Did you know the word Wizard is alphabetically symmetrical?

W- is 4th from the end of the alphabet
D- is 4th from the beginning
I- is 9th from the beginning
R- is 9th from the end
A- is the first
Z- is the last

W I Z A R D
 4th    9th   last   first   9th    4th

This magical journey has been an interesting one, to say the least. Its been filled with joy, and disappointment, laughter and tears, friends and back stabbers.......
 Though certain goals I have set for myself, havent been reached, I can look back and see many that have. Theres been times I was ready to give up. A couple of times I actually did. Laying down magic for months at a time. But magic always found its way back to my life, and I found myself once again performing at one level or another, be it at restaurants, parties, on stage or just for some family and friends.
My friend Tricky, I met here on myspace, shared a quote with me "You dont get into magic, magic gets into you". This statement is very true!
I was always drawn to magic. Not to satisfy my curiousity or so I could run out and tell all my friends how to do a trick, but because it took me to a different place. It seemed to open a door that very few step through. Once I stepped through that door completely, my life changed. I looked at things through different eyes. Even a new deck of cards has a feel and smell to it  that only a magician understands. Just as an artist looks for inspiration before he puts his vision on canvas... a magician looks at the things around him for inspiration and wonders what he can do to make some kinda magical effect out of this or that. My wife still fusses at me everytime we go out to eat, because Im always trying to figure out something to do with the silverware or bending the forks. But thats my point...magic is always there. Ive even sat on my steps looking in the yard, trying to find a way to make flower grow with the wave of a hand. The mind of a true magician never rests, and not just because it cant, but because we dont want it to.
Ive come into contact with many magicians in person as well as here on myspace. All in some way have been an inspiration to me. Even if they came to me for help it, in turn, helped me. You see, I dont believe in anyone being the "Best". I believe we all can be better at what we do. I remember a few years ago, I was giving constructive critisism to one of my myspace friends when he performed "fraud". But from what I understand, he would smoke me with a deck of cards. Im not the best, noone is. We can all learn from each other!
I dont know where this journey will take me. I may never be more than what I am at this moment, but there is one thing that I will always have...a true appreciation for the art of magic and the impact it has had on my life.
Thank you to all the friends Ive made along the way! Jonathan Ferguson, for your help with card magic. Wes Hardin, for your unique yet classic style. Joe Stewart, for being the only other guy in the Carolinas with a style similar to mine. Gene Burton, for never giving up on sharing magic. Jim Curtin, for all the kind words and your enthusiasm in magic and Martial arts. Tricky and Big G, for being yourself and bringing a new sense of  "cool" to magic. Clint, for sharing some trials and tribulations and allowing us to see you grow and create a better and brighter future for yourself. Steve Holt, for all the interesting stories and help with the Stage side of magic. Ron Saylor, for your advice, help and friendship. Max Maven, for your BRUTAL honesty. Jeff McBride, for your truely great words of wisdom. Brandon, my best friend, for having my back and being there for me when noone else was. My family, for driving hours to see me perform and raising me to be the weird guy that I am :). Last but not least, Heather..my wife.. For backing me and supporting me, loving me, and marrying me.
Without magic, I wouldnt have most of these people in my life...
Ok..Im finished rambling..................................................................................
 
 
 

Please check out the links below. The reviews are priceless.

 

http://snagwiremedia.com/criss-angel-responds-to-initial/comment-4537

http://www.lvrj.com/news/33685929.html

http://vegasblog.latimes.com/vegas/2008/10/criss-angels-be.html

http://www.lvrj.com/news/29875759.html

So I was sent a friend request from someone having something to do with promoting the masked magician. I decided to check out the Masked Magician's official myspace and was shocked to see some people who were on his friends list.... David Copperfield, Jonathan Pendragon, Pen & Teller, Criss Angel(ok, so maybe Criss isnt a great example) but anyway... Is there something Im missing about this masked guy? Isnt he the one who's made a living on EXPOSING our secrets? I mean, he wore a mask for a reason... Magicians across the globe wanted this guy off TV and some wanted him dead!

 Classics of magic and Illusion have been spit on by this guy. I cant count the times Ive heard, " Ive always wondered how that magic trick was possible, and I saw that masked magician guy show its done."

So, if there is a reason i should respect this guy, someone please tell me. And needless to say I turned down the friend request and told the person exactly how i felt about him.

All comments and opinions welcome, cause i just dont get it. And until Im convinced I should respect this guy's so called career, I ask every magician to join me in boycotting this backstabber.

An interesting relationship exists between playing cards and the calendar which many find fascinating as they begin to learn cartomancy. For instance, there are:

• Twelve face (or court) cards, directly relating to the twelve months of the year and the twelve signs of the zodiac.
• Two colors to the deck - red and black - matching the two halves of the year (summer solstice and winter equinox).
• The four suits - Diamonds, Clubs, Hearts and Spades - match the four seasons of the year.
• Thirteen cards in each suit to match the 13 weeks of each season.
• Deck holds 52 cards just as there are 52 weeks in a year.
• All of the spots on the cards in the deck equal 365, the number of days in a year

Thought those of you that werent aware of this, may find this interesting....

With people like the "Back Stabbing" Masked magician and youtube..exposure is getting out of control in our industry. This totally infuriates me everytime i see that masked idiot being promoted for his next TV special. Then I look at Youtube and there's some 13 year old who has just learned something new and immediately posts a video teaching you how to do it.

So why cant we as magicians start to patent our new effects and illusions? I know it's to late for whats already out there...but, if we can patent anything new we invent, then we would have legal rights to put a stop to this. Maybe in time, this exposure would be drastically cut down!

