I got food poisoning Thursday from Pizza Hut. It wasn't on the online menu but they gave it to me anyway. I threw up 12-15 times in a 24 hour period and my gut feels like I was punched by someone large.
Even though I haven't blogged in a while, I have been busy.
The rain put a damper on the beginning of the week but I did get out of the house. Sunday I went to the Project Dynamite house for a surprise party for Alex and David. Erik, Val, Cnelson and Eliot showed up but since the weather was cold there wasn't much juggling or outdoor stuff.
Wednesday, I went to the Magic Castle to catch Dan and Dave Buck doing an interview/demo. Dan tried to show the hacky sack cut that made David Williamson throw down his cards and walk away. They are pretty cool guys and had a Paul Harris type of attitude toward magic. Only performing magic when asked and not really performing for large groups. At the end we got a deck of cards that they are producing based on the Erdnase book and cards used.
Outside the Castle I got to chat with Dave Buck and asked him about Magic Con. Apparently there is only about 300 attendees going to Magic-Con in March which should be awesome. After seeing over 1500 people at Magic Live, it will be nice to see a smaller group of magicians at the bar.
Tomorrow night I am going to go see the Bar Show at Magicopolis. Apparently there is supposed to be a ventriloquist that makes his dummy have sex or something like that. I asked Erik if he saw the act yet and he said no. Plausible deniability.
Sunday I am performing at the Old Town Pub in Pasadena. I don't know the exact schedule yet but as my friends know, if there is a chance of doing magic, I always do some magic. The people who are all participating in this event are all great also. The last time we met, I did magic for the live painters and they responded awesomely.
Next weekend, we are headed to Washington D.C. for Shmoocon. Unfortunately I won't see my friend (I call "One-Ear'ed Rob") Rob. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be able to go to Shmoocon. I will be flying out on Thursday night and arriving Friday Morning.
So it seems like there is stuff on the horizon and I hope to meet up with friends soon, now that the puking has stopped.
Wow, when I think the world gets a little boring I see...
Kseniya Simonova is a Ukrainian artist who just won Ukraine's version of "America's Got Talent." She uses a giant light box, dramatic music, imagination and "sand painting" skills to interpret Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII.
Gina I found out I will be performing on stage in the last group which is around the 11:00pm hour but I will be also performing behind the bar throughout the night I am told.
Gina, I don't know the time yet but we are meeting on the 17th for the schedule. I will keep everyone informed. It should be a cool variety show anyway.
Zach Waldman left a comment yesterday but I didn't keep it up for editorial reasons. After all this is my movie.
Zach's comments with editorial rebuttal:
I've been the house magician for pay at Ye Olde King's Head for over three years.
I work Sundays 2P-4P. The show you saw that one night was something I was workshopping.
Several people told me you were walking around the pub and accepting tips.
This is not correct, I never accepted tips in the King's Head. Everyone I did magic for was a friend. I lived on Ocean Ave, I didn't get there from trolling for tips.
I'm secure about my employment so I didn't really care. My only intention was to tell you how wrong it is to go to another performer's gig and start working for free.
I have no personal beef with Zach, it is why I say hello when I see him. However, saying I can't do magic to one of my friend sitting at the bar because he does his magic there on other days to different people is like saying, you can't date my ex-girlfriend because I dated her. (By the way, this happened once too to someone else).
You were basically giving away something for free that I get paid for.
I hate to say, the friends I was showing effects to, would never see what he did. Not saying Zach isn't good, but my friends see enough magic with me as well as going to every magic show I invite them too. Usually between 2-4pm on a Sunday, we would be at Big Dean's on the beach, and I would be doing magic there.
I imagine if you pulled this on another magician in town, they would've reacted much stronger than I did.
I could imagine it would be different if it was a venue I expected to see magic in, like the promenade or I took over the stage in Magicopolis but it wasn't like that. Pete doesn't like me and my friends and its pretty mutual. I showed effects to my friends. Not doing it to patrons. I wasn't strolling around, I didn't take tips or money.
