Tonight I watched the first episode of The Pacific on HBO.

Was there violence, profanity and gore? Yes. But there was more than that. The series is giving the viewer something no video game can, the human element of war. From the man who’s psyche is shattered by combat to the man who finds compassion for his enemy. It’s all there.

When I first heard about this series I wanted to pick up a WWII game and have fun. Now that the first episdoe is over I’m glad I didn’t. Why? Because no game could give me the same emotional investment the series has.

Happy Pi Day!

Thank you to Thomas Heine for providing the link to A Magical Vision by Michael Chaplan.

My wife’s step father died this afternoon.

Interesting question came up on a performers forum I frequent. In short: What is a psychic supposed to be?

I’m building from the view that there is such thing as a psychic. There are entertainers and there are scam artists. Heck, there are even delusional people that have begun to bevelive their own hype.

So, for an entertainer, what is a psychic supposed to be? Is it the old lady with the crystal ball, or the middle aged guy walking through a house feeling for cold spots, or is it the guy with the deck of cards that has been projecting the image of the 3 of Clubs to you all day?

The answer depends on who you are. Your idea of a psychic and my idea of a psychic may be at opposite ends of the spectrum.

The answer I came up with is that the performer needs to decide for himself what a psychic is and how a psychic would act. Then take that personality and apply it as a character the performer wishes to portray. If you believe in yourself the audience will as well. Just don’t fall victim to your own hype.

I published the method for my Bullet Catch effect on MysteryPerformers.com

I haven’t performed it in a long time and when I saw a group of performers that I though could use it I shared it with them.

If you see a performer pull out three bullets while performing at  a table you may want to take a step back. It’s a messy and bloody effect when done right. When done wrong? I don’t even want to imagine.

At some poit today or tonight I will start reading Helmet For My Pillow. This is one of the biographies that the new HBO series The Pacific is based on. It’s been a long time since I read any books about World War II. This should be interesting.

The book is about Robert Leckie’s time from boot camp through his duty time in the Pacific during WWII. He enlisted in the USMC the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked.

My Bird of Prey.

There is a new page coming to this blog. Qapla’!

Is it a Klingon science lab or has the Dalai Lama taken on a more aggressive stance?