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Blapsing_Beard wrote:hmmm...what does "Chica" mean?

does it mean "best looking lad on the Talk Magic Forum"?

Hello Blapsing Beard. Umm, chica means girl. Not lad. If I was off, sorry.

Love,

Amanda Angeli

Amanda Angeli wrote:

Blapsing_Beard wrote:hmmm...what does "Chica" mean?

does it mean "best looking lad on the Talk Magic Forum"?

Hello Blapsing Beard. Umm, chica means girl. Not lad. If I was off, sorry.

Love,

Amanda Angeli

let us hope Lawrence or Markdini doesn't read this...

Oh dear!

Blapsing_Beard wrote:

Amanda Angeli wrote:

Blapsing_Beard wrote:hmmm...what does "Chica" mean?

does it mean "best looking lad on the Talk Magic Forum"?

let us hope Lawrence or Markdini doesn't read this...

Umm, kicking a stone, hoping to disappear.

As we'd say in the Colonies in such a situation, "so, how about those Tigers?"

Love,

Amanda Angeli

CUPS is that Double Decker bar at the check out, its beady eyes catching yours and whispering sweet nothings into your right ear, misdirecting you away from the force of that Cadburys Creme Egg. Comparable to when you are on a music peer to peer file sharing program (I am a big advocate of Soulseek, incidentally)and you encounter someone with a fast upload speed and you curiously glance at their other files, I think a tell tale symptom of CUPS is when you note that an Ebayer is selling a trick you want at an incredibly reasonable price...

Thus, you nonchalantly browse the offending Ebay seller's other items for sale and come across 5 or 6 other items related to magic, rubbing your hands in rueful glee at having come across a veritable goldmine. Personally, this is where my relationship with CUPS spirals. Your reflexes override any sense of frugality or credit crunch (other than the crispiness of using a credit card to substantiate your Paypal funds), and you google or search for the particular (previously unheard of) trick in several magic forums. You read a review of said trick, note that the overall verdict of 9/10, for which a perfect 10 was not given on grounds of the price of the trick, quickly realise that the said trick is a fraction of the RRP, and begin to forumulate a thought process in which you argue, with logic, that you would be LOSING out on not purchasing said trick. Alternatively, you are outbid at the last minute by a sniper Ebayer, and you continue to spend weeks obsessively reading about said trick on Talk Magic, telling yourself that it WILL suit your style, disregarding the negative forum comments about examinability and practicality and size of your pockets.

You begin to compile a mental To Buy list, and this insatiable organic list constantly evolves, often resulting in your original intended purchase being tucked behind another new contender. I had this with Ninja Coins in which i was just about to buy them before i told myself that i HAD to have a Pyrofreak 2.1 instead. Looking back on it now i regret doing this as i really should have just spent £50 on flash paper instead, or got those coins. I still crave these coins, and i thought one purchase would quench this inexplicable desire to consume.

Just thought i'd get this off my chest. I feel fine now.

I definetely have C.U.P.S
The other day I ordered a new book when I have one that I havent read yet...
Oh well. I will make a promise to myself not to buy anything for the next month. (Although I could use some new shackles...) Damn!!!

Mr.Mystery wrote:I definetely have C.U.P.S
The other day I ordered a new book when I have one that I havent read yet...
Oh well. I will make a promise to myself not to buy anything for the next month. (Although I could use some new shackles...) Damn!!!

One?

I suffer from CUPS with books non-stop. I have tons and will already have decided which i want next before i've made a dent on the current pile.

to stop myself buying everything I try to make it sound stupid in my head by thinking of all the cons checking reviews here and if it still sounds goodn then I get it. Also I try not to spend fore than £40 at a time.

On the magic site I use it's free postage for anything over £20 so if I want something under twenty I usually end up compulsive buying.

To stop myself buying everything I usually think about the bank balance. Works wonders most of the time. (Though not always!)

I have incurable CUPS relating to magic, books in general, and computer games. My husband has issued a blanket ban on the purchase of anything in these categories. Being *absolutely forbidden* helps to keep the purchasing at a sustainable level...