In the future, get your own gig and try to get paid for once instead of walking around collecting tips like a homeless dude.
I do have my own gigs, I do get paid. I don't do magic for tips. Sometimes I give magic away for free. Like the homeless dude in the subway. Magic is a gift. When you can present it to someone who appreciates it, it makes a beautiful exchange. If I wanted tips, I would wear a hat or carry a shoe box.
Last night I went to a walk through of The Big Show I am performing on the 31st. I hung out with some of the talent and the producers of the event. One interesting person I met was a 21 year old hypnotist haberdasherer. He had a awesome suit and a cell phone that he created, made out of wood, rotary dial and World War II leather strap. He was a character and it will be a fun show. I stayed for a couple of beers with the producers and these artists. I was doing some magic to a guy named Tim and he gave me the best over-the-top responses. I have to get him to be in the audience for my demo tape. At one point, he said to his buddies "This guy is the devil".
After the meeting at Old Town Pub, Nikki and Andres gave me a ride to the North Hollywood subway station and I rode it to the Magic Castle. I saw some of the regular characters and was happy to get out of the rain. I noticed the afro of Zach Waldman so I called him over. When he was within talking distance, he exclaimed "What the hell were you doing, Pete told me you were doing magic in Ye Old King's Head". I told him, I was not performing, I was showing an effect to two friends. Zach said "I perform magic in there, thats my venue". Not challenging him, I told him that I don't live down there anymore, and Pete lost customers that night and I don't enjoy that bar anymore which I am unhappy about because I like the bar staff and security employees. I only went to that bar because I lived behind it. The thing that bothers me. I have never seen Zach Waldman perform magic for the groups of people at Ye Olde Kings Head and I lived behind the bar for over a year and half. When I did see him perform, it was for a small group of magicians to give him criticism about his act he was bring to a college in Utah or something.
I went home on the subway and while I was in the station, a homeless man said "What's wrong with your hair?". I laughed and told him I was a magician. I feel silly when I tell people I am a magician without showing something magical. I put a half dollar in front of him on the subway bench. He watched me. I waved my hands over it, then waved my hands again, then the coin vanished. It was enjoyed.
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 23:11:34 -0800 (PST) From: mohamed mxxxxxx To: tommEE@gmail.com Dear Tomm , i was wondering , can u help me out in hacking an educational system to change my grades and just pass ?? i dont need A's i just need a pass , i've already been in university for 8 years , am already working , am sure we can settle down for a good bargain between me and u as long as u can do it ...adding to that i live abroad in a country that doesnt yet support any hacking laws so the risk'll be minimal for both u and me aguess , please reply to me as soon as possible , am desperate ... thanks
Uh, maybe he is failing because he doesn't know capital letters? He didn't get my capital E's in my name either.
Ok, here is the skinny on my Birthday this year. It's going to be a low key, small birthday but still held in Vegas. Poor planning got me stuck in LA until Saturday. I also didn't expect to be celebrating in Las Vegas, I thought I was going to have a thing in Tahoe but we still will have fun.
I will be arriving into Sin City Saturday and hitting up CES for a quick browse. I have to remember some comfy shoes. Saturday evening, pinball museum and Double Down. I have to get my semi-annual meet and greet with Patrick Norton.
Sunday we are going to dress up in costumes and be in the studio audience for Let's Make a Deal at the Tropicana. I am hoping for a new car or furniture for my birthday from Wayne Brady.
Wednesday, I went to the Magic Castle to catch Dan and Dave Buck doing an interview/demo. Dan tried to show the hacky sack cut that made David Williamson throw down his cards and walk away. They are pretty cool guys and had a Paul Harris type of attitude toward magic. Only performing magic when asked and not really performing for large groups. At the end we got a deck of cards that they are producing based on the Erdnase book and cards used.
