talkmagic.co.uk

Good morning/afternoon/evening,

My name is Carl. I've had an interest in the occult for several years now without really thinking too much about magic (never really exposed to it that much until Derren Brown started on tv.). Then about 6 months ago i read "Carter Beats The Devil" by Glen David Gold and absolutely loved it (now reading "The Secret Life of Houdini", and possibly enjoying it even more!). so that's when i started to actually investigate magic. (interesting side fact: I'm doing my PhD at UCL at the Galton Laboratory on Stephenson Way, London, and our next door neighbors are the Magic Circle!). Anyway, enough of the boring intro. Long story short, I'm a very eager beginner, and have absolutely loved learning effects and understanding how much actually goes into performing properly. i love the excitement of finding a new effect/book, waiting for it in the post, then the "christmas come early" feeling of opening the package! at this point there've been a few disappointments, but mostly it's been good. i really love the whole process of figuring out the mechanics to an effect, and then trying to find a way to personalise it and make some good patter and presentation for it, and then seeing it all come together to kill an audience. i sound a bit of a drug addict now....
so why TM? well, once i realised it probably wasn't the most financially sound strategy to buy stuff blind, whenever i googled reviews, you guys always seemed to have the best, so i figured i'd do the right thing and stop lurking anonymously. so already a big thank you to all who've posted up reviews, they've helped my magic education tremendously!

favourite effects at this very point in time:

Jim Critchlow's 'Till Death Do Us Part'. The participant's reaction is truly priceless.

and the Black Hart's 'Damnation'. i love building up the story, and then have the spectator think they've won!



anyway, that's probably a lot more than you ever wanted to know, and much longer than these intros are supposed to be. so again, thank you for all the reviews and advice you've all been posting up for years!

(also, what does CUPS stand for? i have a feeling I'm a sufferer, and i'd be glad to know I'm not the only one!)

Hi and welcome!

ButrosButros wrote:(also, what does CUPS stand for? i have a feeling I'm a sufferer, and i'd be glad to know I'm not the only one!)

Complusive Uncontrolable Purchasing Syndrome - our excuse/reason/justification for shelling out loadsamoney on new stuff which you simply have to have !

HI Carl, welcome to TM

Hiya, welcome to TM, hope you have fun here

Hi Carl. Welcome to TM and welcome to CUPS Anonymous, for that matter.

Welcome to TM

thank you for the lovely welcome

Mandrake wrote:Complusive Uncontrolable Purchasing Syndrome - our excuse/reason/justification for shelling out loadsamoney on new stuff which you simply have to have !

it's such a relief to know I'm not the only sufferer! i will have to let my girlfriend know that it's an established medical condition which she'll just have to be more sensitive about

Absolutely no known cure, all that can be done is to be very understanding and acknowledge that regular purchases of magic is the only palliative.... (and try to keep a straight face when you say it.... )

Hi Carl and welcome

Hi Carl, welcome to TM.

I love how you mention not buying stuff blind then ask about CUPS. Its starting to creep up on you already

The only cure is surgical removal of one's credit/debit card. The cure is worse than the disease!

Its the buying of things that hit you, its when the funds run out yet there is still more things you must have.

Welcome to TM