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OK guys, I currently do a very quick short bit of business where someone selects a card, and it turns out that I knew what card they were going to choose right back when I joined the US Army as it is stamped into my dogtag that I am wearing.
(This is essentially the same as revealing it off the side of the Sharpie.)
What I want to do is extend the routine to where my Uncle was a Vietnam vet or something or other (perhaps Gulf War would make more sense.) and he had incredible luck, and I inherited one of his tags which I now wear for luck. I would want to then show the info on the tag as being his info, have someone hold it in their hand for a second "for luck" and then have them choose a card. Then when they look at the tag again, it now says that "Uncle David knows you chose the four of spades."

Now, what info do I need to have stamped on the tag to have it appear to be a proper tag. Is it just religion, blood type etc? Anybody know ?

The tags I have made are the standard US style oval shaped with rubber dampener on ball chain.

OR, is there an already marketed effect along these lines that would just be simpler for me to purchase.

First things first, KNOW your history! It is important and a matter of respect for those that served, that you not look at war service (especially a loss) with a "whatever" approach.

Secondly, why do you want a ghost to do a bloody card trick?

You've got a premise here that COULD be potent via several different modes of action, Koran's Medallion is just one idea I have that would make this killer but being Dog Tags you have the ability to use LEGIT Tags as a Pendulum. You might likewise be able to develop some PK controls that would allow them to move across the table (if you insist on it) to the chosen card. BUT, I need to ask WHY you want to hold to this theme? Is it just something "neat" you've come up with or is it part of something more complete and holding to a storyline... a theme?

What you do with this idea and your success with it, has a lot to do with all of these questions/issues.

When it comes to your question regarding what would be on the tags, it depends on nation and in many cases, whether they were Army, Navy, etc. You may want to check with a local military recruiter or surplus store on this.

For US army it follows this format. It is different for other parts of the service (navy, marines, etc).

Surname
first and middle initials
social security number
blood group
religion




For second world war you will usually find it crammed onto two lines rather than spread. Silencers around the tag came in 1944, but were not essential. Vietnam the tags would have been silenced, taped together, in shoe, etc. I don't think religion was included until after WWII, but not certain.

Craig Browning wrote:First things first, KNOW your history! It is important and a matter of respect for those that served, that you not look at war service (especially a loss) with a "whatever" approach.

Secondly, why do you want a ghost to do a bloody card trick?

You've got a premise here that COULD be potent via several different modes of action, Koran's Medallion is just one idea I have that would make this killer but being Dog Tags you have the ability to use LEGIT Tags as a Pendulum. You might likewise be able to develop some PK controls that would allow them to move across the table (if you insist on it) to the chosen card. BUT, I need to ask WHY you want to hold to this theme? Is it just something "neat" you've come up with or is it part of something more complete and holding to a storyline... a theme?

What you do with this idea and your success with it, has a lot to do with all of these questions/issues.

When it comes to your question regarding what would be on the tags, it depends on nation and in many cases, whether they were Army, Navy, etc. You may want to check with a local military recruiter or surplus store on this.

Indeed Koran's medallion has come up in conversation before, but I like the idea of the tag being actually stamped with the pertinent info, so done ahead of time.
Seances, communicating with the past, these things are of interst to a great number of people. It's interesting you mention PK touch, as the tags are not aluminium

This routine is not one of those "jokes every 5 seconds" gag fests. It is something that is treated as a serious moment much like White Star of From Hell.

Personally, the thought of the Vietnam war makes me feel physically unwell. What else could arouse my breakfast more than a perfect example of Jingoism, Terrorism (The violent proselytisation of an ideal or doctrine), the horrid mercenery enforcer state America has been in the past and mass civilian murder?
Aesthetically, such a routine has the potential to create a concurrent 'theatre of cruelty' and 'epic theatre'- whereby the tradgedy of war serves to promote personal enquiry. But then again, so would a routine about rape, but I'm still not a huge fan.

Your idea though, has given me a whole new range of absurd ideas for a Koran's medalion. I won't share- they are crazy enough to deserve ridicule, which I think is the problem with magic at times. People are afraid of unorthodox thinking, as history has shown, orthodox thinking has got very few very far.

Derren does an effect with someone's name stamped onto a coin inside a box during his stage show. I won't reveal how it does it here... cos I have no idea.

I think Berglas might know.. he seems to know everything else in Derren's show.
The effect is in Anneman, except its not as clean. Although much more affordable.

mr berglas used to do the same effect on his channel 4 show

I thought Derren handled it beautifully, from a theatrical perspective. Its in routines like that where you see what he meant in Absolute Magic and how much he has changed since Pure Effect.
However, the people sitting next to me said during the interval 'how do you think he did it' (Pain to his ears already) to which the other replied 'I think it was sleight of hand, there is no way psychology could do that'.

SamGurney wrote:Its in routines like that where you see what he meant in Absolute Magic and how much he has changed since Pure Effect.

Hi Sam,
You own copies of these?
I'm jealous.
T.

...just a thought here but dog tags are relatively flat right? And who would ever know that you carry around with you more than just the one they are seeing...(you can see where I'm going with this can't you)

This would be something ideal to be body/wallet indexed or to have more than one on the loop... what a 'nervy switcher'

Thaumaturge wrote:body/wallet indexed

Definitely. Produce the tags at the right (off-beat) moment and that could be very strong.
T.

Just want to echo Craig's warnings to think very hard before working war stories into your act.

Point one, soldiers really don't like civilians making up war stories. They find it highly insulting. There are still plenty of Vietnam vets around (I should know, I'm married to one), and any number of people from more recent wars.

You seem to be a civilian with no connection to anyone in the services, but you say you wear dog tags. Why? Is it just a tag-shaped necklace, or is it a reproduction army tag, or a real one? Far be it from me to criticise anyone's fashion choices, but a civilian wearing a real or realistic dog tag is plenty offensive by itself even without making up stories. Given the wrong circumstances and wrong individuals in the audience, you could end up on the a**-end of an a**-kicking.

Point two, there are people being killed and maimed right now in the services. There could well be members of your audience who have recently lost a family member or close friend. They won't be very entertained by a story about how you inherited a set of dog tags. Even people who haven't suffered personal loss might find it offensive at this particular point in history.

You could make the story less immediate by dating the tags to the First or Second World War. It would still be potentially upsetting to people who have recently lost loved ones, but you might decide it's worth the risk.

Personally, I'd come up with a different type of story altogether. How about an engraved Victorian watch fob?

Robbie wrote:You seem to be a civilian with no connection to anyone in the services,

Fair conclusion, just not accurate.
I have indeed already thought about pretty much all of these "concerns" that have been raised. SOme of which I agree with and have then thought of the approach necessary, others I do not and consider personal eccentricites that are not applicable to the greater populous as a whole general unit.

If anybody else has any concerns, I will happily explain in detail why they don't apply to what I am already doing, and what I am looking to do.

I do see your point robbie and craig and in many ways I agree with you.
However nearly anything can be offensive. For example my mother is a mental health lawyer, For privacy I can't go into detail but I've heard many stories of patients suffering in hospitals, either actually being mistreated by doctors or nurses or it happening in their mind. I've heard stories of patients who have to eat alone without utensils. Of people killing their friends and family because they love them. I also had a friend whos father was schizophrenic, It's not a fun story. The point is I find horror stories and magic tricks about asylums and lunatics offensive and won't touch it with a ten foot poll, but thats me, thats my experiences in play and I won't criticise or protest others who buy 'Lunar'. My dad finds 'From Hell' offensive, he asks me why I don't use pictures of the yorkshire ripper victims. I don't have a problem with it but I just don't use it around him.