380 Back in issue #76, I mentioned Derren Brown’s brand new book, Pure Effect and recommended it. Now it is available in a hard cover edition for $40.00 from H & R Books, 3839 Liles Lane, Humble, TX 77396 (281 540-7229). While the material covered is mostly card work, the author definitely has a Mentalist’s mindset. Derren’s approach to his audiences and the thinking he puts into each presentation are classic. Another recommended book is from the “self help” section of your neighborhood bookstore. From the author of Never be Lied to Again, David J. Lieberman, this new offering is a direct ticket to charisma. Entitled Get Anyone to do Anything and Never Feel Powerless Again, it has sections on Getting anyone to like you, love you, or just plain think you’re great; Take control of any situation and get anyone to do anything; and Make life easy, plus many more. This is good, solid, psychologically based information which will make a difference in how you relate to your audiences. While I’m on the subject of books, Richard Mark’s Mind Warp is about to find its way back into print again, this time in a perfect bound, soft cover edition due out in mid-August, priced at $24.97 and available from SYZYGY Press (that’s me!). Good friend Ted Lesley of Berlin writes to remind that Victor Ray Atkins’ PK Under Glass in the previous issue is quite similar in effect to an item he markets called It’s Paranormal. While the underlying modus operandi is similar, the version Ted makes available through his Wonder Workshop is much more sensitive and animated - a plus for a working performer who needs a consistant result. It’s also sold in this country by Hank Lee and Joe Stephens and is highly recommended - I use it myself. Final reminder for those who want to boost their business – Dave Dee’s Marketing Boot Camp, at which I’ll be presenting also, is coming up November 3, 4, & 5 in Atlanta. At his lecture for the 1999 P.E.A convention, I noticed that the people who lined up to acquire his materials were the working pros who are already quite successful; they recognized the value instantly. There are seminars in the business world charging $3,000 and up for identical information. Dave attends lots of them, distills the content, filters it so that the techniques apply specifically to the entertainment business, adds unique insights, invites other pros to contribute their wisdom, and the result is a priceless weekend. I’ve twisted his arm to extract a sample the Boot Camp’s content for the next Quarterly Supplement but there’s only one way to get it all and that’s to attend the Boot Camp. Not only do SYZYGY subscribers get a hefty discount, they will also receive a special gift from me; just let me know after you register so I can bring enough for everyone. The toll free, no obligation number for registration information is 1-888-826-2320. See you there!
381 Edited by: Lee Earle Copyright©1999 All rights reserved. SYZYGY 2901 N. 55th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85031-3301 Telephone: 623 / 247-7323 voice 623 / 247-4665 fax & data E-Mail: [email protected] World Wide Web http://www.Lee-Earle.com Subscription rates: $38.00 per year Canada: US$48.00 per year Overseas (airmail): US$55.00 per year Single issues: $2.50 Jean-Claude Titon Issue # Spycraft Jean-Claude’s clever idea has been slightly modified to reflect the materials available outside of France. 80 Volume 5, Number 8 “Industrial espionage,” begins the Mentalist. “has replaced the more traditional form of spying. Not only are the monetary rewards greater but the punishment if apprehended is less severe. The most coveted secrets these days are computer passwords. Most security specialists suggest that we avoid common words and dates, constructing instead an artificial ‘word’ out of a mixture of letters and numbers. Those are the most difficult to ‘hack’.” Pulling a small, folded slip of paper from his pocket, the performer continues, “Once the password is known, it’s much safer to transfer it in person - e-mail can be easily traced. A corporate turncoat might pass the vital information to a co-conspirator in an innocuous handshake, like this...” He extends his hand to a nearby participant and, in a handshake, transfers the paper to him, reminding, “It’s bad form to look at the paper right away. Just slip your hand casually into your pocket and leave it there for now.” Taking a small notepad in hand, the mindreader continues, “Just for fun, let’s construct a short password right now. Will someone give me a letter of the alphabet?” He writes the response on the pad he holds. “And now a number,” he asks. The digit is written down, next to the first letter. Alternating letter and number, a five character ‘password’ is constructed and shown to the audience. “X2P5F”, says the Mentalist, reading aloud the final result from the pad, “is certainly about as random a password as one could imagine. Unless we’re dealing with a psychic spy, of course.” The performer turns to the handshake particiant and directs, “Please open the paper you were given and tell us what’s written there.” He opens the paper and, probably with a puzzled look, says, “Nothing!” “Are you sure,” asks the Mentalist, “Hold it up to the light - nothing shows, eh?” He takes the paper from the participant, removes a second pen from his pocket, and says, “Invisible ink. This is the ‘developer’ pen.” The blank paper is placed on the pad he still holds and the pen is run back and forth over the surface. A series of five characters magically appears; X2P5F! Nothing is really new here, except perhaps the plot.
382 Begin with a simple memo pad about 4 inches by 5 inches in size. Remove a single sheet and tear in in half, to produce two identical pieces. Fold each of these in half three time to produce duplicate folded billets less than an inch square. One of them will be given to your handshake helper. The pen is one of a pair of pens which can be found in novelty stores, “science” stores, and even airport gift shops. The ink in both pens is clear and “invisible” but if you write with one pen and then scribble over the surface of the paper with the other, wherever the two inks combine, the writing becomes visible. Begin by saturating an area on the top sheet of the pad with one of the pens, then put the pen aside for later. This process ‘loads’ the paper with one of the two chemicals necessary for the writing to appear. Open one of your prefolded billets and place it on the top of the pad, held there by the pen which is clipped to the top several pages. It is positioned so you will be able to double write - on both the opened billet and on the pretreated area of the pad. When you write, you use the second of the two pens! Thus, on the top sheet of the pad where you have pretreated the surface with the developer pen, the writing will appear normal but on the open prefolded billet, it will remain invisible! You have plenty of time and cover to refold the billet as the audience watches your handshake helper opening his billet to reveal - nothing. Keep the surface of the pad toward your body. Now for the billet switch. Holding the pad in your left hand with billet under your thumb take the opened blank billet in your right, empty hand. After showing the appropriate amount of puzzlement, refold the billet one-handed and hold the billet between your first two fingers as you place the pad (with the second billet held against the top page and hidden from the audience) in your right hand to free your left hand to reach into your coat pocket for the revealing pen. Your right thumb now holds the secret billet in place. Hand the pen to your helper and take the pad back into your left hand, rotating it forward and tilting it down to a position which will show the number you wrote earlier to him and the audience. Using this movement as cover, pull the inked billet into view in your right hand as the left fingers cover the old, handshake billet beneath the pad. Open the billet on top of the pad and continue as described, rubbing the developer pen over the surface to reveal the secret writing.
383 Turn a venerable old “betcha” into a memorable piece of casual Mentalism. G. Allen Clarke, Jr. Lucky Star “In my pub-crawling past,” begins the Mentalist, “it was common for the patrons to present puzzles, riddles, and conundrums to one another, a successful challenge earning a free round of drinks. Here is one I recall from earlier days.” He places a few coins of various denominations on the bar and says, “It’s possible to arrange eight coins in a square pattern, three coins on a side, to form four straight rows of three coins each - the sides of the square.” Adding two more coins to the center of the square, the performer continues, “Now, how about doing the same with ten coins, forming five straight rows of four coins each?” Following several unsuccessful attempts by those who take up the quest, the Mentalist demonstrates how it can be done. Dipping a finger in his adult beverage, he uses the moisture to trace a five pointed star on the bar and then places a coin at each point and at each intersection of lines. Voila! Five lines of four coins each. After allowing the others to admire his clever solution, the performer suggests, “Take a pencil or soda straw and place it on any row of four coins.” One participant complies and the mindreader removes all the remaining coins, saying, “Please calculate a total of all the dates on those coins.” When the calculations are complete, the Mentalist lifts his glass and, before showing the underside to the gathered patrons, asks, “What is the total?” Following the reply, he turns over the beer mat, a two numbers are seen. One is the total of the dates on the four selected coins and the other is their monetary value! The first part is, indeed, an old “bar betcha” which has garnered free drinks for ages. The illustration explains everything, including the totals. When you supply the solution, you place coins bearing certain dates in specific positions. It’s easy to remember the order, starting at the point of the star and then proceeding as if you were reading lines of text, 1, 5, 10, 3, 6, 9, 12, 2, 4, 8. (Penny, nickle, dime; a sequence in which three is added for each successive number; a sequence in which ‘2’ is doubled and then doubled again.) For simplicity, use coins from 1981 through 1992, mentally numbering the 1981 coin as “1” and the 1990 and 1992 coins as “10” and “12”. Your pre-written total will always be 7944. A swami gimmick adds the value of the four selected coins which you can mentally add as the other calculations are taking place. Your layout cannot be reverse engineered if you push the nonselected coins into a pile to one side.
384 Lee Earle at the Editor’s Desk Oh my, another page and issue numbering glitch. When the last Quarterly Supplement (to have been #17) was prepared, I used the template I had set up for regular issue #80. So not only is the page number sequence messed up, but likewise the supplement number didn’t change either. So, for the record, what came to you as Quarterly Supplement #80 (?) should have been QS#17. Therefore what would have been its page numbers have been assigned to this issue instead. This, of course, will drive the collecters nuts. Sorry. While I’m in apology mode, it’s appropriate to offer one for the lengthy publication hiatus SYZYGY subscribers have endured. Among the contributing causes have been competing professional priorities, a bout with depression, and a diminution of the early passion which led me to undertake this labor of love. To those who might inquire, aside from some residual moodiness, my health is fine. With but a few exceptions for early subscribers, I have not accepted subscriptions which extend beyond the end of Volume 5 (issue #90). My current commitment to subscribers is to take SYZYGY at least that far, albeit still on an irregular publication schedule. Between now and when that issue rolls off the press, I’ll review and reconsider my options (one of which is to publish in electronic format - .pdf to be precise). If my decision then is to close the publication, those faithful few whose address labels show a final issue past #90 will be made whole. Thanks for your patience. The Six and One Half lives! Recently Alan Williams of Australia visited our locale and the group assembled in his honor. Putting names to the faces, (top) Larry Becker, Lee Earle, Alan Williams; (center) guest Mel Kientz, Gene Urban, Mark Strivings; (bottom) Kenton, John Greget, Dr. Juris. Now that competing interests have finally been balanced, it’s time to get everything else back on track again. If you are associated with a group which hosts lectures, please give me a shout and put them in touch with me. For starters, I’m engaged for an event near Atlanta, September 11-16 and will be in Chicago on business November 7-11. I would very much like to book some lecture dates in the nearby cities and states in the preceeding or following weeks.
385 Edited by: Lee Earle Copyright©1999 All rights reserved. SYZYGY 2901 N. 55th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85031-3301 Telephone: 623 / 247-7323 voice 623 / 247-4665 fax & data E-Mail: [email protected] World Wide Web http://www.Lee-Earle.com Subscription rates: $38.00 per year Canada: US$48.00 per year Overseas (airmail): US$55.00 per year Single issues: $2.50 Dave Dee Quarterly Supplement # 13 Secrets For Killer Marketing Materials 17 Most of the marketing materials created by entertainers are simply awful. Their letters, flyers, and brochures are not focused on the prospects needs, wants, and desires but rather scream, “Look how great I am!” The entertainer talks about the features of his show (I predict the headline of the newspaper, I read minds, I bend spoons, etc.) instead of talking about what the benefits of the show (Your guests will laugh, your event will be memorable, you will get compliments on the entertainment, etc.) will be. In addition to all of that, many entertainers spend a lot of money on full color brochures that look good but don’t sell. Now, I’m not against having a fancy brochure but it first and foremost must be a marketing piece that sells. The truth is a brochure is just one element in a complete marketing package and it is not the most important part. The most important element is: A sales letter. That’s right. A well written sales letter will outperform the fanciest, most expensively produced brochure nearly every time. The sales letter should be the focal point of your promotional package. Think of the sales letter as your salesperson and the brochure as a “sales assistant”. Here are 13 secrets for maximizing the effectiveness of all your marketing materials including sales letters, lead generation ads, and yes, even brochures. 1. Don’t re-event the wheel! Take proven sales letters and ads and rewrite them to fit you and your offer. This does not just mean modeling sales letters and ads from other entertainers! Any letter
386 or successful ad from any industry can be adapted for entertainment. 2. Create a “swipe file” of successful ads and letters. When you see an ad that catches your eye, cut it out and save it. Never throw away “junk” mail. A lot of the so-called “junk” mail is written by the best and the brightest copywriters on the planet. Save this stuff, study it, and model it. Many successful direct marketers, strongly recommend that you subscribe to the National Enquirer, The Star, The Globe, etc. The ads in those publications are incredible and pull millions of dollars worth of orders.) 3. The single most important factor in making a lead generation ad or letter work is “message to market match”. I’ve talked about this extensively in my marketing course and it’s the truth. It simply means that your offer has to have perceived value to your prospect. It has to be something that is appealing to them. Something that they want. Of course, a letter selling your bizzarro psychic magick show, no matter how well it’s written, sent to fundamentalist Baptist churches, ain’t gonna work! The key to marketing your show is: The right message, to the right market, at the right time. Marketing guru Dan Kennedy says, “Pick a battle you can’t lose.” Selection is most important. The receptivity of the recipient is the most important part of the marketing process. 4. Although there are many options, the best mailing piece comes in an envelope with a sales letter as the main component. 5. When mailing to corporations your first letter should look like a personal letter (A-pile mail). When responding to a lead, it’s best to use B-pile mail (Mail that screams HERE IS THE INFO YOU REQUESTED!!!!!) 6. When using the “B-pile” approach make sure you fill every square inch of the envelope with compelling copy. Benefit oriented bullet points, testimonials, etc. Speaking of testimonials.... 7. You can not over use testimonials! I don’t know what else I can do to get this point across! I still get marketing materials from my students that don’t have any testimonials or just a couple of weak ones. You need to use a truckload of powerful testimonials in all your marketing materials!!!! 8. The headline is the most important part of any ad or letter you do. You should have a swipe file of great headlines available to choose from. It’s easy to re-cycle and re-work classic headlines. For example, there is a famous headline that read, “They Laughed When I Sat Down At The Piano But Their Laughter Turned To Amazement After I Started To Play!” Here’s how that can be adapted for a psychic entertainer: “They Laughed When I Said I Could Tell Their Future But Their Laughter Turned To Amazement After I Read Their Palm!” 9. You must justify any and all discounts you give to customers and the reason must be believable. ex. “The reason I’m giving you Dave Dee shares his sizzling sales tools with attendees at his Marketing Boot Camps.
