday.

Lemme know how it turns out, since I have class!

Thanks!

Magical Update...

.:Booked At Fully Booked!:.

I'll be there at the Harry Potter 7 launch of Fully Booked in the Fort. I know it's way too far and way too early at7 in the morning, but I'm sure there'll be a lot of people there. Perfect opportunity for me to build my rep up...

I'm still looking for bookings. Here's hoping I find a few more by August...

.:Pre-Show: A Call To A Gellasenheit Of Wonder:.

Well, as I mentioned, I was booked on a Friday the 13th by Sir Nonoy and his wife, as there was a birthday party they wanted me at, the 79th birthday of the man fondly known by his grandchildren as Lolo Etong. Unlike most of my other bookings, I was going to do a pure mentalism act, and I was fairly glad I finally got the chance to flex my muscles in this endeavor.

So I got there at Kamay Kainan early enough, and I was preparing a few of my items, which is why I brought a jacket with me, which was purely going to be for walkaround. I had a few decks of cards, and of course, my ring for the De'Ring + Ring Thing routine, as well as some effects for my calling cards. Soon enough, dinner was served, and as I was famished, I made sure to fill up before even starting. Performing on a competely empty stomach is not good at all...

Food was great. It was a buffet of Filipino cuisine, so you have everything from Bistek to Liempo to Kare-Kare. That was really awesome.

In any case, walkaround was a very simple matter of course. I usually do this stuff, but I had to give everything I did, barring De'Ring, a mentalist edge. The Ultimate Transpo was a demonstration of low-grade hypnosis, and it worked very well. It was a setup for my attempt at mass hypnosis later on in the night.

This was a unique experience because the kids in attendance, the standout being Alwin, were genuinely interested in mentalism. Normally, mind-reading is a concept lost on kids because they're more likely to go for the visual and spectacular magic, not the subtle yet mindboggling effects mentalists do. The fact that I personally endeavor in both allows me to experience the differences firsthand.

That being said, there was ample anticipation built up by my walkaround routine. It was only a matter of nailing the stage show when we finally get there.

.:The Main Event: Mission Accomplished!:.

Let me give credit where credit is due. Much gratitude to the five main originators of my act: Richard Osterlind, Max Maven, Banachek, Morgan Strebler, and Devin Knight. I picked and chose the best elements of these five upstanding mentalists, resulting in last Friday’s program. Of course, my thanks to the people who directly led me to these esteemed people: Mr. Bing Lim-It, and Dr. Ronnie Moraleta.

Unfortunately, just so I don't give away the contents of my routine in public, I will simply say that I've done a lot of effects that were meant to floor the audience present, and I'll let their glowing comments speak for itself instead. I'd want to keep people on their toes so they don't know what to expect from my show except that it's going to be one Hades of an experience for them.

I'm glad they enjoyed the show, and I can only hope that there's more opportunities for me to amaze people this way to come.

Prelude To Friday The 13th

.:Hey, Jay!:.

My thanks to Jay Mata for lending me his Pegasus Page copy of The Prestige. I must say, he did a pretty brilliant job at it, not to mention the few other stuff he constructed himself, which is just perfect for my next booking...

.:Speaking Of Booking...:.

Yes, blogging works! This Friday, I'll be doing a mentalism show for a birthday party, and I have prepared a stunning repertoire meant to really floor everyone. I'm going to take a page from Derren Brown's book and just run with it... ::winks::

So for anyone else who wants to add some pizazz to their parties, I'm still available for bookings (As I usually am.). It's time to unlock the boundaries of the mind, courtesy of yours truly. Feel free to reach me via e-mail at mistervader@gmail.com. =)

Wish me luck on Friday! I have a packed show!

.:Thanks, Crissey!:.

I owe Crissey a bit as well for being my willing guinea pig for my take on Black Ops Hypnosis.

I haven't perfected the effect yet, but the fact that Crissey *did* forget what just happened made me smile. Looks like I got things down to pat for the most part...

Looks like I have a finale for tomorrow's show.

.:Friday The 13th? Pah!:.