For any DVDs sold, we could add a disclaimer stating that if this is used or seen as exposure of any nature, there will be lawsuits issued. If it is seen on youtube or any other online video community, we could contact the host, and have them remove it or be sued.

THIS CAN BE DONE! have you kept up with the rock star Prince? try to find his videos online...They are becoming VERY SCARCE! He is doing exactly what WE should be doing. He is having all his videos removed from online. They are his, so it's his right to do so.

So...anything WE invent from this point on should be treated the same way. Lets take back the mystique that we once had and band together to stop exposure...Magic's Cancer.

In the beginning, Magic for me was of course a fascination. I was blown away by illusions and close up magic by the likes of David Copperfield, Tommy Wonder, Michael Ammar, etc etc.. Then when I was 8 or 9 years old, my grandfather showed his empty hands and then pulled a quarter from my ear. I was so thrilled and of course said "Do it again!"

I can remember like it was yesterday the thrill of experiencing that magic. That became my main motivation in magic... Giving that same thrill to other people.

It wasnt and isnt about money, fame or recognition (although it's all nice to have,lol) But for me, it's about the look on people's faces.. It's the smile..It's the laugh..It's knowing that, if only for a moment, I was able to take someone out of there own world and let them experience something amazing!

Magic is magic not just because we make the seemingly impossible happen, but because it makes people laugh in a world that brings us down... because it can light up the face of a sick child...because no matter what race, sex, religion, or age, it entertains us ALL!

Kind of like... universal entertainent.

 

 

 

 

This Blog is a result of Criss Angel or whoever maintains his Myspace deleting me off his profile (which in his words, I find quite Comical)...Apparently he can give critisism, but he doesnt take it very well...and keep in mind, I ended my comment on his page with a compliment.. I said he has done alot for Magic and I really do appreciate it!...but now... The Gloves are off! On to my blog....................

I cant help but wonder why Criss felt the need to challenge Jim Callahan on national TV. I cant help but wonder why he felt the need to insult his performance.  Why did it bother him so badly? Why couldnt he just be a judge...a RESPECTFUL judge and leave himself out of it.

Oh wait... I know why... he's so full of himself now and his ego is so big that he thinks HE is the only one that has the right to make, should we say, not 100% true statements about his performances.

Criss, you said that if anyone on the show claims that their performance is anything more than TRICKERY or says that they have supernatural powers, that you would call them out on National Television.

YET, you say YOU are the Mindfreak..right? Now let's observe your definition of Mindfreak... you clearly state as one of the definitions that Mindfreak is; SUPERNATURAL! So if YOU are the mindfreak and mindfreak means supernatural....well, I think you see where Im going here.

Now lets talk about Jim's performance... He supposedly was communicating with a spirit..in other words a Paranormal Experience...

YET, I believe its in Season 2 of your show that you have a SEANCE and communicate with the spirit of a little girl!

Now on to the Challenge you issued to Jim... After you insulted him by calling his performance "comical", You said you would give him a Million dollars of your own personal money if he could tell you specific details about the contents of that envelope...

Ive been asked, what would i have done in that situation... before I get to that, lets go back in time shall we? Also in Season 2 of your show, you did a rooftop to rooftop levitation. Before the performance, you said, and I quote.."I will never do a demonstration that I cant do LIVE, I just wont do it!"....Really? So now what would I have done if I would have been in Jim's situation?.. I would have told you that I would retire from magic right here, right now If you could levitate from the roof top of this building to the rooftop across the street.

You have become a Hypocrite. Your fame has destroyed your desire to do REAL MAGIC. Camera tricks, post production editing and stooges doesnt make you a great magician. Any Magician that really respects the art knows that you DO NOT INSULT ANOTHERS PERFORMANCE! You may not like it, but you dont insult them. You offer CONstructive critisism, not DEstructive critisism! You said it was comical.. you later said that you were doing what he did when you were 14 years old. Wow, youre just full of encouragment arent you?! Oh and Id love to see proof of this performance of you at 14 that you speak of.

Ive lost so much respect for you. Before Mindfreak came on TV, I dressed a certain way. Then Season One debuts and it was similar to how you dressed.. Recently, I decided to change how i dress because i was sickened by the comments from people saying I resembled YOU. I dont want to be told Im like the Criss Angel of today. Maybe a few years ago, it would have been a compliment, but not anymore.

I dont watch Mindfreak anymore (not after Season 2) because it has no longer has anything to do with magic. I dont own your book, and Ive never tuned in to Phenomenon. I hope this will spread amongst the Magic Community that you have embarrassed by your actions, and maybe you will come back to your roots.

Get back to MAGIC Criss... Remember Magic? Get back to it, before you lose the respect of the few Magicians that still do respect you.

And anytime you want to challenge someone to MAGIC, Street magic/Close up magic...well...I think you know where Im going with that.

Ronn Winter

 

 

What is True Magic...?

Taking a heart that is hardened over the years

And making it soft again.

Taking a heart that is broken

And putting it together again.

Taking a soul that is lost

And showing it it's home.

Taking someone's hand

When they thought they were all alone.

Lighting up a room

By simply walking in.

Making every place U go seem different

Even though it's somewhere U've already been.

With a single touch, heavy burdens

Become so light.

Make U swear every star in the sky

Dances in her eyes.

Make pain disappear,

Bring a smile from thin air.

Making every wrong right,

Just by being there..

Taking an empty life

Filling it with love.

Making herself appear

as angel from above...

This is TRUE MAGIC!

I love U Heather...

 

Ronn Winter 4-23-07