387 $100 off if you book your show before November 20th is so I can have my holiday show calendar filled up in advance so I can concentrate on performing.” 10. Forget about your “image”. You’re in the business of selling and making money. The guy with a well written sales letter, tons of testimonials, and a great offer, is going to crush the guy with the artsy, fartsy promotional package. 11. Use multiple Post Scripts in your letter. Restate the offer, the deadline, the free gift, etc. In a three P.S. letter, the middle one is most important. 12. Sell your shows in packages. Offer them multiple options. Give the packages names, for example, Gold, Silver, or Bronze. 13. Before you write, make a list of all the reasons someone won’t book you and then come up with ways to overcome these objections. Remember a sales letter is “salesmanship in print”. Just The Fax Ma’am. Just The Fax. In my marketing course and seminars, I talk about the power of using a fax machine for booking shows. I’ve booked shows for as much as $1,250 simply by faxing my four page sales letter to clients who responded to my lead generation ads and letters. (Don’t get hung up on the dollar amount. There are people who make a lot more per show and a people who make a lot less. The principle remains the same.) In fact, last week I got four requests for information, faxed four letters, and booked four corporate Christmas shows. That’s a 100% closing ratio. You can’t beat that with a stick! My favorite booking from that group was for Porsche. They called a LOT of magicians in my market. A couple of magicians sent Porsche their colorful brochures, one had them go to his website for information, and another, who is a very well known to magicians, sent out his fancy promo kit and video. What did I do? Faxed my four page letter to Porsche. That’s right, no video, no brochure, not even a picture of me. Just a four page typed letter! And I was the one who got the gig. Why? Well, it wasn’t because I was less expensive! It was because of the power of the mailing piece which, by the way, includes a ton of incredible testimonials from very enthusiastic customers. A fancy brochure, website, or video tape may look great and be fantastic for an entertainers image but if it doesn’t sell, it’s not worth anything. A Powerful Secret I’ve Never Revealed Before I like using sales letters instead of brochures because of their flexibility. Here is exactly what I mean and how it ties in with the fax machine.
388 When a prospect calls me for information, I use a phone script and ask a number of questions about the event. Most important, I find out what the event is for (sales meeting, awards banquet, etc.) and the date of the event. After I hang up the phone, I then open up my standard sales letter in my computer, personalize, and customize the letter before I fax it. My standard headline reads: “Discover How My Unique Programs Of Magic, Mindreading, & Comedy Will Make Your Company’s Event Unforgettable, Entertaining, & Fun!” When Porsche called, I discovered that their event was a 10 year employee recognition dinner. I customized my headline to read: “Discover How My Unique Programs Of Magic, Mindreading, & Comedy Will Make Your 10 Year Employee Recognition Dinner Unforgettable, Entertaining, & Fun!” I then went through and customized other parts of the letter including the greeting and many of the subheads. The body copy of the letter and my packages stayed exactly the same. The whole customization/personalization process took under five minutes. I then printed up the letter and faxed it! The person who gets this letter is psychologically “hooked” into reading it because it looks like it was written specifically for that person and for that specific event. It is the PERFECT message-to-market match. Keep in mind that in most cases, the people who are in charge of booking entertainment for the company event have been given the job on top of their regular work. What they want is information to make their decision easy and risk free. A well written, customized sales letter with a ton of testimonials does just that. This is truly one of the keys to the vault. This idea, although simple, can be worth thousands of dollars to you – if you use it. If you are selling a super high priced show or a complex package, do not fax the letter. Instead, put it together in a nice package and FEDEX it to your prospect. This has the greatest impact. (Make sure to customize/personalize that letter too!) The proof is in the pudding though. Faxing a customized sales letter works and works like a charm for our business! Do it! (Editor’s Note: This is just a snippet of the material Dave teaches in his Marketing Boot Camp. His attendees report fantatstic jumps in income by simply applying themselves “smarter, not harder.”) Contact Info: Dave Dee 335 Sable Court Alpharetta, GA 30004 Ph: 678-393-0108 Fax: 678-393-0136
389 Edited by: Lee Earle Copyright©1999 All rights reserved. SYZYGY 2901 N. 55th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85031-3301 Telephone: 623 / 247-7323 voice 623 / 247-4665 fax & data E-Mail: [email protected] World Wide Web http://www.Lee-Earle.com Subscription rates: $38.00 per year Canada: US$48.00 per year Overseas (airmail): US$55.00 per year Single issues: $2.50 James Cuthbert Issue # Bit on the Backside If you don’t mind tipping an insignificant secret, use gimmicked coins for an even bigger ‘punch’. 81 Volume 5, Number 9 “Take any coin from your pocket,” instructs the Mentalist while placing three manila coin envelopes on the table, “decide whether you want it to show heads or tails, and slide it beneath one of these envelopes with your choice facing up. Repeat the process with two more coins.” When all the coins are in place, the performer remarks, “You’ll be amazed to learn that each time, everyone does exactly the same thing.” He pushes aside the envelopes to reveal the coins beneath which show, for example, ‘heads’ on the right, ‘heads’ in the center, and ‘tails’ on the left, and comments, “It’s a funny quirk of psychology, and the odds are only 8 to 1 against, but the first coin is always placed ‘heads’ side up, while inevitably the second coin is also positioned as ‘heads’, and the third one is never anything other than ‘tails’.” Sensing disbelief among his audience, the Mentalist opens the flap of the each envelope and tips it so a coin slides out to join the helper’s coin which was beneath. As the three coins slide into view they are seen to match those already on the table, ‘heads’ on the right and in the center, ‘tails’ on the left. “I know what you’re thinking,” smiles the mind reader, “however, that’s clearly impossible. Turn my coins over.” On the back of the coins which match the participant’s ‘heads’ coins, are little stickers covering the ‘tails’ side of each coin, with the word “HEADS” printed on them. The left envelope’s coin, showing ‘tails’, has a sticker covering the opposite side with the word “TAILS” written there. Each coin envelope is gimmicked with a recessed interior panel dividing the envelope into two compartments (the Larry Becker “Coinetic” principle). One side holds a prepared ‘heads’ coin, the other side contains one for ‘tails’. When you lift the flap (held closed with a dab of wax or tape) your fingers open the mouth of the envelope and position the center panel against one side of the envelope to trap the unwanted coin as your other hand squeezes the sides to hold the envelope open so the desired coin slides out.
390 Erikk Dalu Oddly Even Erikk credits an article by Nick Trost as the inspiration for this well reasoned routine. “When working with strangers, especially in a public venue such as this,” comments the Mentalist to his three seated onstage participants, “we use clearly defined choices such as up/down, black/white, left/right, or odd/even.” The performer places a lightweight panel about 12 x 18 inches in size on each person’s knees, to serve a lapboard for the task ahead. Then he distributes two decks of cards more or less equally among the participants, saying, “I’ll show you something interesting.” Continuing, the mind reader says, “You are to distribute your objects (we’re using playing cards because marbles aren’t practical) into seven groups. Put as many or as few in each group as you wish, your choice.” The participants comply. The Mentalist instructs his helpers, “Your lap boards have a line down the center dividing them into ‘ODD’ and ‘EVEN’ sides. Count the objects in each of your seven piles. Those containing an odd number of cards go on the ‘ODD’ side of your working surface; those stacks with an even number of items go on the ‘EVEN’ side.” Addressing his remarks to the first participant, the performer asks, “How many piles are on your odd side? (Three) Then you have an odd number of piles, each of which has an odd number of cards.” The performer scoops up the cards from his panel and says, “Please show the bottom side of your lapboard to the audience.” It reads: YOU WILL HAVE AN ODD NUMBER OF GROUPS WHICH HAVE AN ODD NUMBER OF ITEMS. Addressing the second volunteer, he inquires, “How many piles do you have on your odd side? (Two) So you have an even number of piles containing an odd number of cards, true? Show our audience the bottom of your panel.” The panel proclaims: YOU WILL HAVE AN EVEN NUMBER OF GROUPS WHICH HAVE AN ODD NUMBER OF OBJECTS. “Let’s go the other way with our last guest,” asks the mind reader. How many sets of cards are on your ‘EVEN’ side? (Six) That’s an even number of piles containing an even number of cards, yes? Turn your panel over, please.” The prediction reads: YOU WILL HAVE AN EVEN NUMBER OF SETS WHICH HAVE AN EVEN NUMBER OF ITEMS. Based on prime number theory, the routine is self working, as long as guests #1 and #3 each get 31 cards and participant #2 gets 32. Discard 9 cards from one of two decks, then mark or corner cut the 31st card in the full deck and the 10th card in the partial deck. Hand the #1 the 31 top cards from the full deck with the remainder going to #2. Open the second - partial - deck and casually give #2 the top ten, the balance going to helper #3.
