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mysterious, for sure...

Yes...

Matrix…

You might benefit from this, and that’s why it’s here now.

I spend some of my time in what you’d call, sales. Some of my shows are self-produced; this New Year’s Eve Wine and Wonder at The Wine Seller in Port Townsend, for example. Some are private events because someone has seen me, or recommended me.

And finally, some are booked because I’ve positioned myself as an attractive option. In other words, I advertise. In fact, the shows I did this winter were because I answered requests to those ads.

When I’m in that mode, lets, say, selling, I use what I call, a ‘sanity clause’. I have certain events that need to be achieved in order to continue, or stop. For example: making five contacts, three hours, or one request from someone I was calling to send them more information. It’s my sanity clause.

I actually have it written down on my desk: Sanity Clause: 5, 3, 1.

Sanity Clause, is of course, the crazy bit from the Marx Brothers movie, “A…

There is a genre of movies called, “con movies”. These are movies that detail an elaborate con, or “sting” of some kind. Another favorite for this young magician.

The movie, “Big Hand for the Little Lady,” was released in 1966, and it’s the first con movie I ever saw. This was a time before streaming. If I wanted to see this I usually needed to stay up and watch quite late. Often causing me to miss morning class.

The best, of course, is “The Sting”.

Another notable one for me is, “Matchstick Men”.

These movies fooled me bad. I had no idea what was coming.

Regrettably for me, I have a terrific memory. Great, and helpful when I need to memorize lines, or some intricate details of a trick, but deathly, and unhelpful with con movies like these. I know the endings. I can’t forget them no matter how hard I try.

A favorite conversation I have with my wife whenever we are watching an old movie is this: She asks if we have we seen it before,…

Mine…

Potatoes…?

Gravity…?

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