talkmagic.co.uk

Yes my friend, you most certainly will be hugged because you have rightfully and intentionally earned it! And yes, it is most definitely a Greek thing, which is not to be confused with a gay thing - I know there is a fine line there for you Englishmen, and even for your Anglo Saxon brothers here in Australia as your race seems to have great difficulty showing physical emotion unless it is to beat up some poor lad to a pulp during a football match. It is funny how your Scottish neighbours don’t seem to have as much of a problem with this practice of hugging amongst mates - it must be the Celtic blood in them or the influence they receive from those chequered kilts they wear .

I thank you for your write up and insight into the life of our celebrity friend Mr Christian. It was humorous and entertaining as always (I wouldn’t expect anything less coming from you) but it was also inspiring how he was able to turn his life around like that. All power to him!

Mr Lewis you have surprised us in having succeeded to intersperse a more human side to the Brad Christian persona. I am sure several people on the Ellusionist forums would have been very interested to read this post !

A very good summary Bobby Cat and very thought provoking questions. But I think it is time our ill fated friend, if he could be so polite, as to introduce himself at the introductions section and answer those questions over there as he is nearing his 100th post.

Yes it is about time 'our friend' told us more. Although i am far too important and busy to deal with such a fellow. I may offer the young scally some lessons in manners if i deam fit. Maybe with some help he will reach my level of manners and respect

B0bbY_CaT wrote:visited your suggested link Costas. laughed and cried... at least i now know i am not alone!

Yes, I know! But Bobby, you didn't visit the last page and introduce yourself! You had a little welcome waiting for you.

B0bbY_CaT wrote: trouble is... there is a little voice inside my head telling me i need one of these fantastic card guards for every deck i own! of course then another voice reminds me how unnecessary that is given one would be unlikely to carry that many decks around with them.

And how easy it will be to create holes in your pockets !

I must inform Costas that he is incorrect in his assessment of Scotsmen going around hugging each other.

I am Scottish and I can assure him that we do not indulge in that sort of thing.

As for Canadians it is too be expected that they do all sorts of odd things. I have noticed since my arrival here that the women are very aggressive and think they are men and the men are very wimpy and think they are women. That no doubt accounts for all the odd behaviour and silly hugging nonsense that I see all the time around me.

Generally speaking any Australian I have ever come across seems to be a man even if they happen to be a woman. Very odd breed of people indeed. Dame Edna Everage is a case in point.

I must also address this rather impulsive Bobby Cat personage and inform him that I have not back peddled in the slightest neither have I toned down my observations. He is obviously trying to back down himself so that he does not lose face in the argument.

I must also inform him that I am not trying to make derogatory remarks about every nationality under the sun. I am only referring to Australians, Greeks, Austrians and Italians. Oh and naturally Canadians too. If you lived here you would see why.

Mind you Canada is a fine country. I have often said that the only trouble with the place is that there are far too many Canadians living here.

He asks my opinions on DVDs. I am afraid that I have no idea what they are. I do not approve of the modern age. Furthermore I only read magic books if they have been published before 1954.

mark lewis wrote:I must inform Costas that he is incorrect in his assessment of Scotsmen going around hugging each other.

I am Scottish and I can assure him that we do not indulge in that sort of thing.

I don’t understand, I spent several months in Scotland and... Cripes, I must have been hugging the wrong kind of Scots ! Now come to think of it... I did find it hard to get them to let go ...

So you’re from Scotland Master Lewis! I thought you were from Yorkshire! Tell me, which part of Scotland had the ghastly experience of witnessing your ungodly birth! And what happened to that Scottish accent of yours?

mark lewis wrote:As for Canadians it is too be expected that they do all sorts of odd things. I have noticed since my arrival here that the women are very aggressive and think they are men and the men are very wimpy and think they are women. That no doubt accounts for all the odd behaviour and silly hugging nonsense that I see all the time around me.

Is that why you stopped hanging around with Brad - because he was always trying to show his affection towards you by squeezing his body up against yours? My, my Mr Lewis, you really do have to come to terms with your sexual insecurities You can’t just be going around offloading friends due to those trivial reasons.

mark lewis wrote:I must also inform him that I am not trying to make derogatory remarks about every nationality under the sun. I am only referring to Australians, Greeks, Austrians and Italians. Oh and naturally Canadians too. If you lived here you would see why.

Thanks for clearing that up Mark! Otherwise I would have had a bone to pick with you!

mark lewis wrote:Mind you Canada is a fine country. I have often said that the only trouble with the place is that there are far too many Canadians living here.

I guess they need tighter immigration laws .

mark lewis wrote:He asks my opinions on DVDs. I am afraid that I have no idea what they are. I do not approve of the modern age. Furthermore I only read magic books if they have been published before 1954.

That reminds me! I loved your other two posts on that other thread! I totally agree with the comment you made about approaching people on the street! Now, when are you going to be polite enough and head off to the introductions section and properly introduce yourself! After all, you ARE now a preferred member

an argument? oh Mark... you disappoint.

i am pleased however you are becoming more civil in your replies... seems the fear of being "booted" from yet another forum is sufficient to make you pull your head in which is good. your denial is meaningless because we can all see it here ourselves... nothing to be ashamed of my friend. what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger.

i also read your comments regarding street magic, and your observations about how a performer followed by a camera crew will get a far different reaction than "Joe Average" armed with nothing more than a few silks and a TT. tough lessons to be learned by the countless David Blaine "wannabees" no doubt... however lets not knock the interest in the art he creates, albeit one that can create unrealistic expectations. anyway, i tend to agree with what you say on this point.

what a shame you wont dare to have an opinion on my earlier question. i do feel you would have much to offer, if you could just leave the rhetoric and verbal gymnastics "at the door" for just a moment or 2...