391 Richard devised this “Five Sense Quickie” after discovering the cards in a parlor game. Richard Blackie $0.05 Quickie “Much is made,” begins the Mentalist, “of the Sixth Sense. However the primary five are still revealing their secrets.” He deals a card, depicting a hand, from a face-up stack onto the table. “The first sense we develop, in the womb, is the sense of touch.” He continues, “This sense carries our first communication, too - any mother can tell you about those early feet and elbows. It's an important sense as well; we have learned that infants denied a loving touch may develop as emotionally disabled.” As he places a second card on the table, the nose, the performer reveals, “Smell is the next sense babies depend upon; it's strangely primordal. Science has recently verified that love - whether an infant's attachment to its mother or the attraction between adults - is related to pheremones, nature's highly refined scents.” The mindreader playfully moves the nose card to the other side of the hand, saying, “Although it's more fun to arrange the symbols this way (thumb to nose).” The mouth card, signifying the sense of taste, is dealt to extend the row closer to the participant. “Taste develops quickly,” he says, “A nursing infant knows and prefers its own mother’s milk.” Placing the ear card next in line, the performer continues, “Hearing, as evidenced by an infant's 'startle reflex', the reaction to unexpected, sharp noises, emerges next in the sequence.” Finally placing the eye card at the end of the row, the Mentalist informs, “Amazingly, sight is the last of the senses to mature. Even though it will become the primary sense in our adult years. Amazing, no?” One face-down card remains in his hand. “Now it's your turn,” suggests the performer. “Please say aloud a number from one through five.” “Three,” says the participant. Placing the face-down card to one side, the Mentalist scoops up the five drawings, turns them face down and deals them onto the table. Each bears a number, one through five. He turns both the #3 card and the sixth, unseen, card face up. Both depict the hand. Please turn to Quickie, page 392
392 Lee Earle at the Editor’s Desk The steady march continues toward the ultimate short-term destination, page 440, the final page of this current Volume Five. Nine more issues and two Quarterly Supplements to go. Although I still haven’t set the decision in stone, SYZYGY will likely switch to publication in a digital format for future volumes, something which makes a great deal of sense now that computers and internet access have attained virtual ubiquity. It will also provide for much more timely delivery, speeding up what has been a glacialy slow fulfillment. Some provision will be made for those Luddites who refuse to step into the 21st Century, but it won’t be in the glossy, high production value (high cost, high postage, high maintenance) format which subscribers have enjoyed for the first five volumes. I’ll keep you informed as matters progress. If you have a pet routine you’d like to see published in the original SYZYGY, I’d suggest you submit that material right away. Not many pages remain before the end of the volume. It’s not wedding bells, but other pressures which are breaking up that old gang of mine. The storied Six and One-Half brain trust has scattered to the four winds. SYZYGY subscriber #1, Dr. Juris, has left our Arizona Valley of the Sun for colder climes and warmer company - he is now a Vermont resident and happily bouncing grandchildren on his knee. Mark Strivings currently knocks ‘em dead in Colorado. Docc Hilford, the last I heard, was in Florida. Gene Urban is almost always doing a trade show somewhere and Kenton, I am fondly reminded, is perpetually off in a world of his own. Larry Becker has acquired my habit of seldom changing out of pajamas, so we rarely meet physically - although the phone lines still get ample use. Christopher Caldwell and Jim Kroes stay in touch from afar all too infrequently... On the bright side, new products are developing nicely. Look for more collaborative efforts with Viking/Collectors Workshop. Before that, I’ll publish Hidden Agenda, a clone of the DreamTest book test released about a year ago. It still utilizes the exact same principle but comes with a new companion novel and allows a totally different set of drawings to be duplicated. For those who do repeat shows, it’s ideal. For those who collect book tests, it’s a must. Quickie, continued Of course, the prediction is a series of ‘outs’: One - "You chose the first sense developed, the sense of touch." Two - Use the face down card as a pointer to count to the second card, the hand. Four - “Touch the drawing nearest you. That’s one. Touch the next one, two. Now touch touch three, and stop on four.” Five - “Two eyes, two ears, one nose, one mouth, five fingers.” Wise Words: You are making progress if each mistake is a new one. Anonymous
393 Edited by: Lee Earle Copyright©1999 All rights reserved. SYZYGY 2901 N. 55th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85031-3301 Telephone: 623 / 247-7323 voice 623 / 247-4665 fax & data E-Mail: [email protected] World Wide Web http://www.Lee-Earle.com Subscription rates: $38.00 per year Canada: US$48.00 per year Overseas (airmail): US$55.00 per year Single issues: $2.50 Burt Dubin Quarterly Supplement # Generating Powerful Testimonial Letters 18 Burt Dubin is a master, a mentor, and a mensch in the speaking business, well known and highly regarded for his expertise in a very competitive industry. Burt also serves as a coach and advisor, both for up-andcoming presenters looking to make their marks in the biz as well as for experienced ‘old pro’s’ who wish to reconnect with the basics. I asked this dear friend for permission to excerpt one of his Special Reports for the speaking industry to share with SYZYGY’s readers and he agreed without a moment’s hesitation, testimony both to his generosity as well as his character. As you peruse this priceless material, think how you might apply it. Service clubs (Lions, Rotary, etc.), for example, are always in need of free 15-20 minute programs. You can refine and polish your routines with an audience whose members can be quite influential when it comes to choosing entertainment for their association meetings, holiday banquets, corporate functions, etc. You can use this technique when facing the prospect of either reducing your fee or losing the show. Testimonial letters in exchange for a “fee consideration” make it a win-win proposition. Burt Dubin: 1. There is no lead like a referred lead. They are super, ultra, the best! The finest way for you to start a referral stream is to be superb at what you do. Let your passion for your audience light up the room. Surrender to your purpose. Be so dynamic that your audience is spellbound, enraptured, captivated. Be so powerful that they can’t wait to bring you back again. 2. Most presenters, however excellent they are on the platform, must also be excellent, aggressive, relentless, shrewd marketers of their services. Generating referrals is part of any astute marketing strategy. Make it part of yours.
394 Burt Dubin is the author of the Speaking Success System 3. Plant these lines in your program confirmation: Referrals: In consideration of (your name) delivering a first-class professional presentation, Client agrees that within 10 days after such a program, client will write a minimum of 3 letters to 3 of client’s peers in other branches, divisions, organizations, people with decision-making authority who could engage (your name) to perform. In this letter, client agrees to share feelings about the value of this program and to send copies of the letter to (your name). 4. After you receive your signed program confirmation, send your contact a letter. Let it be similar to the sample here. In this letter, emphasize your dedication to delivering outcomes the client desires. Mention your needs only briefly. You are now using a subtle power - the power of the scribe - to be on record a second time with regard to what client is to do for you. Dear Blank, Thank you for confirming my presentation for your group next month, Wednesday October 17th. I am irrevocably committed to you and to delivering an outstanding program for your audience. In order to give you my very best, there’s information I need from you. It’s summarized on the enclosed preprogram information request. Your careful, complete responses will help me craft a provocative, insightful, custom-tailored program for your audience. My intention is to give you, your organization, and your audience matchless quality and value. With your help, we will produce an unforgettable package. Please return the printed materials as quickly as you can. This will allow me adequate time to craft an outstanding event for your audience. One of the reasons I am so resolutely committed to you is this: I treasure what you are to do for me after this presentation. The referral letters you are to write for me after I do a fine job for you are exceptionally important. This is how I earn my living. I rank referrals right up there with oxygen. I rely on you to be as caring regarding my needs as I already am regarding yours. 5. A few days after your magnificent presentation, send contact photocopies of some of your program evaluations. Highlight or redunderline parts that show you off best. Some of these lines may find their way into your commendation letters. 6. Include a letter such as sample which follows:
395 Re: The three letters of commendation you are to write in accord with our agreement Dear Blank, Thank you for agreeing to help me widen the world of decision-makers who know of and appreciate my professional services. Your letters should be three or four paragraphs at most - and on one side only of your letterhead. Address one letter to me, please. I’ll use it to show others that engaging (your name) is risk-free and a sure fire delight. Please send the other two letters to the highest ranking decision makers you know, people who could hire me to present professional entertainment for their organizations. Please let your letters be as glowing and as enthusiasm packed as your conscience allows! Do include what is most meaningful to you - including your personal choice of the following elements: 1. The type of program I presented for you. 2. If you wish to quote from the evaluations, please do. 3. How delighted you are with my careful tailoring of program content. 4. My starting and ending on time. 5. How easy and pleasant it is to work with me. 6. Any plans to have me back. 7. The audience involvement and participation. 8. Your views on my use of showmanship and humor. I enjoyed working with you and your group. Now I will be breathlessly awaiting your timely transmittal of these great letters. (Original of letter to me and copies of the others, please.) 7. If you haven’t received your letter and copies of the other two within a couple of weeks, call your contact. Gently remind that this is a part of your agreement. That you have gone the extra mile for the contact. Surely this is not asking too much in return is it? A few weeks later, follow up until contact delivers. 8. Do this with your letter when it arrives: Reproduce it on quality paper. Use a different color and texture of fine paper for each letter. Fine paper is usually 24 pound, 25% cotton. On the back side of each letter include reductions of two or three feedback forms from that date. Let your care show. 9. As for the letters of commendation to the others, treat them as hot leads. With these people you’re not a stranger. Cultivate their friendship before you pitch your services. If you haven’t included the referral clause in your program confirmation, you can still go after a fine letter of commendation: If you are serious about success, I highly recommend that you subscribe to Burt’s free e-mail newsletter
396 Contact Info: Burt Dubin 1 Speaking Success Road Kingman, AZ 86402-6543 Ph: 800-321-1225 www.speakingbizsuccess.com Dear (contact name), I certainly enjoyed working with you and your people. One of the principles to which I adhere is to give something extra, something not in the agreement, something that adds unexpected value for the customer. It was my pleasure to do the extra preparation for you and your people - and I hope it provided a positive lift for them to begin their day. Now, there’s something you can do for me. I need a letter of commendation from you, on your letterhead, sent to me at the above address. Would you write me such a letter? You might indicate your feelings on any or all of the following: How pleased you were with the presentation, how easy and pleasant it was to work with me, your views about the presentation style and content, the use of showmanship, humor, value of the program to your group, starting/ending on time, and my caring about the particular needs of your attendees. I do hope that we have the opportunity to again work together and that other contacts will choose to gain from this program, too. 10. You can also go to a satisfied previous client and ask that client, “May I compose a letter for you, to go out over your signature, to your peers in your industry, recommending my services?” Client always says, “Yes.” Then ask client for a blank letter head to be sent to you so you can type the letter on it. Or, arrange to send text copy to the client to type it themselves. Whichever way you do it, get that signature on that letter. Dear fellow (peer name, by genre): I want to heartily recommend (your name) as a special event entertainer, to you. He knows his stuff and he knows how to deliver it to our industry (Followed by appropriate words about how great you are, and if possible, quotes of positive comments they overheard. Sincerely, Signature of the happy contact. P.S. I’ve asked (your name) to give you a call one of these days, unless he hears from you first. 11. Get the master copy of this letterin your hands before proceeding to ask this contact for a list of peers - or - ask to have pages from the contact’s Association Directory photocopied for you. (Offer to pay for the copies.) Or, when appropriate, get them from the Directory yourself.
397 Edited by: Lee Earle Copyright©1999 All rights reserved. SYZYGY 2901 N. 55th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85031-3301 Telephone: 623 / 247-7323 voice 623 / 247-4665 fax & data E-Mail: [email protected] World Wide Web http://www.Lee-Earle.com Subscription rates: $38.00 per year Canada: US$48.00 per year Overseas (airmail): US$55.00 per year Single issues: $2.50 William Thomas Issue # Spoon Fed William Thomas is definitely ‘with it’; experienced show folk will know what I mean. 82 Volume 5, Number 10 “Uri Geller,” begins the Mentalist during his after dinner show, “made his big splash in the psychic entertainment biz with the bending of keys and other sundry assorted hardware. Who would like to be a close up witness of a similar phenomenon?” As the volunteer is on his way to the stage the performer locates an unused spoon on a nearby table and picks it up - examining it for cleanliness on his way to the platform. “One of Geller’s favorite targets was a spoon,” informs the mindreader, holding the spoon for all to see. “Geller is but one person, but here we will use the psychic power output of two people. Watch as we attempt the impossible!” He transfers the spoon to his right hand, the one closest to the volunteer, then extends his arm and gets a firm grip around the spoon’s handle. “Place your hands around mine and close your eyes,” he instructs. “Now concentrate on the waves of the ocean. Concentrate until you can actually see the waves. Got it? Soon you will see a sudden flash of light. As soon as you see the flash, open your eyes.” After about thirty seconds her eyes suddenly open. “Did you see the flash? Good. "Take the spoon and look what we did!” The Mentalist takes a cloth dinner napkin from his pocket, saying, “Careful, the handle might be hot. Don’t touch the handle until it cools down.” Then he wraps the fabric around the bowl of the spoon and hands it to her that way. The look of shock and amazement on her face is priceless because the spoon handle is bent like a snake! The spoon is pre-bent. Use cloth or paper in the jaws of your vise and pliers so you don’t leave tool marks. Please turn to Spoon Fed, page 400
398 At the beginning a short card reading with any of the numerous fortune telling decks the performer pulls out his business card and jots a note on the blank side. The card is laid on the table to one side, writing side down. The participant is asked to mix the cards (never ‘shuffle’) thoroughly and then divide the deck into three piles, each containing any number of cards which can be moved from one pile to another until randomness is assured. The piles will represent Past, Present, and Future. The top card is turned over on each pile and an abbreviated reading is delivered on the basis of those three cards. As the deck’s revelations are being described, the performer makes a reference to a mysterious “lucky number” which will be determined later. At the conclusion of the reading the Mentalist offers, “Your Future card predicted an event based on your lucky number. Have you ever had your numerological lucky number determined? It’s easy. How many cards are in your Past pile?” “Twenty one,” is the answer. “A two and a one, the sum of which is three. Your Past number is a three.” The process is repeated for the Present and Future piles. Continuing, the mindreader explains, “Now we add the single digit Past, Present, and Future numbers - and if the sum is two digits, we add those until we get a single, lucky digit. Your Past, Present, and Future numbers are three, eight, and zero respectively. Three and eight are eleven; zero doesn’t change it. Eleven reduces to a one and a one, which adds up to two. Therefore your numerological lucky number is two.” He turns over the business card to reveal the digit ‘2’ written there. The secret is based upon a little-known math principle. The total of the digits using the process above will be the same as if you merely added the digits of the total number of cards in the deck. It is that number that you write on the card at the beginning. For repeat readings in a social situation, get a different number by removing a few cards from the deck. Dave Arch is a professional speaker and trainer, as well as a long-time contributor to SYZYGY Dave Arch The Omniscient Oracle
399 Kenneth offers this routine as having been inspired by Chan Canasta. Kenneth Driscoll Canasta Revisited “Is it possible,” asks the Mentalist, “to influence the future? We’ll soon find out. You, sir (pointing to a member of the audience), please hold up your hand with as many fingers extended as you wish. You’ve selected the number two. The lady in the red blouse - hold up a different number of fingers, please. I see four from here, correct? One more - this lad in the front row. Please show me a fist with some fingers, not two or four. That’s what’s known as a ‘hi five’, yes? The numbers two, four, and five have been selected.” They are written at the top of a dry-erase board he holds. Addressing the third participant, the mindreader instructs, “Join me on the platform please and take one of the current novels in that stack over there and turn to page 245. While you’re doing that, we’ll get some audience input.” The Mentalist asks the audience to shout out single letters of the alphabet and, as each offered letter is acknowledged, it is written on the dry-erase board below the page number. After 60 or so letters have been called and recorded, the performer continues, “I’m certain you are all familiar with the ‘word search’ puzzles found in newspapers and magazines. Does someone see any word solutions in this matrix of letters?” Three words are discovered in the jumble of letters; they are circled in red. “It seems,” observes the mindreader, “that ‘gang’, ‘drug’ and ‘murder’ are among words generated by the audience.” He turns to the onstage participant and asks, “Would you read aloud the first line on page 235 in the book you’re holding?” The helper reads, “In my opinion, Chief, this case has all the hallmarks of a gang murder - probably involving drugs.” Borrowing a technique from Deep Sea Digits (Issue #10), the performer begins by genuinely writing the letters called in regular rows and columns on his dry-erase board. As he continues to take letter offerings from the audience he gradually shifts position so the audience can not observe his writing. The key words’ letters are inserted into the grid during the process. Because the audience ‘discovers’ them and, because they saw (at least at the beginning) that their letters were being written as given, any suspicion on the process is minimized. Plus, the ‘random’ selection of a book and page seems to negate any trickery. Actually, because you rearrange the digits into ascending order, the page selection is limited to: 123, 124, 125, 134, 135, 145, 234, 235, 245, & 345. You already know (or have a crib note to tell you) the key words in the first line on each of the pages. If you prefer to have more than one book you can either use duplicate books in different dust jackets or you can extend your crib to include possible choices from multiple books.
