Magical Recap...

.:Feuds?:.

Meh. I think I'll pass.

.:The LEAP Of Faith:.

Last Monday was DLSU's alternative class day, and I was pegged as a speaker/lecturer for a good three hours about street magic. According to RJ, my contact in DLSU, I was going to teach basic street magic to some students, and while of course, the easiest thing to do would be to teach them card magic, I wanted to add a little something aside from that.

Cakit was there with me, which made my life much easier as he helped me brainstorm a few things, including something for Mindstorm, and this helped me finalize my routine for the upcoming show. At the same time, he helped me out during the lecture as well, particularly when demonstrating basic sleights like the double undercut.

Anyways, it was fun because even RJ showed off a bit of magic when he talked about the ZTE scandal (Something I still haven't mulled over enough to blog about, sadly.), and when it got to me, I opened with Mel Meller's "Thinking On Your Feet" to get myself warmed up. I proceeded to teach them some classic effects, opening with Ultimate Transpo, then moving onto "Wow" as if to "repeat" the effect, then teaching them a few self-working effects like the 26-card, 21-card, 8-card, and Glide effects, plus some 2-Card Monte to top it all off. In between routines, some card sleights, forces, and controls, were also discussed.

After having sated their appetite for card effects, I moved on to teaching them a couple of other effects, namely, The Ring Thing, and my own Sponge Ball routine. It was a blast, because they really had fun, and it was something that I was sure they wouldn't have problems doing at all if they had the necessary items.

I concluded the day with a bit of mentalism to just floor them and make them realize that there's a lot more to learn than just the stuff I taught them. I showed them O.R.B.S., Liquid Metal, and the Wizard Manual, and called it a day.

All in all, it was an excellent teach-in. Here's hoping that I've inspired a few potential magicians with this effort.

.:Saturday's Double-Header:.

Last Saturday, I did walkaround, and then a round robin of mentalism effects for P.E.N. Since the whole P.E.N. bit was just performers doing mentalism for each other, I think what would be more interesting to discuss would be the walkaround, because it was for a children's party at Burgoo in Rockwell.

I was particularly inspired before heading out that day, because my Beloved dropped in on me. It was so sweet of her to see me.

In any case, I did my magic for kids, but I concentrated a bit on mentalism, which apparently wowed the celebrant, Justin. I mainly did A LOT of PK, and lo and behold, the kids were so busy trying to do PK, I ended up performing for the adults instead, since the kids were so occupied trying to move stuff with their mind. It was a fun sight to see, five to ten kids staring at a knife, trying to tip it over a table.

That being said, I really only performed a few effects, and completely stayed away from playing cards. I had ESP effects, sponge balls, a bit of Liquid Metal, a few PK routines, a time-stopping effect, and of course, Positive-Negative for me to give out my calling card. The kids were enjoying it, but the adults were likewise impressed with the performance.

Surprisingly, my walkaround ended relatively early because the party moved to the moviehouse at 1:30, as they went to watch Spiderwick Chronicles. I had a great time there, and the kids enjoyed themselves with just a bit of magic from me, and their amazing imaginations to just simply fuel them further.

Mindstorm!

.:Mindstorm Takes The Entertainment World By... Storm:.

Many searches have come and gone our way in Philippine television.

We've had searches for the next pop music idol. We've had searches for the next matinee idols. We've had searches for survivors and housemates and nearly anything else you can think of. Whether you call it a talent search or a reality show, we seem to have exhausted every single search we can think of.

Or so we thought. Be prepared as Philippine television will be taken on a mind-boggling journey with Mindstorm: the first Philippine search for the next big Psychic Entertainer.

Tentatively scheduled to air on July 20 this year on Studio 23, Mindstorm brings together seven of the Philippine's top Psychic Entertainers in a showcase of unbelievable feats of the mind, including telepathy, clairvoyance, psychokinesis, and hypnosis. These aren't your average fortune tellers from Quiapo: these are the upper echelon of Psychic Entertainers, all skilled and famed performers in their own right. They're hungry to prove their worth, and they are here to entertain you like no other performers could.

Mindstorm is not a simple competition: it's a showcase of skills that before we've only been able to imagine in our dreams. It's the chance for any of these seven individuals to make their mark on the Philippines as they take the viewer's breath away with feats that defy explanation. To say that you will be shocked and astounded is an understatement. This is a genuine exhibition you wouldn't want to miss out. No stooges. No camera tricks. No limits.

Judged by veteran Psychic Entertainers David Elefant and Sonny Minoza, Mindstorm guarantees a showdown of the best for everyone who wants to be amazed like never before.

Seven Psychic Entertainers. Three finalists. One victor. A night filled with awe and wonder over the mysteries of the mind. To miss out on this would be a crime.