One day I hope to get away from packet tricks and gimmicks and carry nothing but a singe pack of Bicycle cards to astonish. My magician friend tells me that it's a "phase" (the "packet trick phase") and that I will come full circle and just carry the single pack. This will be when you've succeeded as a magician, I am confidently informed. This will be the ultimate cure for CUPS, but in the meantime I can't help myself.

Rufio wrote:One day I hope to get away from packet tricks and gimmicks and carry nothing but a singe pack of Bicycle cards to astonish. My magician friend tells me that it's a "phase" (the "packet trick phase") and that I will come full circle and just carry the single pack. This will be when you've succeeded as a magician, I am confidently informed. This will be the ultimate cure for CUPS, but in the meantime I can't help myself.

Well i have no interest in gimmicked tricks, my CUPS is for books both magical and non-magical.
And no matter how good a magician you are, you can never have enough books.

On an interesting point of digression I do feel that ignoring packet tricks completely results in the loss of many magical effects that are simply not possible with a normal pack of playing cards. It was approximately 6 months into learning magic (and doing effects solely with a packet of cards) that my penchant for the packet trick / gimmick developed. At times there is a sense of feeling like Inspector Gadget when it comes to pocket management, but I always strive to offer explanations as to when I'm reaching for my pocket or when showing packet effects (e.g. "I've actually got into the habit of carrying these Jokers in my wallet separately to avoid cluttering the pack; there's nothing worse when someone happens to choose a Joker and they think you were just using 2 Jokers, so let me show you something with these..." - and thus the premise of NFW begins.

But yes, i agree you can never have enough books. I'm saving up for Paul Brooks' Alchemical Tools. I have spent a lot on magic lately so will have to wait a while. The Rubicon has been crossed now - there is no turning back - magic will always be part of my life and, it seems, so will CUPS. it is a blessing and a curse, both pleasurable and at times frustrating in equal measure.

Hi my name is Phil Nitro and i did have C.U.P.S

Luckily I have recovered.
Was advised to what books and research is worth every penny, which ended up being 2 books. I've had my head in them since and I dont feel the need in having to spend loads of money on gimmicks when i can learn and practise what i've been reading. E.G. Sleights.. learn it properly and you dont need gimmicks to vanish items.
Brilliant.... I'm cured!

I just mean that at this stage I only want to rely on skill and technique, etc. If i ever turn to tricks, it'll be limited to a small few which are powerful and can be relied upon.


Bought some cards and sponge balls and stuff. Doesn't cost a lot but it all adds up with everything else, and thats the real trap with CUPS. You think its just a little bit of money but then BAM! You've dried up the bank.

Doesn't cost a lot but it all adds up with everything else, and thats the real trap with CUPS. You think its just a little bit of money but then BAM! You've dried up the bank.

i concur. i think the reason my personal CUPS is so prevalent is because of the high cost of living generally - no seriously! My thought process on nights out are: 1) Hmmm.. this cocktail cost £6. However, when in the supermarket and for instance, I see a magazine at £3.95 I go through various thought processess such as "oh i shouldn't, the CDs not even good". I will return to the supermarket on occasion and have that "on the fence" moment. However, on returning to the supermarket I feel guilty that I could inconsiderately spend so much on alcohol, but really go through a deliberate weighing process when it comes to other items. Similarly, because of the obsolete nature of drinks one purchases on nights out, in comparison I try to justify a new purchase as being comparable to that cocktail and that this will last longer than 10 mins. You feel like a kid in a toy store spending pocket money, but it is a false economy, and it certainly adds up.

Incidentally i also at this stage strive to use effects that rely solely on skill and technique, but use gimmicks to complement. i don't, however, use gimmicks to vanish items, such as the Raven, as despite use of gaffs periodically, i generally have purist attitudes. Accordingly, whislt things like flash paper igniters, hummer cards and TTs are gimmicks, i try to use them as icing, and use flourishes and fancy cuts as filler. I appreciate there are schools of thought that argue these distract from magic, but when incorporated smoothly (such as a Hot Shot Cut as a revelation) i feel it displays skill and technique which firmly tells your spectator that you are not a flash in the pan, but someone who is committed, which adds to the overall magic.

i identify with philnitro's approach of adhering to one book or two and immersing yourself in its application, and whilst i feel one day my own CUPS will be cured, there is the occasional relapse, although these are thankfully slowing. phew. [/quote]