400 Spoon Fed, continued A gimmick is also employed – it’s a handle cut, at its narrowest part, from a second spoon. Stick two layers of masking tape on the back side of this gimmick to help prevent ‘talking’ in your hands when the gimmick and spoon are together in your hands. The folded cloth napkin is in your left pants pocket, the handle gimmick is in your left hand, and the bent spoon is concealed in your right hand. As the volunteer approaches, you reach down on a suitable table and ‘reach’ for a spoon. Just lay the bent spoon on the table and then immediately pick it up, concealing the twist behind your fingers. This is done in an easy, off hand manner. Do not make a move out of it. If you’re very nervous about concealing the spoon, you can keep it in your right inside coat pocket. Just before your make your trek into the audience find some justification to reach into that pocket, get the spoon, and drop it into your right coat sleeve. It doesn’t hurt to look at the spoon’s bowl as if making sure it hasn't been used. This is a subtle ‘sell’ – you are just picking up a spoon and being picky, nothing else. The volunteer comes up and stands on your right. In order to shake hands with the volunteer, move the spoon to the left hand, placing its handle under the gimmick handle. Shake hands and make nice with your helper. Take your time. Now move the spoon and gimmick into the ‘pencil writing position’ in your left hand, using the right forefinger and thumb to keep the spoon and gimmick together and hide the end of the gimmick. The end of your left forefinger and thumb cover the bottom end of the gimmick. After you’ve displayed the spoon, slide your right thumb and forefinger down to grip the spoon and gimmick where the left forefinger is resting. Move the spoon handle and gimmick completely into your left hand, hiding the bent handle and the gimmick. No "moves" here, just do it. For a fun bit o’ business, look at your reflection in the spoon’s bowl and pat your hair into place. Transfer the spoon into your right hand, leaving the gimmick behind in your left hand. Extend your right arm and perform The Miracle. As you go into the pocket to remove the napkin, ditch the gimmick. You are now completely clean. Always have the volunteer put his hands around your fist as some folks do not do well standing with their eyes closed. While concentrating they can lose balance, so you become their anchor for stability; safety first. When making all the movements with the spoon and gimmick, do not look at them! Movements should be natural and casual. You should look at ease. The flash of light business is achieved purely by suggestion. It may or may not happen. When it does, so much the better. A small miracle either way.
401 Edited by: Lee Earle Copyright©1999 All rights reserved. SYZYGY 2901 N. 55th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85031-3301 Telephone: 623 / 247-7323 voice 623 / 247-4665 fax & data E-Mail: [email protected] World Wide Web http://www.Lee-Earle.com Subscription rates: $38.00 per year Canada: US$48.00 per year Overseas (airmail): US$55.00 per year Single issues: $2.50 Max Gordon Issue # Credit Check Max’s original idea included using graphite on his thumb - this method is a bit more tidy. 83 Volume 5, Number 11 “Credit card companies assume everyone fibs just a little when filling out credit card applications,” begins the Mentalist. “Usually it’s a matter of rounding your income up to the next even thousand. Only the egregious expansions or omissions will draw the ‘red flag’. I wonder how you’d do if applying in person...” The mindreader asks several people who are seated in spots which would allow them to easily come to the platform and says, “Pull any credit card, frequent flyer card, or auto club card, et cetera, from your wallet. The type doesn’t matter but try to select one which you’ll remember if you ever see it again.” He hands each of them a small, opaque envelope and continues, “Slide your card into the envelope and tuck the flap inside. Then bring your envelope to the platform, please.” Once all five participants are on stage the performer informs, “I’ll sidestep the standard courtesy introductions for a moment because I don’t want to know your names. You’ll see why soon. Please pass all the envelopes down to the person on the end. He’ll mix them a bit before he hands the lot to me.” After the instructions have been followed, the Mentalist continues, “I’ll take out one card at a time and ask each of you one question. The person who owns the card I’m showing at the time should tell me a lie. All the rest of will answer with the truth.” Tearing open an envelope to remove its credit card, the performer says, “This one is a petroleum company card.” Then, of each of the participants he asks, “Do you by regular, unleaded, or premium gasoline?” “One person seemed to delay his answer, as if thinking of what to say,” explains the performer, “That’s the behavior of someone who is not truthful. This is your card, sir.” He hands it to one of the participants who acknowleges ownership and returns to his seat. The procedure is repeated with three of the remaining four cards. Please turn to Credit Check, page 402
402 Below is a template to use in making your gimmicked envelopes. Fold along the thin lines. Credit Check, continued “Well,” remarks the Mentalist to the remaining participant, “not much mystery remains as to whom this final card belongs so let’s try something different - please remove your card from the envelope but cover it so no one can see the numbers.” He tears off the end of the envelope so the helper can remove his card. Concentrate on the numbers, please. I’ll try to read your mind. Of course the performer gets all the numbers perfectly. Plain old pseudo psychometry is involved here. Annemann’s method of lightly pencilling a number one through five inside each envelope will mark the envelopes. When you tear the envelope open to pull out the card you see the number and can recall which participant was given that envelope. You are able to learn the number of the final card (and reserve that one for last) due to the nature of the envelopes themselves. They are hand manufactured from NCR paper - the sort of chemically impregnated paper used to make office forms which yield multiple copies. Four of them are made from NCRCB (Coated Back) paper, making sure the coated side is on the outside of the envelopes. The fifth envelope is made from the sister material, NCR-CF (Coated Front), also with the coated side on the outside. When you have the stack of envelopes containing the credit cards in your hands, press the stack firmly and slide the envelopes around just a bit. This will cause a chemical impression of the raised letters on the card in the CF envelope to develop on the outside of that envelope. Spot it and save it for last.
403 Christopher Caldwell called upon his experience as an FM –DJ to assemble this routine. Christopher Caldwell Cassette Deck “Did you ever start humming a popular tune to yourself,” questions the Mentalist, “and then notice that someone else is also perhaps whistling the very same song? Suddenly, because you’re attuned to that music, you become aware that it has begun playing on the radio in the background or on the Muzac system in the store where you’re shopping? Were you influenced by the music, by each other, or did you somehow anticipate the next tune on the tape?” The performer shows the audience a 30 to 40 of the colorful inserts from cassette albums, explaining, “The little inserts in the cassette packages are called ‘J-cards’ in the trade. End on, the folded card looks like the letter ‘J’. I went through my collection of tapes and selected some of the more colorful J-cards. Then I trimmed off the stubs and laminated them to protect against wear and tear. As you can see, my music selection is rather ecclectic, running from ABBA to Led Zepplin, with stops at the Beatles, Sinatra, Willie Nelson, Pavoratti, Eminem, the Dixie Chicks, and even a rare recording by ‘the Duke’ himself, John Wayne. Right now, I can almost hear one of these albums playing in my mind.” A nearby participant is handed about half of the J-cards and is instructed, “Please do as I do. First mix the cards a bit and then hold all of them behind your back or under the table.” The performer demonstrates. “Extract only one album cover,” the Mentalist continues, “ and turn it face down and put it on the table, exactly as I have done. I’ll take your selection behind my back and insert it, reversed, among the rest of those I still hold; you do the same - slide my selection face down into the middle of your face up titles. Now bring out your packet of cassette titles and place it next to mine.” Both packets are next to each other on the table. The Mindreader places a portable tape player on the table next to the packets, asking, “What are the chances that our mini-Muzac system here is about to play either of our selections? Let’s see...” When the performer’s and participant’s packets are spread face down, the two face up album covers are different Beach Boys recordings. “Same church, different pews,” remarks the mindreader. “Not bad, considering that your ‘Volume 1 Greatest Hits’ album has one of the selections from my ‘Endless Summer’ selection.” He turns on the cassette player and everyone recognizes the Beach Boys hit, ‘Little Deuce Coupe’!” Please turn to Cassette Deck, Page 404
404 Lee Earle at the Editor’s Desk It’s been a long couple of years but the presses are finally rolling again and SYZYGY subscriptions are being fullfilled, as promised. I put the word out to the community that these pages would be SYZYGY’s last hurrah as a printed newsletter and folks have responded with a wonderful assortment of material. In addition, I dug deep into the archives to pull out some nuggets which have been long buried; the box was labelled: ‘filed for later publication’. One of the difficulties was that I refuse to lower the standards which have driven this newsletter from the start. Not once was there a temptation simply to toss in any old stuff in order to finish my committment to readers. Thus, it’s taken a while to assemble, compile, edit, typeset, and print. Not to excuse the lapse, however it’s difficult to comprehend how debilitating clinical depression can be until it’s personally experienced. When you’re in that hole, everyday interactions tend to get deferred or ignored. I’ve been slowly wading through the accumulated piles of correspondance which remained unresponded for so long and discovered dozens of orders among the unopened mail. If yours was one of those which ‘vanished’, I sincerely apologize; your undeposited checks have been shredded. All things considered, however, things are looking up. Cassette Deck, continued Using the album covers from either cassettes or CDs, trim them all to a uniform size and then stick them to a same size piece of white card stock with double side adhesive tape. This preserves the alignment when they are laminated. In addition to a ‘Best of...’ or ‘Greatest Hits...’ album cover, you’ll need an another album cover from the same artist or group. These two cards start face up on the bottom of your face up stack of album covers all of which are different. You can casually spread the handful of cards, pointing out various artists and groups without going all the way through to the final two. Hand your helper about half of them and proceed as described, except that your overhand shuffle retains your two force cards on the bottom of your face up packet. Your behind the back ‘random’ selection is actually one of the two force cards; bring it out face down and place it on the table. When you take his face down (and unknown) selection just move it behind your back, turn it face up, and bury it in your packet. Turn the bottom card (your second force card) face down, cut it into the middle of your packet, and you’re home free. Naturally, you’ll have a cassette of your dual selection loaded and cued in the tape player.