I'm... not... scared... Aja!

Taste Asia: The Party

.:Bloggers Assemble!:.

So last Tuesday night, at the behest of Aileen Apolo, I headed off to SM Mall Of Asia where the bloggers got together. My memory is failing me, but I remember running into quite a few popular bloggers, and I'll do the link-loving thing when I get a comprehensive enough list. Heh.

In any case, I came prepared with a short but sweet mentalism routine that was designed to really make an impact: Disposable Color, Nile Derivation, Lightning Box, Liquid Metal, Fork Flower, and the Blindfolded Rubik's Solve. Sorsi and JayVee were hosting, so it was definitely going to be a hilarious program whatever happened. After Aileen spoke up, Sorsi mentioned to the SM people that someone has been swiping their forks, and they're going to find out what this guy happened to do with these forks, and that was my cue to go up and do my schtick.

In any case, for a taste of one of my favorite acts that night (The Osterlind Fork Flower, here's a thousand words (Ergo, one picture...), originally from Karla Redor:

The power of Christ compels you! The power of Christ compels you!

And of course, Much thanks to Alliver and PJ, who were my “eyes” when I solved the rubik's cube for my finale. This time, the picture is originally from Alan Racoma:

I'm blind! Blind as a bat! How blind is a bat?

Well, it was a success all the way, and I managed to complete the cube quickly enough. Shari was her usual self, just staring in utter disbelief at the fork bending at her behest. Her brother, Robby, was more of the same. During dinner, I ran into a lot of other bloggers, and even a lot of other people I knew from outside of blogging. All in all, it was a really eventful night, and even latecomers like Rico and Sasha were welcome additions to the celebrations. One of the earlybirds would naturally be Ms. Janette Toral, and with blogging celebrity Ms. Noemi Dado, this was a star-studded event, to say the least.

Taste Asia's food was eclectic, considering how they had everything from sisig to siopao, and just about everything in between. The food was splendid, and with the mix of food they had available, there was definitely something for everyone, to say the least.

All in all, the party was a veritable success. One can only hope more of these events turn up soon enough, seeing how well-received it was by the blogging community.

Congratulations to all the people who made this possible! This was just a really awesome meeting of the minds!

And, as ganked from Aileen: Link-Loving galore!

An Apple a Day
Pinoycentric
Zoul1380's The Daily Me!
Misteryosa
Project Manila
Ramblings of a Princess
Sexy Mom
Ceskypooh's World
Keysinunez.com
Bambastic
Single Brown Mommy
Bakla Ako, May Reklamo?
Touched by an Angel
Teacher Julie
Bababa ba?
Ultradust
The Thumbsucker
Mimi and Karl (Cliquebooth owners)
Jerico
You Will Be Forever
Tom
Mr. Kwee for SM Hypermarket
Paul's Blog
Pinoyblogero
Biyahilo
Baratillo.net
Rockersworld.com
Techievangelism
Vignettes
The Chef at Chez Panda
Brian's Blog
Sharmskee
Rain Contreras
Prudence and Madness
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Wonder

.:The Sense Of Wonder: The Philosopher-Mentalist's Harmony:.

"We see the world, not the way it is, but in the way we are."

- Talmund

It's easy to get lost and jaded when you have nothing but angst to fill your waking moments. When you just feel like there's no cause for you to get up out of bed, and nothing is driving you any longer.

As a magician, I have learned that my ability to entertain lies in my ability to unlock a sense of wonder in my audience. There are times I achieve this, there are times I simply don't. While doing the best magic show I can could certainly unlock wonder in a lot of people, there will always be the skeptic or even the heckler who wants to prove he's better than me and act unimpressed, all the while figuring out whether quietly or otherwise how this or that effect works.

It's a very subtle dichotomy: how receptive your audience is to the concept of magic, and how good your execution and persona while performing happens to be. For the most part, you can rest assured that even the most skeptical of audiences would at least begrudgingly respect the most skilled prestidigitationist, but not everyone can channel Chow Yun Fat in "Lord Of Gamblers", so relying on pure skill and cheek would sometimes be insufficient.

