Addictive Card Moves!!!!!!

Michael Kras · Addictive Card Moves!!!!!!

Everyone has one... a move you can't go without doing whenever you're playing with your deck. What is your obsessive move?

Mine.... Paul Harris' Instant Replay flourish. Reuben can vouch for the fact that I'm now obsessed with this move and have been working on it literally endlessly for weeks. I'm still not great at it either, which makes me work on it more! As a side note, I attempted the Simple Switch (two Instant Replays performed simultaneously, like juggling) and was able to do it perfectly.... once. I haven't even come close to it since.

Ben Train

For the past few days I've been doing the following sequence:

Cull the deck (reds/blacks). False shuffles. Then take out one card, sight unseen, from each half. Shuffle. Clock the deck for the first card. As I clock for the second card I cull the deck into reds and blacks.

Repeat.

Best,
ben

Reuben The Great

The double lift, period.

The pass, culling, cardini change, some random one card flourish move I created, table shuffles, and most importantly the le paul hop spread!

Michael Kras

Clocking is addictive, for sure, but I find it nerve-wracking trying to beat the clock (get it?).

I'm also semi-addicted to my Spring Change.

Reuben The Great

And very humble too! Lol just kidding :p yeah I see you playing with that a lot. It's very smooth and elegant. I love how it just goes in and out so smoothly, as if greased up. You play with it so much, one would think it gets boring after a while but obviously not; that smooth, oily action must be addicting.

BrianMillerMagic

David Acer's Twirl Double Lift into one of my color changes that I developed to come right out of his TDL.

Michael Kras

I remember seeing the video of the colour change in question... it looked beautiful!

And where have YOU been, Mr. Miller? Smile

BrianMillerMagic

I have been busy with philosophy. A paper titled "The Illusion of Choice" ( http://organizations.oneonta.edu/philosc/papers09/Miller.pdf ) that I spent about four months writing and then submitted to the largest and most prestigious undergraduate philosophy conference in North America was one of only 30 papers ACCEPTED, so I've been preparing my twenty minute presentation of it that I get to do this coming Saturday.

I'm also in the middle of two huge works/projects that will take the better part of the next year:

1. "A Curious Trifecta: Science, Metaphysics and Religion" - I make the case that there are serious reasons to doubt the public's common perception that science is the best account of the way the world is, and then engage in a broad analysis of these three forms of thought to defend the bold thesis: to dismiss metaphysics or religion on any rational grounds is to dismiss science on the same (or very similar) grounds

2. "The Ethics of Deceit: Is Magic a Morally Permissible Form of Entertainment?" - see the thread in my section of Magicanada for discussion of this

I have not performed magic in four months as I've had to take a hiatus, but I am on stage for the first time since January a week from Saturday and will resume performing this summer with some potentially exciting new developments (TBA when I have more details).

So THAT'S where I've been.

Liam

its good to hear from you brian, sounds like you are up to some interesting stuff.

Ben Train

Hey B.

I'd love to see your "A Curious Trifecta: Science, Metaphysics and Religion" paper, when it is finished.

I submit my final paper, a 40 pager that's been more difficult to right then an 80 pager, a week from today, and I think the topic might be of interest to you.

I argue, using Dennet and Kant, that Religion is not the rout to morality, but that it's ok (emphasis on 'ok' and not 'good'...) for people until they can outgrow it. I advocate though, eventually, for the total elimination of religion in the long run, and discuss the potential benefits it would have.

Obviously, with Kant, I discuss metaphysics and his postulates (in which he states God is a requirement for rational beings), which is why I think you would get a kick out of it.

When do you finish school? We have a magic meeting in 2 weeks, if you're up for that. I'll also be lecturing in the second week of May in Toronto and you are invited as my guest (free baby!) if you wanna come hang.

Best,
Ben Train
p.s.
Magic? What's magic? I hear you- it's hard to be performing while all this is going on. Kudos to you for having the will power to take a hiatus.
p.p.s.
I ALSO start my paper with a quote from Dennet!:

“The widely prevailing opinion that religion is the bulwark of morality is problematic at best. The idea that heavenly reward is what motivates good people is demeaning and unnecessary; the idea that religion at its best gives meaning to a life is jeopardized by the hypocrisy trap which we have fallen; the idea that religious authority grounds our moral judgments is useless in genuine ecumenical exploration; and the presumed relation between spirituality and moral goodness is an illusion.”
- Daniel Dennett, Breaking the Spell

BrianMillerMagic

That sounds VERY cool man - I'd love to check it out when you're finished. Good ol Dennett. I respond to his 'compatibility' position on free will in my "The Illusion of Choice" paper. He's a silly philosopher.

Anyway, I will be finished with school about May 12, and so after then-ish I should be able to make a trip to Toronto to hang with all you guys finally. Much appreciate the free invite to the lecture. If I can make it there I'll definitely come!