405 Edited by: Lee Earle Copyright©1999 All rights reserved. SYZYGY 2901 N. 55th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85031-3301 Telephone: 623 / 247-7323 voice 623 / 247-4665 fax & data E-Mail: [email protected] World Wide Web http://www.Lee-Earle.com Subscription rates: $38.00 per year Canada: US$48.00 per year Overseas (airmail): US$55.00 per year Single issues: $2.50 Issue # 84 Volume 5, Number 12 Dave Arch has a highly recommended set of videotapes available, entitled “Tricks for Trainers” Dave Arch Beat The Machine “Much of what we assume is ‘psychic’,” begins the Mentalist, “can actually be an enhanced mental skill - either the result of a ‘gift’ or by practice. One of those savant abilities deals with rapid calculation. Let’s explore.” He asks if anyone in the audience has a pocket calculator or has a wrist watch or digital phone with a calculating capability. Two of those who raise their hands are asked to join him on stage. (Undoubtedly the performer also has a pair of calculators on hand if no one in the audience is so equipped.) On a dry-erase board or flip chart, the mindreader writes each participant’s name and then asks of the first one, “Please generate a random number between 100 and 1,000. It must have three different digits.” The reply is, “Four hundred seventy-eight,” which is written below each name on the board. “Now it’s your turn,” the Mentalist says to helper #2. “What is your three digit number?” “Seven hundred forty-three,” is the response. That number is written below the first of the two previously written numbers. “It’s only fair that I, too, contribute a selection. How about two hundred fifty-six?” That number is written below the second of the two numbers. Each column now has a name at the top and two three digit numbers below. The Mentalist places an ‘x’ next to the bottom number in each column and then underscores the bottom number. As he picks up his own pad and marking pen he challenges, “Each of you will use your calculators to multiply your two numbers and then write them in the proper place. I’ll try to beat both of you combined. Begin.” Please turn to Beat The Machine, page 408
406 Anything which can be accomplished with a deck of playing cards can be transfered to a stack of postcards. Lee Earle Capital City “Because I travel a great deal,” begins the Mentalist, “I spend a lot of hours waiting for airplanes. More often than not, I’ll pass the time in airport gift shops, browsing their postcard racks. I now have a postcard which represents the capital city for every state in the union.” As the performer reaches into his inside coat pocket he asks a nearby participant, “Please name any state capital...” “Austin, Texas,” is the reply. “...and any number between 1 and 50,” he concludes, withdrawing a packet of postcards bound with a paper band from his coat. “Ok,” replies the helper, “seventeen.” The mindreader smiles, “Please join me on the platform, and bring your feet with you.” When the two are together, the performer strips the paper band off the packet of postcards and hands them to the participant, saying, “You chose Austin and number seventeen. Please deal those postcards one at a time onto my hand. I’ll count them out loud and you’ll look for Austin.” When they arrive at the seventeenth postcard it is of some city other than the capital of Texas. “That’s interesting,” remarks the Mentalist. “Continue dealing the remaining cards. As the last card, the forty-ninth, is dealt, it becomes clear that not only is the packet one state short of a full union but the selected city, Austin, was not among them. The performer continues, “It’s remarkable that you named the only capital city missing from this selection of forty-nine others. But then I knew that. Would you take a look at the paper band which was around the stack of cards? You’ll need to remove the piece of tape - the writing is on the inside of the band.” The participant tears the tape off the band and reads the handwritten message: “I needed a postcard to send home, so I took one at random. It was in position 17!” Our method is borrowed from the ‘Premonition’ effect. Two decks of fifty-one postcards are used. One deck has two different postcards from each of 24 state capitals, those beginning with the letters ‘A’ through ‘H’ plus one more postcard from any of those cities. Each pair (or in one case, triplet) of postcards should be different views of the same city, not duplicates. Please turn to Capital City, page 408
407 William Thomas credits Jimmy Duff for this impromptu mind reading demo. William Thomas Hindsight After the waitress clears the plates from the group’s meal at the diner, the Mentalist offers, “I don’t know whether it’s mindreading or influence, but I’ll be delighted to show you something you’ll remember for quite some time.” He places three objects on the table; a salt shaker in the center of the table, a coffee cup close to the edge, and a spoon close to the opposite edge. “Please stand next to the table where you easily can see all three objects,” the performer instructs a participant. The mindreader continues, “Look them over, now turn your back and simply think of one of the objects.” Almost instantly the performer removes one object, places it under the table and asks the participant to name which object he chose. After he answers, he is asked to turn back around. The item he named is missing from the table! Naturally, his first impression is that the Mentalist simply removed the chosen object after he named it, however fellow witnesses inform him this is not what happened. The process is repeated again and again. Each time, the performer shows an uncannily accurate ability to remove the mentally identified object and rarely makes a mistake. As with all good effects, the secret is simple and direct. What you do is not as important as what you say. Shades of NLP are at work in this little miracle. Select three totally different objects on the table. As per the three examples cited above, you want maximum difference in shape, size, composition, and color in the test items. Avoid using both the salt and pepper shaker for instance, which usually look pretty much the same in size, shape, and function. Place the objects to get a maximum spread among them. Tell the participant to stand and look over the three test items. Point out each object and name each of them. You say, “Without looking at any of the test objects, mentally select one. Turn your back to the objects and concentrate on your selection and only on the object you selected.” You will find that the helper will actually turn his backside toward the chosen object! It’s a slight difference, so look carefully at the angle of his head and shoulders as well as his buttocks and the small of his back. See which object is in a perpendicular line with the flat of his back. This is usually the giveaway indicator. Please turn to Hindsight, page 408
408 Hindsight, continued Make your determination and select the test object you believe it to be as per the above explanation. William usually puts the chosen object under the table with his right hand and rests his left elbow on the table, his forearm extended vertically in the old Native American peace and greeting sign (HOW!). This also acts as another logic disconnect and a "red herring" of sorts. After you have performed this a few times and gain a little confidence, you will be correct about ninety per cent of the time. Remember, no guts, no glory. Life rewards only the brave. Above all, don't be afraid that you will miss sometimes. You should miss once in a while anyway, just like you were really psychic. Beat The Machine, continued As the contestants race to do their calculations, the performer calmly closes his eyes, ‘thinks’ for a moment, then writes on a pad, and then caps his pen while patiently waiting for the pair of helpers to finish. When he turns his pad around, there is only one number there. “Sorry,” he apologizes. “I said the two of you combined. Please add your totals together. The grand total equals his calculation exactly! When you supply your ‘random’ number, just mentally subtract the second number given (in this case, 743) from 999 (999-743=256). For the final total, the first half is one less than the first three digit number (478-1=477) and the last three digits will be that number subtracted from 999 (999-477=522). So your rapid calculation will yield the final grand total, 477,522. Capital City, continued The second deck has two different postcards each from the state capitals which begin with the letters ‘J’ through ‘T’ (26 cities - 52 postcards, so toss out one each of three cities. Both sets of postcards are in your inside jacket pocket - remember which is which. When a city is named, you bring out the pack which doesn’t include that city. The band around the postcards is prewritten with room left at the end for you to use a swami gimmick to enter the position number. Wrap it around the postcards and tape it in place with the very end of the band folded as in the illustration. You can inscribe the appropriate number as your helper approaches the platform. Strip the band off the packet of postcards and hand the postcards to your participant. All eyes will be on him so you can easily tuck the tab end of the band into alignment with the rest of the paper band and lay it on a nearby table to be ignored until time for the revelation. Albany Annapolis Atlanta Augusta Austin Baton Rouge Bismark Boise Boston Carson City Charleston Cheyenne Columbia Columbus Concord Denver Des Moines Dover Frankfort Harrisburg Hartford Helena Honolulu Indianapolis Jackson Jefferson City Juneau Lansing Lincoln Little Rock Madison Montgomery Montpelier Nashville Oklahoma City Olympia Phoenix Pierre Providence Raleigh Richmond Sacramento Salem Salt Lake City Santa Fe Springfield St. Paul Talahassee Topeka Trenton State Capitals, Alphabetically
409 Edited by: Lee Earle Copyright©1999 All rights reserved. SYZYGY 2901 N. 55th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85031-3301 Telephone: 623 / 247-7323 voice 623 / 247-4665 fax & data E-Mail: [email protected] World Wide Web http://www.Lee-Earle.com Subscription rates: $38.00 per year Canada: US$48.00 per year Overseas (airmail): US$55.00 per year Single issues: $2.50 Issue # 85 Volume 5, Number 13 This concept was first published in Super Dupery and has been updated just a tad. Lee Earle Zennercycle “Researchers,” begins the Mentalist, as he spreads a pair of ‘Zenner’ decks in parallel rows, “go to extreme lengths when testing for ‘psi’ abilities. They’ve even designed sets of test symbols which are free of semantic influence - hence the circle, cross, wavy lines, square, and star targets. “The same assortment of symbols is in each set,” continues the performer, scooping up one deck and mixing it. “One is the target and the other is the control.” He shuffles the second spread and hands the pack to a participant. “I’ll need your cooperation here - I simply don’t have enough hands. Both sets of symbols have been thoroughly randomized - mixed - however simple math theory suggests that approximately five symbols will be at identical positions in the respective piles. For every card I deal face up into a pile on the table, you do likewise. We’ll count how many matches there are.” As the participant follows in unison, the mindreader deals all 25 cards in his pack into a face up pile on the table. Perhaps as few as four, maybe as many as six matches will occur. The performer mixes both decks again and says, “Now we’ll add the human element. We know that in the newly shuffled order there will be several matches - we just don’t know where. So this time, when you deal a card face up, I’ll deal mine face down. Anytime you feel that the dealt pair might match, say so and we’ll place them aside and continue through the set.” Several times during the synchronous dealing of cards the participant says, “Match.” Each of these pairs is placed aside. When the face down cards are revealed at the conclusion, all will be matching pairs. You’ll use a unique circular stack which allows both decks to be in a prearranged order yet appear to be thoroughly “randomized”. However the standard 5-card cyclical stack won’t stand a side by side spread inspection. Please turn to Zennercycle, page 410
410 Zennercycle, continued Unlike a regular deck of 52 unique cards, an E.S.P. deck consists of 25 cards, 5 of each symbol. Assuming you had stacked the decks in some order, if you cut (for example) a star to the bottom of one, you’d need to cut one of the five stars to the bottom of the matching deck - but which one? The solution to the problem is to use atwo-card key when stacking the 25 card sequence. Assuming that CIRCLE=1, CROSS=2, WAVY LINES=3, SQUARE=4, & STAR=5, stack thus: 1,1,2,3,4,5,2,2,4,1,3,5,3,3,1,4,2,5,4,4,3,2,1,5,5. The stack is built in sections, each beginning with a pair of symbols and then incrementally skipping ahead by the value of the starting cards to get each successive value. Remember, when you are incrementing, the cycle 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 repeats ad infinitum. The skipped values are shown in small type. 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, (skip ahead one value to get the next card) 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (skip ahead two values to get the next card) 3, 3, 4,5, 1, 2,3, 4, 5,1, 2, 3,4, 5 (skip ahead three values to get the next card) 4, 4, 5,1,2, 3, 4,5,1, 2, 3,4,5 1, 2,3,4 5, (skip ahead four values to get the next card) 5. (the only remaining card). Note that there is only one place in the stack where one particular symbol follows another. So if you spot a circle and a cross (1 & 2) at the top of one pack, find the circle-cross combo (not the reverse cross-circle pair) in the other stacked pack and by cutting that pair to the top, you have synchronized the stacks. In performance you can give each deck a series of straight cuts or even a ‘Chanin shuffle’ as you set up the ‘test’. As you and your participant simultaneously deal cards face up, to demonstrate the random order of the packs and note how seldom a pair of cards bears the same symbol, your real purpose is to learn the first two cards of his packet. Look for those two symbols in the same order in the packet you are dealing and mark their position by injogging the second card of the pair. Since you are dealing your cards into a cluttered face up pile, even an exaggerated injog will go unnoticed. After you’ve made note of the number of matches, gather each pile of cards and ‘mix’ them again. His packet is given a series of false cuts or shuffles so the noted pair remains at the top. When you pick up your cards, cut them at the injog to place one of the matching pair on the top and the other on the bottom. A double undercut brings the bottom card to the topleaving both decks in duplicate stacks; every pair of cards dealt will match. Because you deal your cards face up into a pile (which doesn’t change their order) while your participant is dealing face down (which reverses the order), at the end you can ribbon spread both packs face up at the end (“Let’s check for more matches”).
411 Paul Alberstat Changing the Game “Gambling,” begins the Mentalist, “is a method of transferring wealth from the optimists to the mathemeticians. Some gamblers are so addicted to the thrill of the game that they’ll bet on almost anything. Legend has it that two inveterate gamblers once wagered thousands on which of two sugar cubes a fly would alight on first. My gambles are a bit lower on the financial scale. I’m willing to risk $1.41.” The performer tosses five coins - a penny, nickle, dime, quarter, and dollar - on the table. As he meticulously aligns them in a row in front of the participant, he reveals, “I’m arranging these coins in a particular manner to influence what you will later insist is a free choice. For example, the dollar is both the highest value coin as well as the least common in everyday pocket change. Perhaps that makes it special in your mind. On the other hand - and on the other end - maybe the penny draws your attention; it’s the lowest valued and the odd color. The dime, here in the prominent middle position, is the smallest coin in the row. Does that make it unusual enough to end up as your selection? I’ve placed the coins so that the nickle is the only ‘head’ among the ‘tails’. Could that be an attempt to attract your attention? You’ll notice there’s nothing special about the quarter - except that there’s nothing special about it, which makes it unique among the five.” After making a brief note on the blank side of one of his business cards, the mindreader places it on the table writing side down and continues, “For whatever reason you choose, place your right index finger on one coin...and your left index finger on another coin. Push them across the table toward me. Again for your own reasons, finger two more coins and pull them toward yourself. One coin remains - the nickle.” The Mentalist slides the business card under the coin, sits back and smiles. If no one is overcome by curiosity, he turns the card over. It reads, “This card will find the nickle.” “As those annoying infomercials say, ‘But wait, there’s more’,” continues the performer, “Here, pick up all the coins. Shake them in your hands. Heads or tails?” The participant says, “Heads.” “Super!,” says the performer as he makes another note on the business card and sets it aside. “Toss the coins onto the table and eliminate any which show heads. Continue until you’re down to one coin. Looks like it’s the quarter. Read my note of influence.” Written on the card is, “It’s the quarter this time.” Please turn to Changing the Game, page 412 Paul has found a combination of methods which defies reverseengineering.