Magic is viewed, as is any other thing, with varying degrees of acceptance or skepticism, not merely because of what you can do as a magician, but also because of how the audience thinks. While this is common sense to any performer, some people still overlook this, and end up getting into a one-upsmanship contest with a given spectator.

The moment you do this as a magician, you pretty much have conceded defeat already. No matter how good you are or how bad the offending spectator is, in trying to compete with them, you defeat the purpose of helping them unlock their sense of wonder. Instead, you're now just flat-out trying to show them up.

In knowing our motivations, our passions, and the things that drive us, we see that a sense of wonder does not necessarily rely on how old someone is. While it's true that children are in general more entertained by magic than adults, and women more than men, and drunk more than sober, this does not mean that performing magic for sober adult men will never pay off. Believe it or not, despite my personal preference of usually selecting a group which is predominantly female, the best reactions more often than not come from the few male spectators in the group.

As I am taking up Epistemology under Dr. Angeles in my Masters for Philosophy, she emphasizes that a sense of wonder is something that allows us to dwell, to linger, and to focus on something. In an age of fast food and fast cars and fast internet connections, there is much to be said about a deliberate and conscious effort to slow down and smell the proverbial roses from time to time. In having a sense of wonder, anything we do never ceases to be exciting. Even the most repetitive of routines can be made spectacular simply by finding the discipline to dwell, linger, and focus. This ability to dwell is precisely what Heidegger endorses in several of his writings.

The key to developing a sense of wonder is habituation. In allowing one's self to find the small miracles in the simplest of things, in allowing one's self to find elegance in the seemingly crude, then one embarks upon a path only the most serious of magicians genuinely take: that of learning to astound even themselves.

It’s easy to be jaded because of what we see in the world. It’s easy to take the worst in what we see and ignore that which is good or beautiful or worthy of praise. It’s not that a magician is a bad performer most of the time, it’s that the jaded magician does not see himself as the broker of wonder. He sees himself as an employee, or as an amateur, or sees magic merely as a means to an end, and the way he views his craft lends an impact and an aura to his performance that most of the audience catch on to. This is what sets apart any regular street magician from a David Blaine, or any regular stage magician from a David Copperfield. These two famous prestidigitationists have an intrinsic sense of wonder in the very things they do. In short, the audience’s sense of wonder is inextricably tied to that of the performer’s!

Yes, I am a magician, but even I must learn how to have a sense of wonder. It’s easy to brush off another version of, say, the ambitious card routine, as a trick “I’ve seen a thousand times before”. Yet why does such a simple yet elegant routine still persist to this day. There is a reason why the Ambitious Card is a classic, and there is a reason why the classics are still popular even now. To ignore the basics in favor of the so-called new and cutting edge is to bypass a seemingly tedious but genuinely rewarding aspect of the craft: mastering the fundamentals.

The sense of wonder for a magician is in finding the amazing and astounding even in the simplest of effects. Before even attempting to do Bill Goldman’s “Free Chance”, knowledge of a key fundamental move must be mastered first. Even I found myself guilty of bypassing learning this very basic move in favor of doing the effect right away, often taking away from the overall impact of the routine. While learning swivels, undercuts, and other seemingly mundane principles would appear boring to the eager magician, those who have a genuine sense of wonder learn to appreciate how the most effective effects are usually the ones with the simplest principles behind them.

Who here doesn’t appreciate the unbelievably simple yet elegant forces at work in Anthony Billan Co’s Mindbender? To those who find that upon “killing the fairy” they are disappointed, I feel dismay for them. Mindbender is one of my favorite effects not just because it is very impactful and happens right before the spectator’s eyes, but it’s also because what makes it work is just so brilliant that it’s a surprise nobody published the effect sooner!

It’s not just the spectators who need a sense of wonder. We as magicians do not have absolute control over that, to begin with.. We ourselves need to have a sense of wonder in our own routines, no matter how many times we’ve done it in front of a mirror before. We have to learn to believe our own hype and learn to view our effects with the same kind of enthusiasm we wish our spectators to meet us with. Unfortunate is the prestidigitationist who looks at the “correct” hand while doing a French drop. A pox on the elite who look down on the novice and destroy their confidence instead of helping them learn.

