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.