412 Changing the Game, continued “Enough with my coins,” the Mentalist remarks, pocketing his coins and picking up the card to make an additional note before returning the pen to his pocket. “Let’s play with yours. Reach into your pocket and pull out the coins you’re carrying. Toss ‘em on the table. For whatever reason you wish, pull out as many as you like and return them to your pocket. How much money remains?” “A dollar and thirteen cents,” is the reply. The business card is tossed onto the pile of coins. The last notation written is “$1.13!” The final prediction is entered after the fact with a swami gimmick, as the participant is gathering the reject coins and returning them to his pocket you have ample opportunity to mentally total the remainder and enter that amount on the business card. Remember to take the pencil or pen off the table after you’ve ‘written’ your final note - people will remember. A double-tailed quarter, available from most magic shops, allows that coin to be forced as the second choice. If the participant says, “Tails” your response is, “You’ve chosen tails so discard those which show heads.” The first part is pure equivoque, but with a couple of subtle twists. Arrange the coins in a row, increasing in value from the penny to the dollar. If your subject is right handed, the row should have the penny on his right. Reverse the order for a left handed person. Turn all coins tails-up except the nickle. The second coin from his dominant hand end is in the psychologically most common position selected. So if his finger lands on it (about 80% of the time), turn the card over immediately. Otherwise, he fingers a second coin and pushes them toward you. If the nickle is that second coin, you say, “You’ve chosen two openly. Now I’ll take them, mix them so you cannot know which hand holds which coin and you’ll make a blind selection. Quickly, which one do you wish to take...” He voices his selection and if it’s not the nickle, continue, “...to discard among the others.” Otherwise, state, “You’ve made an open choice and a blind choice, both completely under your control.” And show the card. Should the nickle not be among the first two pushed toward you, say, “And now you’ll select two for yourself.” If the nickle remains in the center of the table, slide the card under it saying, “You’ve fairly eliminated four of the coins...” If the nickle is among his two, you continue, “And finally, eliminate the last coin by pushing it toward me. Having rejected three and selected two, let’s do it blindly, now.” Continue as in the previous description.
413 Edited by: Lee Earle Copyright©1999 All rights reserved. SYZYGY 2901 N. 55th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85031-3301 Telephone: 623 / 247-7323 voice 623 / 247-4665 fax & data E-Mail: [email protected] World Wide Web http://www.Lee-Earle.com Subscription rates: $38.00 per year Canada: US$48.00 per year Overseas (airmail): US$55.00 per year Single issues: $2.50 Issue # 86 Volume 5, Number 14 Finally, a routine which adds some visual flavor and appeal to a Mentalist’s program! Lee Earle Sense of Intuition “Intuition,” begins the Mentalist, “is often described as the act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the use of rational processes. Scientists call it insight; Quasimodo called it a hunch. “I asked my brother if he believed in intuition. He said he didn’t. I asked why. He replied he just had a ‘gut feeling’.” Indicating six letter size manila envelopes on an upstage table the peformer informs his audience, “Inside each of those envelopes is a photograph especially selected to evoke a certain emotion. One will induce a sense of fear, another generates anger. A third will bring on a patriotic feeling, a fourth almost always produces revulsion while the fifth and sixth are intended to elicit affection and humor.” Five participants are selected from the audience and each is instructed to choose one of the envelopes as the mindreader faces the audience so he cannot see their choices. One envelope remains unselected. “At this time each of you should remove your envelope’s photo and look at it. Please do not view any other photo than yours - that will muddle the intended emotions. As you gaze at your photos place yourself in the scene you view. Imagine that you are there, experiencing the sensations of the moment. Then cover your photo with the manila envelope. Don’t slide it back inside, just cover it so no one will have a clue as to who holds which one. The Mentalist instructs, “Will one of you please walk up and stand directly behind me. Reach around with your right hand and place your fingertips on my ‘third eye’, directly in the center of my forehead. With your other hand please retain the photo and envelope.” Please turn to INTUITION, page 416
414 Richard Blackie Colored Judgement! “Remember,” asks the Mentalist, “when you were in preschool and first played with crayons? It seemed almost magical that we could combine the three basic additive colors - red, yellow, and blue - to achieve any color of the rainbow. Let’s play together.” The performer places three business cards and three small crayons or colored pencils - red, yellow, and blue - on the table. With each of them he shades in about two-thirds of the blank side of one of the three cards. “It’s your turn now,” continues the mindreader. “Use any of the colors on any of the cards to shade the other end, coloring in the remaining white area and creating an overlap area with an entirely new hue.” Three times the participant adds more color to a card. Each time the Mentalist remarks, “You’ve added red to the blue to create purple. Interesting choice,” or “Most people wouldn’t have selected yellow to go with the red; orange just isn’t that popular a color.” After all three cards have their shaded colors added, the performer explains, “The creation of these colors in this order was entirely your choice. Still, I had a premonition of your actions. Turn over each card and view the underside. Your signature is on each one, inscribed using a crayon matching the color created on the card by the participant! Prepare four business cards. Three are signed in the complimentary primary colors - orange, green, and purple and are in that order from the top of your stack of four. The first one, orange, you will shade with the red crayon; the second card, green, is shaded with the yellow crayon; the card with the purple signature is shaded with the blue crayon. The participant can shade the red card with only the yellow or blue crayon. If his selection is yellow-on-red to produce orange then the remaining combinations must be blue-on-yellow to yield green and red-on-blue forming purple. In this case, conclude as above. If your helper chooses to add blue to the red shade, then the first card will beget purple, the second card creates orange, and the third one generates green. That’s when you turn over the fourth business card which says, “Although you could have chosen otherwise, you will add blue to my red strokes to get purple, combine red with my yellow shading to get orange, and mix yellow with my blue scribble to get green!” While not quite a ‘closer’, this routine is a quick and simple mental miracle.
415 Larry Becker Ouch! “Not long ago,” begins the Mentalist, “there was a politician who was famous for saying, ‘I feel your pain’. Yeah, right. But let’s imagine that such an ability is possible. How might it manifest itself? Which of you is willing to undergo a little pain to validate this theory?” Getting no takers on his painful premise, the mindreader continues, “Perhaps we can use a stand-in for the target. Here, this should do...” Whereupon he places a letter size sheet of paper on the table, spreads his right hand palm down on top, and uses a pencil or pen to trace the outline of his hand. “This should do nicely. Now we need a source of pain,” he explains. A box of matches is placed in the center of the outlined hand and a participant is instructed to take one match, strike it alight and immediately blow it out. Then, while the ember is still hot, he is to press it against any of the drawn hand’s fingertips. As instructed, he burns and extinguishes one match, then touches it to the tip of the pencilled ring finger. “Ouch!” The performer shakes his right hand as if it had been stung and rubs the spot of pain with his other hand. “That hurts,” he exclaims. “And look at the result - I felt your pain.” On the Mentalist’s hand, exactly in the same position and on the same finger where the hot match was touched to the drawn hand, there is a small blister! The ‘blister’ is actually produced by forcibly pressing the pad of one finger (or thumb) onto a hard surface in which there is a blister-sized hole. A few seconds of pressure produces a raised area in the skin which looks remarkably like a blister. Over the years objects ranging from keys to holes in leather belts have been suggested. Larry’s common sense solution is the ubiquitous thumbtip! It allows you to let your other hand be casually seen as empty. Use a hobbiest’s Exacto knife to cut a small, match head sized hole in the pad area of a plastic thumbtip and a similar hole right in the middle of the ‘thumbnail’ area. Cut so the edges of the holes are crisp and sharp, not rounded. Slip the thumbtip into your left trousers pocket along with a packet of matches. After you’ve drawn the hand outline, reach into your pocket to get the matches and slide the thumbtip onto your left thumb. To produce the ‘blister’ on one of your right hand fingers, just press the pad area of the thumbtip against that finger as you pretend to react in pain. For a ‘blister’ on your thumb you’ll need to press against the hole in the ‘thumbnail’ of the thumbtip. Leave it to Larry Becker to devise a clever new application for an age-old utility device.
416 Lee Earle at the Editor’s Desk INTUITION, continued One participant does as instructed and the performer says, “I detect a strong sense of fear when you mentally step into that photo. Almost as if you want to run. As a child, were you ever frightened by an aggressive dog?” “Yes,” replies the helper. “I thought as much,” says the mindreader. Show the audience your photograph.” It is a close-up of a snarling, Doberman Pinscher dog, all teeth and no nonsense! The accurate revelations continue until each participant’s mood and photo have been disclosed. Keep your eye out for magazine and newspaper photos which clearly generate basic emotions. A photo of cute kittens for ‘affection’ or one of your country’s flag for ‘patriotism’ for example. Enlarge each photo to fill a standard page, laminated front and back in clear plastic (found in office supply stores). Trim an oval ‘thumb cut’ in the top edge of each envelope’s back panel so your participants will grip the photos at the top center. That’s where each photo is treated on the rear side with a light stroke from a differently scented men’s deodorant! That aroma will be transferred to each participant’s fingers as the photos are removed from the envelopes. A strip of clear tape on the inside of the front panel, top center, will protect the paper from any stain or ‘bleed through’ of the deodorant. When your helpers reach around to place fingertips on your forehead you can easily ‘help’ them into the proper position and maneuver their hands past your nose. Because each one touches you and you hold their hands in return, any residual scent will be attributed to an over-use of aftershave or cologne on your part. Describe your ‘insights’ in a way which encourages visualization and taps into emotions. For example, with the ‘disgusting’ photo you can say, “I can sense a tenseness in your touch. Your thoughts seem drawn back to this photo like a moth to flame, even though everything about it feels unpleasant.” Be colorful and flamboyant in your language. Remember, anything you can do to jumpstart their imaginations will redound to your benefit. It probably won’t surprise anyone who knows us that that my dear friend Larry Becker and I have formalized our association into a creative and marketing partnership called Mentalism Unlimited. Our goal is to produce high quality, well routined, solid Mentalism props and routines. When you meet either of us in person, ask us about how we developed our logo. ‘Scents’ of Intuition
417 Edited by: Lee Earle Copyright©1999 All rights reserved. SYZYGY 2901 N. 55th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85031-3301 Telephone: 623 / 247-7323 voice 623 / 247-4665 fax & data E-Mail: [email protected] World Wide Web http://www.Lee-Earle.com Subscription rates: $38.00 per year Canada: US$48.00 per year Overseas (airmail): US$55.00 per year Single issues: $2.50 Issue # 87 Volume 5, Number 15 Barry offers credit to Stuart James for the inspiration behind this presentation. Barry Richardson Minding the Mint “Anyone who drives on toll roads,” informs the Mentalist, will “accumulate a quantity of coins and currency on a daily basis – the result of change returned after paying the toll with large denomination bills.” Displaying a cigar box, the performer continues, “I’ll toss the change into a container like this and later sort out the small coins - nickles, pennies, and dimes - keeping the bills and quarters for future toll booths.” He raises the lid, allowing the audience to see the coins and paper money, and then closes the box before handing it to a front row participant. “Please reach inside the box and remove one of those bills. It doesn’t matter which one you take but it is important that, for now, no one should know the value of the bill you hold. Just ‘scrunch’ it into a ball and conceal it in your hand. When you’ve done that, hand the box to a stranger among the audience.” When the second participant has the box, the instructions are repeated. After a third helper has removed and concealed a bill the mindreader instructs, “Please bring the box to the platform. The others who hold my money will join you.” Once all three are on stage the performer takes the cigar box and allows each person to choose an empty tin box of the sort in which breath lozenges are packaged. Raising one of them to his nose, the Mentalist sniffs, “This is the ideal place for new money - you can even smell the mint.” Following the audience’s groan, the performer walks to the front of the platform, his back clearly toward the participants, and continues, “While you’re out of my sight, each of you will place your bill inside the candy tin you hold.” As they are doing this, he instructs, “Each of you in turn should now go to the cigar box, remove a small number of coins, and put them in your tin with the currency. Again, don’t allow anyone to see how many coins you take.” Please turn to Mint, page 420