In having a sense of wonder, we learn to sell ourself. In believing in our own magic, we not only take the audience on a journey, but go with them with the same wide-eyed awe that we wish to imbibe in them.

The real world is full of jaded people who can’t see beyond what they tell themselves to see. There ought be no room for that for the prestidigitationist, lest he be no different from the hoi poloi that he hopes to uplift through his simple means.. Let the magician be the key to unlocking a sense of wonder in those whom they deal with, and be the advocates for those who wish to dwell, linger, and focus.

Videos Galore...

.:Coincidence With A Cube:.

There are 42,000,000,000,000,000,000 different configurations for a rubik's cube. Simply put, if you can see 1,000 combinations a second, and with only about a few million seconds in a year, it would take you about 30,000 years to see every single combination possible.

With these numbers, it boggles the mind how there can only be one combination to solving a cube. It becomes even more boggling when two people can come up with the exact same combination just by shuffling a cube behind their backs, as if some kind of psionic link between them exists.

This is Coinci-Cube, and you'd be loath to miss it.

And just because I feel like it, I'm embedding it here for you to see it as well...

.:Thanks, Crissey!:.

As I mentioned, I made new friends last Tuesday, as I hung out in Ateneo after class, and one of them is Crissey.

In any case, I did a bit of magic for her and the rest of the people there, and of course, one of the highlights of my routine is the now-infamous Liquid Metal, as done by Morgan Strebler. This is definitely a show-stopper, and I'd have embedded it had I asked permission from Crissey sooner.

In any case, if you want to see this awesome fork bending routine for yourself, feel free to check out the videos HERE, then HERE. Hope you jabronis like it.

And, oh, since you all know I'm not exactly the richest guy alive right now, if you want to book me for a magic show, just get in touch with me over at my e-mail, mistervader@gmail.com. I can do mentalism routines, street magic routines, even children's party routines. All you need do is ask.

Finally! This Blog Is ALIVE!!!

.:Don’t Miss Out On ToyCon ’07, Because…:.

Kel Fabie is more easily recognized as Kel the Mushroom, one half of the Insomaniacs at WAVE 89.1, from Tuesdays to Fridays, 2-6 in the morning. However, he has been slowly building a name for himself in quite a different path.

As a friend to quite a few members of the Philippine Cosplay community, he has been seen hosting last year’s TOEI-nty Group Cosplay competition at Eastwood City, and has been a constant presence in other conventions such as UP’s AME Matsuri, Hero Channel’s Hataw Hanep Hero, and the recently-concluded launch of Mangaholix in SM Mall of Asia, to mention a few.

Lately, however, Kel has been making quite a name for himself as a magician and mentalist, having performed for parties and audiences organized by the likes of Richard Merck, Mapua University, and presidential daughter Luli Arroyo, and his unique and versatile brand of prestidigitation has extended to the Philippine cosplay committee, as he has performed “crash magic” (The term “crash magic” is courtesy of The Story Circle.) for the people on-the-spot, for the entertainment of those watching.

No stooges. No pre-show setup. Obviously, no camera tricks. Kel Fabie’s repertoire will amaze and astound you, and baffle the mind, as he tells you that anything he can do, you can do. All it takes is unlocking a sense of wonder and gaining an insight into the human psyche. From cards to rings to forks, you will be entertained and astounded at what he has to offer, and all you have to do is show up and watch!

This year’s Philippine Toy Convention will be the next venue for Kel’s “crash magic”, as he does walkaround magic for the audiences on Saturday and Sunday, culminating in a rare onstage appearance as he performs his show-stopping effects, topped off by one that must be seen to be believed! Don’t miss out on it, because all you have to do is go to the ToyCon, and you get grade-A mentalism along with the other excellent highlights of the convention, all for the price of entry!

Get ready to unlock your sense of wonder.

For those interested in booking Kel Fabie for shows, get in touch with him via e-mail: mistervader@gmail.com.