To say that I am from Yorkshire is the ultimate insult. These people are anathema for grafters since they never spend any money. I bet Brad gets hardly any orders from Yorkshire. In Blackpool where I used to work all the vendors and traders would dread the weeks that Yorkshire people used to come because sales would always go down.

As to your rather vulgar remarks about Brad and me I can only say that they are to be expected from an Australian. They really are a most uncouth people. It is just as well that the great piece of land which houses them is far, far, far away so the rest of humanity doesn't hear about them so much. I once contemplated going down there to rip off the public but it was too bloody far away.

I see that Bobby Cat is still trying to admire me but can't quite manage it yet. He expects me to provide him with information and advice but at the same time refuses to grovel appropriately. This is not good policy if he wishes to progress in his knowledge of magic which I am sure is sorely lacking.

I am NOT afraid of being banned from any forum and in fact I quite enjoy it. And I am irritated that you think I am being "more civil" in my replies. In fact I am going to become ruder because of your remarks. I do have a reputation to uphold you know.

As for forums I happen to be the moderator of one and I never recommend anyone is banned. Neither do I delete posts. I merely alter them to my own satisfaction. Therefore if anyone criticises me I put words in their mouths so that they praise me to the skies. If they argue politely I will put profanity in their posts so people think they did it. I have a most amusing time.

I cannot tell you where this forum is because the owner does not want too many people over there taking up his bandwidth unless they are of a certain quality. I do not think Australians would qualify. Anyone who uses the digit 2 instead of putting in the extra effort to write "two" is not the sort of industrious person that we want over there.

With regard to my opinions on DVDs and Videos I do not approve of them wholeheartedly. The trouble is that you cannot study them conveniently. You can take a book to a restaurant, a park or on a train or bus and study it. You cannot do that with a video.

The other problem is that you can see how horrific the performer is. This tends to discourage one from learning the material. It is hard to force yourself to look at the thing as a learning tool and you tend to watch for entertainment and there usually isn't any. With a book you have no idea how bad the performer is and you can be far more objective when you learn from it.

Furthermore books tend to have the better descriptions I have noticed. Some of the video performers seem to describe things badly and you are better off with the books.

There are no substitutes for books and there never will be. I have written one myself. I will admit however that from a making money point of view the author may well be better off doing a video.

And it is a very good book too

quoting Mark Lewis:
"Brad and me..."

how wonderful, if i can do nothing else in my life but bring you both closer then i am truely satisfied with that.

quoting Mark Lewis:
"In fact I am going to become ruder..."

pls dont make my control of you so easy Mark!

quoting Mark Lewis:
"With a book you have no idea how bad the performer is and you can be far more objective when you learn from it."

can you imagine... Brad sells books on his web site?
http://www.ellusionist.com/order/Books.php

does he have your's? either way, seems there must be some money to be made in books. i must make the time to study what's available and invest in one to read while travelling.

Good God! Has Stephen actually read my wondrous book? One does not normally get too many surprises from Lowestoft.

Mark, may i ask you a question about your book in private (without your character please )

Why do you have to ask about my book in private? I much prefer an audience.

It is merely the greatest book on the svengali deck ever written by the greatest exponent of the deck in history. Namely me. Somewhere or other on my website this marvellous tome can be found in all its glory.

I will shortly have another couple of books coming out too. One is on the wonder mouse and one will be entitled "The wit and wisdom of Mark Lewis" which will consist of my ravings on the internet and possibly elsewhere.

Mark Lewis
www.marklewisentertainment.com

mark lewis wrote:As to your rather vulgar remarks about Brad and me I can only say that they are to be expected from an Australian.

You have me in stitches! You do realise I was talking about him hugging you, don't you? Ah, you’re just yanking my chain! And to think I fell for that one!

mark lewis wrote:I am NOT afraid of being banned from any forum and in fact I quite enjoy it.

That would be a great loss to this forum if that happened Mark. I think no one can doubt that the contributions you have made to this forum have been extremely generous and enlightening.

But since where on the topic, how many forums have you been banned from? Just out of curiosity.

mark lewis wrote:As for forums I happen to be the moderator of one and I never recommend anyone is banned. Neither do I delete posts. I merely alter them to my own satisfaction. Therefore if anyone criticises me I put words in their mouths so that they praise me to the skies. If they argue politely I will put profanity in their posts so people think they did it. I have a most amusing time.

And you still have not learnt how to quote someone’s post ! Here, I will dare to give the great Mark Lewis some instructions:

{quote="mark lewis"} I feel like giving Bobby Cat a big warm hug! {/quote}

Note: Use square brackets instead of the curly ones.

mark lewis wrote:With regard to my opinions on DVDs and Videos I do not approve of them wholeheartedly. The trouble is that you cannot study them conveniently. You can take a book to a restaurant, a park or on a train or bus and study it. You cannot do that with a video.

Good point. But you can’t practice rope magic on a train or bus either (or can you?). I personally would think that both mediums could compliment each other very well, and as sometimes where a picture in a book is worth a thousand words I believe an animation can sometimes be worth a million. But I think one of the problems is that many people become overly dependant on DVDs and Videos and tend to overlook some of the great books and the depth of knowledge they truly offer.

mark lewis wrote:The other problem is that you can see how horrific the performer is.

True! Very true!

A very entertaining post once again Mark, but when are you going to answer some of my questions? Which part of Scotland are you from? Why is it that you don’t speak with a Scottish accent? Is it because you went to a posh school? Or is it that you grew up somewhere else?

mark lewis wrote:I will shortly have another couple of books coming out too. One is on the wonder mouse and one will be entitled "The wit and wisdom of Mark Lewis" which will consist of my ravings on the internet and possibly elsewhere.

Will we be mentioned ?