418 Banachek It Takes Balls Banachek admits that a major influence for this routine came from Basil Horowitz. “I’m sure most of you have heard of the term, ‘blackballed’,” reminds the Mentalist, showing five pingpong balls, one of which is painted black. “In secret voting procedures, members of exclusive clubs will conceal either a white ball for ‘Yes’ or a black ball for ‘No’ in their hands. As a container is passed among them each person deposits the ball inside without allowing anyone else to see the color. At the end of the vote, a single black ball defeats the proposition and no one knows who cast that secret vote.” The balls are dropped into a small cloth bag which is handed to a nearby participant. The performer states, “Reach inside and take one of the balls, please. Keep it concealed in your hand as you remove it from the bag.” Following compliance the bag is handed to each of four more helpers until all the balls have been removed. “Students pledging for a sorority or fraternity have only their egos at risk,” reminds the mindreader. I plan to up the ante.” He picks up a fan of five envelopes from a nearby table. Four of them have pieces of paper extending from their openings. After they are given to another front row participant the Mentalist asks, “Please seal the slips within the envelopes. When you’re done, add this to the fifth envelope and seal it inside, too. It’s the check for my fee this evening. Shuffle the envelopes and give them to me.” Pulling a pencil from his pocket the performer writes the numbers 1 through 5 on the envelope corners. Then he addresses the first of the five who hold the pingpong balls, “My livelihood is in your hands. Literally. Which numbered envelope will you take?” He repeats with the remaining four helpers and remarks, “Now the fun begins. If you hold a white ball, shread your envelope and its contents; if you have the black ball, please give your envelope to me.” One participant returns his envelope as the others rip theirs into tiny pieces. Balls and shreds go neatly into the cloth bag. The Mentalist opens the remaining envelope and looks inside. Breathing a sigh of relief, he removes his paycheck and asks the audience to applaud his participants for their help. Multiple methods will confound the wise ones. Your cloth bag is made of crepe or another soft and opaque material. Color one ball with matte black spray paint. When you hand the bag to each subsequent participant to remove one ball you gently ‘massage’ the contents as if mixing them. The rough surface on the black ball is easily detected by touch so you’ll know when it’s been taken. Please turn to Balls, page 420
419 Mint, continued In illustration, the Mentalist opens the cigar box and grabs a handful of coins allowing a few of them to trickle back into the box which is then placed on a small side table or the seat of a chair. After complying, each participant holds a tin box with an unknown amount currency and coins. As well, the number of coins remaining in the cigar box is a mystery. With no further discussion and no questions asked, the mindreader reveals the amount of money remaining in the cigar box and the total of coins and currency in each person’s tin box! After the performer verifies his accuracy with each participant, he exchanges each person’s tin and money for a similar brand new package of mints as he escorts them from the platform. Two diabolic principles make for one masterly routine. When the participants join you on the platform with their hidden bills you give each of them an empty Altoids tin. Each is a different color so that you can easily identify it later as #1, #2, and #3. Ask each participant to select the tin with a flavor he or she prefers. By being so open about selecting flavors, no importance is attached to the tins. There is a printed label stuck to the inside bottom of each tin, as illustrated, which turns your participants into unknowing confederates. Since you have no clue as to which person holds which bill, and because you have allowed each participant to select his tin, reverse engineering of your method is impossible, as you’ll see. The number of coins remaining in the cigar box after your helpers have removed theirs lets you easily determine which person has what amount of money. The cigar box originally contains 42 quarters plus a one dollar bill, a five dollar bill, and a ten dollar bill. When you ask them to take “...a small number of coins...” you illustrate by taking some yourself - perfect double-speak, since your audience assumes each person can select a random number of coins and it appears that you have grabbed a random number as well. Actually, you must retain exactly 19 coins. A pencil mark near a corner on the inside edge of the box serves as a measure for the those 19 quarters. Just tilt the box toward that corner as you reach inside and encourage the coins to slide into a stack for your measurement. After you’ve grasped your stack of coins take a few more in your fingertips and allow them to dribble back into the box. You use the technique from “The Trick That Fooled Einstein” to learn how many coins remain after your participants have removed theirs which will, in turn, provide all you need to know for your further revelations. Please turn to Mint, page 420 IMPORTANT! Please follow these instructions: If you have the $1 bill, take 1 coin; if you have the $5 bill, take 2 coins; if you have the $10 bill, take 4 coins. Thank you. Tin #1 IMPORTANT! Please follow these instructions: If you have the $1 bill, take 2 coins; if you have the $5 bill, take 4 coins; if you have the $10 bill, take 8 coins. Thank you. Tin #2 IMPORTANT! Please follow these instructions: If you have the $1 bill, take 3 coins; if you have the $5 bill, take 6 coins; if you have the $10 bill, take 12 coins. Thank you. Tin #3
420 Mint, continued Hand the cigar box with the remaining coins to a front-row participant as you make the following statements: “I hold as many coins as those remaining in the box; Plus three more, and; Enough left over to bring the total in the box to $4.00.” Ask the person with the box to take out the coins and count them back into the box in a loud voice so everyone can hear. Let’s assume there are eight coins in the box (you hold 19). Have your audience helper hold out his hand as you count eight coins (the first prediction) into his palm. Then count three more (the second prediction). Next, you say, “Eight quarters in the box total $2.00. Let’s see if my third prediction is correct.” You count each remaining coin you hold into the box, with a running total, “That makes $2.25, 2.50, 2.75, 3.00, 3.25, 3.50, 3.75, and my last coin brings the total to four dollars!” Your third prediction is verified. These predictions work regardless of the number of coins remaining. Now you have what you need to determine the totals and denominations of the money each participant holds. The table at the right illustrates how the number of remaining coins provides your clue. You can make up a crib sheet but it’s not necessary if you’ll remember that for each pair of coin counts (6, 7; 8, 10; and 11, 12) the $10 bill will be in tins 3, 2, and 1 respectively. When the coin count is the lower of the coin count pair, the $1 bill will be in the lowest of the two remaining tin numbers; if the coin count is the greater of the coin count pair, the $1 bill will be in the larger of the two remaining tin numbers. Determining the total of the money within each tin is child’s play. The tin with the $1 bill has the same number of coins as your secret tin number; the tin holding the $5 bill has double the number of coins as its identity number; the tin containing the $10 bill has four times the number of coins as your covert container number. It is best to reveal the numbers of coins before revealing who has which note, even though you work it the other way around. $1 $5 $10 6123 7213 8132 10 312 11 231 12 321 Balls, continued The last, empty, envelope is marked for your eyes only using a nail nick, a pencil dot, or any other method with which you are comfortable. Just so you know which envelope holds your check when all five are returned to you. You only pretend to write the numbers 1-5 on the envelope corners. As each ball holder asks for an envelope by number you look at the packet of envelopes, divide them in the middle, and cut one to the top (as if it really mattered). That’s when you use your trusty swami gimmick (nail writer) to inscribe the requested digit onto an appropriate envelope - making sure the black ball participant gets your marked paycheck envelope.
421 Edited by: Lee Earle Copyright©1999 All rights reserved. SYZYGY 2901 N. 55th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85031-3301 Telephone: 623 / 247-7323 voice 623 / 247-4665 fax & data E-Mail: [email protected] World Wide Web http://www.Lee-Earle.com Subscription rates: $38.00 per year Canada: US$48.00 per year Overseas (airmail): US$55.00 per year Single issues: $2.50 Issue # 88 Volume 5, Number 16 John. a corporate and pub entertainer in Kerry, Ireland, has had very good reactions to this one. John Bowden Cast in Stone “Runes,” begins the Mentalist as he empties a pouch of more than two dozen oblong objects onto the table, “are the angular characters which formed ancient Germanic alphabets. Nordic necromancers carved these symbols onto small stones and attributed magical powers to certain pairs of those markings. Modern soothsayers use similar ‘stones’ for fortune telling.” During his remarks the performer turns all of the rune stones ‘face down’ and then makes a notation on his business card before dropping it near the empty pouch, suggesting, “Let’s see if you have the blood of Viking mystics coursing through your veins. The runes are cast by holding them in your cupped hands, shaking them like dice, then slapping them to the table. Those which come to rest with their symbols hidden are set aside; the remaining stones are recast. This is repeated until only one remains. It will be paired with another that you select now. Choose.” The participant points to one face down stone; the mindreader slides it onto the card. “This is your ‘chosen’ stone. Now find your ‘casting’ stone,” he instructs, assisting his helper to gather the runes for casting. Again and again the participant casts the stones; each time the face down stones are moved aside. When the helper holds just three or four stones the Mentalist grins and reminds, “If they all land face down, you must start over. “That would be too bad, He says, picking up both the ‘chosen’ stone and the card, privately comparing them to one another and putting them back as they were. “You’re off to a great start.” When the casting is complete and only one stone remains face up the mindreader gestures for the participant to take the ‘chosen’ stone and turn it symbol side up next to the ‘cast’ stone. Please turn to Stone, page 422
422 Stone, continued “You may consider changing your name to Olaf the Omniscient,” he remarks. “Look at my notation.” The business card is turned over. Written there are the words, “The most magical combination of symbols is:” followed by two runic characters - matching exactly the two face up stones! All but two of the stones start off in the pouch. The first is a double faced rune, with the same symbol carved on both sides. The other is any of the remaining, regular rune stones. As you bring out the bag, both of these force stones are deposited in your lap. After you empty the pouch’s contents onto the table, place the pouch about a hand’s span from the edge of the table in line with your right shoulder. When you drop the card on the table, place it next to the bag, directly in front of you and about four inches from the table’s edge. The ‘chosen’ stone will be placed on top of it later. The double facer is added to the runes as you assist in gathering them for the first or second casting. Don’t look into your lap when you are getting it ready – you can easily feel the doubly carved rune with your fingertips. Switching in the ‘chosen’ stone borrows from a gambler’s card move. The ‘chosen’ stone is positioned against the edge of the table with the symbol facing you. It is held there with your right thumb as your hand rests on the edge of the table. When you make your remark about the possibility of starting over, two things happen. First, you have reinforced the idea that all the remaining stones could land face down (we know better) and second, the participant’s mind is perfectly misdirected, focused on the possibility of repeating the lengthy procedure. As you deliver the “...too bad...” line, draw the face down stone off the card with the pads of your extended right fingers. Lift the card with your left hand, ‘shading’ the action as you continue to drag the face down tile toward you. It drops over the table edge and into your lap as your right thumb pulls the hidden tile into your hand in sort of a sweeping motion. Your audience will follow your eyes as you look first at the drawing on the business card, then at the symbol on the rune stone. That’s when you finish your statement with, “...You’re off to a great start.” Place both back on the table, symbol sides down, with the stone atop the card as before. Why slap the stones down? Because if you tossed them like dice the double symbol stone might tumble and reveal your secret. While it’s not as elegant, you can have the participant openly select a third rune, the ‘knowing’ rune. A swami gimmick easily adds that design to the other two on the card. Make your own set of rune stones using children’s modeling compound, baking them in the oven to harden.
423 Erik Anderson Graphis Acidus “Most of us have wondered,” offers the Mentalist, “whether there is indeed any basis to graphology – handwriting analysis. I’ve learned just enough to be dangerous and I’m anxious to determine how accruate it might be. I’ve had some materials printed for that purpose.” A small, 3 x 5 inch, preprinted index card and a pen are laid in front of the participant with the request, “Simply follow the instructions.” As the participant is writing, the performer reads aloud those instructions from another card, for everyone’s benefit. Once the helper has completed inscribing his handwriting sample and signature, he quarter-folds the card. Taking the folded card in hand, the mindreader points to the signature on the outside and remarks, “Our signature is a mirror of our public persona and how we wish others to regard us.” He goes on to deliver an amazingly accurate assessment of the participant’s personality and even directly addresses one of his unspoken questions or concerns! The card (a master layout is on the following page) performs the triple task of justifying your procedure, providing patter cues, and allowing for a variation of the Al Mann “Acidus” billet move. Even though the card has an offset dotted line indicating where to fold the card, it’s a wise move to pre-crease the card along that line to ensure the first fold develops the necessary overlap. Position the folded card (the billet) with the signature on top and aligned so you can read it. Your hands rest on the table as you hold the left end of the billet with the fingertips of your left hand as you begin to describe characteristics of the signature. To show the audience the details to which you are referring, you transfer the billet to your right hand. Your right thumb applies upward pressure on the right edges of the folded billet while your index finger lies against the front, folded edge. Because of the purposely created overlap, that upward pressure will lift three of the four layers. Move your thumb into that space above the bottom-most layer, applying pressure against your index and middle fingers. Voila! The participant’s question is now ready for your peek as you point with your left index finger at the signature facing him. Your hands, positioned fairly close together, ‘shade’ any angle problems. Then you ‘realize’ that the signature is upside down for your audience. Regrip and rotate the billet – removing your thumb from the fold – and continue with your presentation with full knowledge of your participant’s question. It will be helpful to have a modicum of knowledge regarding handwriting analysis - your local bookstore will have several titles available which will provide what you need. Erik is a working pro in the Midwest, doing Mentalism as well as hypnosis.
424 Handwriting Analysis unveils the personality behind the pen. It is used by corporations, law enforcement, U.S. Government agencies and others. It's called "brainwriting" by graphology experts. Handwriting is a unique and dependable window into the personality. Graphology reveals: Physical & Material Drives Emotional Characteristics Intellectual Style & Personality Social Behavior Step 1 First, think of a question of real importance to you and write it in the area below. By focusing on this question (and not your handwriting) you are much more likely to provide a representative graphology sample that will reflect the “real” you. Use as much space as you need. Then fold the card in half (with the writing sample inside) and continue with Step 2. Handwriting Sample: Private, uncommunicative Insecure, self doubt Self confidence, arrogance Pride, ego, flamboyant Reasonable, open, sensible Acquisitive, physical, driven Egotistical, impatient Creative, imaginative, spiritual Impulsive, volatile, romantic Expressive, emotional, friendly Rational, cautious, diplomatic Withdrawn, inhibited, cool Independent, evasive, private Controlled, disciplined Surrender, unsure Rigid, vulnerable Moody, expressive Cynical, depressed, withdrawn Positive, active, energetic SIGNATURE ZONES SLANT BASELINE ❐ Rising ❐ Falling ❐ Erratic ❐ Ruler ❐ Convex ❐ Straight ❐ Far Left ❐ Left ❐ Straight ❐ Right ❐ Far Right ❐ Upper ❐ Middle ❐ Lower ❐ Balanced ❐ Big Caps ❐ Underline ❐ Large ❐ Illegible Step 2 Print your name on the line below. Step 3 Sign your name, as if you were Step 4 giving your autograph, in the box below. Fold the card in half again with your signature on the outside. Signature Handwriting Analysis unveils the personality behind the pen. It is used by corporations, law enforcement, U.S. Government agencies and others. It's called "brainwriting" by graphology experts. Handwriting is a unique and dependable window into the personality. Graphology reveals: Physical & Material Drives Emotional Characteristics Intellectual Style & Personality Social Behavior Step 1 First, think of a question of real importance to you and write it in the area below. By focusing on this question (and not your handwriting) you are much more likely to provide a representative graphology sample that will reflect the “real” you. Use as much space as you need. Then fold the card in half (with the writing sample inside) and continue with Step 2. Handwriting Sample: Private, uncommunicative Insecure, self doubt Self confidence, arrogance Pride, ego, flamboyant Reasonable, open, sensible Acquisitive, physical, driven Egotistical, impatient Creative, imaginative, spiritual Impulsive, volatile, romantic Expressive, emotional, friendly Rational, cautious, diplomatic Withdrawn, inhibited, cool Independent, evasive, private Controlled, disciplined Surrender, unsure Rigid, vulnerable Moody, expressive Cynical, depressed, withdrawn Positive, active, energetic SIGNATURE ZONES SLANT BASELINE ❐ Rising ❐ Falling ❐ Erratic ❐ Ruler ❐ Convex ❐ Straight ❐ Far Left ❐ Left ❐ Straight ❐ Right ❐ Far Right ❐ Upper ❐ Middle ❐ Lower ❐ Balanced ❐ Big Caps ❐ Underline ❐ Large ❐ Illegible Step 2 Print your name on the line below. Step 3 Sign your name, as if you were Step 4 giving your autograph, in the box below. Fold the card in half again with your signature on the outside. Signature Note: This template should be printed on both sides of index card stock then cut at the crop marks so you get four cards per sheet. The front side of each will have the handwriting sample space and the back side of each will have the signature box. There is a blank area below the signature box to imprint your name and contact information. After you've finished your 'signature analysis' and have revealed the participant's question, use the 'tic sheet' side of card to check off some personal attributes evident in your participant's signature and handwriting. Unfold it and la it flat on the table as you make your marks and comments.
425 Edited by: Lee Earle Copyright©1999 All rights reserved. SYZYGY 2901 N. 55th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85031-3301 Telephone: 623 / 247-7323 voice 623 / 247-4665 fax & data E-Mail: [email protected] World Wide Web http://www.Lee-Earle.com Subscription rates: $38.00 per year Canada: US$48.00 per year Overseas (airmail): US$55.00 per year Single issues: $2.50 Issue # 89 Volume 5, Number 17 A successful dealer in England, Morley credits Daryl Bem for igniting the creativity. Morley Budden Post-It Parapsychology “Twins often have the ability to perceive one another’s thoughts,” begins the Mentalist. “Some claim a genetic basis while others insist that environmental factors and familiarity are behind it. When the thoughts are simple enough, even strangers can accomplish miracles.” Two volunteers are obtained from different parts of the audience to ensure that they will not know one another. The performer informs, “One of you will be the ‘transmitter’ and the other will be the ‘receiver’ for our little experiment.” After positioning them on opposite sides of the platform, he shows them a pair of identical small, vinyl covered notpad folios. When they are opened, each is seen to have a different yellow Post-It sticky note attached to the inside front cover. He reads each aloud, allowing the participants silently to follow along, over his shoulder: “The Receiver instructions say, ‘When I snap my fingers, draw the first image that pops into your mind. Draw quickly and make your drawing as large as possible. Thanks for helping.’ while the Transmitter instructions read, ‘When I snap my fingers, please draw a pair of simple shapes. Make your drawing as large as possible. Concentrate only on what you have drawn. Thanks for helping.’.” Continuing his instructions, the performer demonstrates with one pad, “After you’ve recorded your impressions, tear the sheet of paper from the pad, fold it into a small packet, and close your folder. Clear? Let’s begin!” The two folders are ‘shuffled’ so that no one can know which of the pair is sending and which is receiving, then each participant gets a large marking pen and one of the folders. Please turn to Post-It, page 428
426 Lee Earle Go For The Jugular “Eastern mystics,” informs the Mentalist, “are known by their ability to control their respiration and pulse. They’ve allowed themselves to be buried alive for days or weeks as a demonstration of this amazing ability. Western medicine attributes self-hypnosis as the controlling factor.” Seating himself in a chair in the center of the room, the performer continues, “Holding one’s breath is simple; regulating one’s heartbeat is something else entirely.” He points to a nearby partcipant, offers his wrist, and asks, “ Will you stand next to me and feel my pulse?” After helping her find his wrist pulse he asks, “Please indicate with your other hand, as if you were keeping time to music, the beats of my heart. Please don’t be alarmed if it slows down.” The participant silently marks the beats of the mindreader’s pulse, the interval between them growing longer and longer until she is no longer indicating a pulse at all! Then she begins marking an increasing rhythm until once again his heart is beating at a normal rate. The Mentalist offers, “It’s been suggested that controlling one’s pulse is simply a matter of ‘thinking’ the blood flow away from an extremity - such as an arm or a leg - which is harmless for a short term. The same can’t be said for one’s head, however. Without a constant flow of blood the brain ceases to function. Still, a short halt isn’t terribly risky. Let’s find my jugular pulse and try.” Once again the participant’s fingers are guided to locate the mindreader’s pulse, this time beneath his jaw on the side of his neck. “Mark my heartbeats again,” he requests. “This will be interesting.” The participant’s eyes go wide as the performer’s jugular pulse gets slower, and slower, and stops! A few seconds later she detects a strengthening pulse once more and breathes a sigh of relief. A rubber ball or wadded up handkerchief in your armpit is the gaff for controlling your radial (wrist) pulse. By squeezing your arm against your body the artery carrying blood to your arm is pinched, stopping the pulse in that arm. To stop your ‘jugular pulse’ you must supply a false pulse for your helper to find and measure. Pressing your tongue lightly against your teeth in a metronomic rhythm alternately tightens and loosens a small muscle beneath your jaw, perfectly simulating an arterial pulse and entirely under your control. This technique goes well beyond the old pulse stopping stunt. Try it!
427 Terry Godfrey Party Partners “It’s well known,” states the Mentalist, “that the longer a couple is married the more they begin to anticipate each other’s thoughts. There is some debate whether it’s a matter of knowing the person better or proof of a psychic link. Let’s find out tonight.” The party hostess and her husband are asked to come forward. Addressing the hostess and handing her drawing materials, the mindreader instructs, “Your husband will soon form an image in his mind. Even now, he is not aware of the nature of that image but I assure you, it will be determined by chance. Peer into the near future for us, then use this pad and pen to sketch your impression. Don’t allow anyone to see what you draw.” Spreading a deck of cards face up on the table, the performer turns to the husband and says, “You will picture an image of one of these in your mind. But let’s ensure it’s selected at random.” He gathers the deck, mixes it, and places it face down on the table. “Cut the deck in half,” instructs the Mentalist, “and set aside either half. Do it again. And again. Once more. Let's see how many cards remain...only eight. I’ll introduce a little more randomness for you. Point to any two of the cards and I’ll pull one aside, then we’ll repeat with me pointing to two and you discarding one.” At the end, a single card remains. “Think of that card,” commands the Mentalist. He turns to the hostess and asks, “Have you received an image and sketched it?” She shows her drawing to the audience - it’s the same card her husband has been visualizing! And both have no clue how! Pull the hostess aside early in the evening before everything starts. Tell her that her husband will be asked to concentrate on any playing card at random. She is to peer into the future as if she can predict his choice. You have a feeling it won't be an Ace or a Queen, though. Perhaps she should even write it down on this little paper, refolded so the writing is on the inside. “Can you remember his choice without referring to your note?”, you ask. “OK, I'll depend on your memory alone.” A simple center tear enables you to learn her ‘vision’ so you can remove that card from the deck and covertly mark it. When the deck has been multiply halved down to fewer than ten or so cards, secretly add it as you count the remaining cards. The P.A.T.E.O. (Pick Any Two, Eliminate One) force ensures hubby ends up with the proper card. If an odd number of cards remain, you begin by pointing to two. Should the remaining cards be an even number, let him start by indicating two cards. You simply never touch or eliminate the marked force card. Terry has been a friend for over 20 years and it’s a delight to include an item from this clever performer.
428 Post-It, continued The mindreader goes on, “Open your folders, read your tasking, and confirm that you are ready to begin. Don’t reveal the role which chance has assigned to you. Ready?” After a short pause the Mentalist snaps his fingers and the two participants put pens to paper. “Remove and fold your drawings several times,” advises the performer, “being careful not to reveal what you’ve sketched.” After the drawings are safely folded, the mindreader takes back pens and folders, placing them aside as the helpers are brought together, center stage. The Mentalist takes the folded drawings and asks the audience, “Please give these two volunteers a round of applause as they return to their seats.” Holding one folded drawing in each hand, the mindreader again addresses the audience, “Your applause was quite generous for something which could end up as a total failure. I assume if they are successful, you’ll reward them with a standing ovation?” The two drawings are opened and displayed. They are identical! There are three Post-It notes, written with a fine point pen or pencil to make them illegible at a short distance. Two of them have identical ‘transmitter’ text and are stuck in place on the inside covers of the folders. The remaining Post-It note bears the ‘receiver’ text. It is placed directly on top of one of the first two notes, perfectly aligned so the two appear as one. When you open this folder, your thumb rests on the note(s) to avoid any flutter as you show it to the audience and participants. With the inside of the folder visible only to you, remove the top Post-It and close the folder. Walk over to one participant and begin reading the note as you allow him to silently read along. As you continue reading aloud, walk over to the other participant so he, too, can read along as you finish the text. Then open the folder from which it came – being careful not to flash the interior – stick the note inside directly on the top sheet of the pad, and close the folder. Open the other folder, take out the sticky note, and repeat the procedure, with one exception. Keep the words “square inside a circle” covered with your thumb. Begin reading the note aloud as one participant silently follows along. When you say “...snap my fingers...” start your walk over to the second participant as you continue to read. That’s when you verbally substitute “...a pair of simple shapes...” for “...a square inside a circle...” By the time you reach the second helper, you’re reading the subsequent text, which he verifies. Return the sticky note to the folder’s inside cover. Because both participants will be ‘transmitters’, each will think that you didn’t read the specific shapes to draw because you obviously wanted to keep the ‘receiver’ in the dark. When you demonstrate how to remove and fold the sheet of paper, use the folder in which you stuck the extra Post-It to the top sheet of the pad, cleanly getting rid of the extra sticky note. To play for laughs, build ‘telepathy helmets’ for your volunteers, using kitchen utensils and other silly stuff.
429 Edited by: Lee Earle Copyright©1999 All rights reserved. SYZYGY 2901 N. 55th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85031-3301 Telephone: 623 / 247-7323 voice 623 / 247-4665 fax & data E-Mail: [email protected] World Wide Web http://www.Lee-Earle.com Subscription rates: $38.00 per year Canada: US$48.00 per year Overseas (airmail): US$55.00 per year Single issues: $2.50 Issue # 90 Volume 5, Number 18 John Riggs was SYZYGY’s very first contributor. It’s appropriate that he will be the last – for a while, at least. John Riggs Post-Prognostication “One of the most impressive things any psychic can do”, the Mentalist asserts, “is to predict tomorrow’s headlines. This is a certain and undeniable demonstration of the ability to push aside the curtains of time and peer – if ever so briefly – into the future. “I wish that I could do that! However, I would like to tell you that I am a member of the American Association of Procrastinating Prognosticators! We predict events after they happen! Actually,we are doing fairly well. Our accuracy rate is up to 85%.” Picking up a stack of a dozen or more letter-size panels, the performer continues (with his tongue firmly in his cheek), “These are photocopies of headlines that I have successfully predicted after they happened. I wanted to use the most reliable media possible, so I selected the one newspaper courageous enough to print the naked, unvarnished truth!” He turns the stack of panels to face the audience and begins showing reproductions of the front pages of the Weekly World news, one of those horrendously outrageous tabloids found at supermarket checkout stands. As each successive headline is revealed, the mindreader comments and then moves the panel to the back of the stack. “Look at some of these stories! ‘Marilyn Monroe Was Russian Spy!’ Well, Duh! Everyone knew that! ‘ World’s Biggest Baby!’ They obviously never saw me when I’m sick! ‘Alien Backs Perot!’ I always thought he was one of them! We predicted them all!” Please turn to Tabloid, page 430