25 December 2013

Let me carry you

How would you react if a total stranger came up to you and asked if they could carry you?

I can only imagine the looks Wes Barker got while making his YouTube video "Carrying People Around The World."  From YouTube:
This video took me 2 years to complete. It means a great deal to me. I hope it can add a little something to your day.

In an attempt to set a world record I started carrying random people all over the globe. I have no agenda for this video. My only goal is to spread and share inspirations. However random or strange they may seem.


24 December 2013

Dave Attwood interviews Ryan Pilling

In episode 45 from December 11th, Dave Attwood interviews Ryan Pilling.  Recorded at the Three Of Clubs Convention, Ryan discusses February's upcoming WOW Fest.

Listen to the interview at Dave Attwood's site.

23 December 2013

Broken wand: Floyd Campbell

From Telford's Burial and Cremation:
Floyd Jackson Campbell
(August 20, 1921 - June 10, 2013)

Passed away in Nanaimo General Hospital on June 10, 2013.

He is survived by his family: three sons, two daughters and their families.

Floyd will be sadly missed by his family and friends.

Read more.

22 December 2013

[Guest post] Love’s magic

The following is a guest post from an author Killarney Sheffield

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Hello, my name is Killarney Sheffield. I am an award winning multi-published historical romance author from right here in Canada. You’re probably wondering why a romance author is writing on a magic blog, well it all started with a plot to a book I was working on called Love’s Magic. The story is about a female magician named Celeste in the early 1800’s and her sidekick a black Holland Lop rabbit Dexter. I know, magic rabbits are supposed to be white thanks to Mary Toft, but I had to make it a little unusual, because well, that is the publishing industry. As I got into the story I realized that if I was going to write about a magician I needed to know something about the craft of magic itself. Yes, I could have just made it all up and flubbed my way through the magic scenes but someone somewhere would have caught it, and I try to be true to the things I write about even though it is fiction. I could have bought a book on magic tricks but since I write in the historical period I needed to know early tricks and the history of magic. I was lost. As you know magician’s don’t like to share their secrets, can you blame them? I was on twitter one day and reached out to an American magician/escape artist and explained about the book. He was happy to help me write the magic scenes as long as I never revealed how they were done. I got to know him well after emailing and Skypeing back and forth for a few months and was amazed at just how seriously he took his craft, from the breathing exercises and practises, to his whole routine before each show he does. It really opened my eyes to the complexity of what magician’s do. Eventually I finished writing the book and emailed it to him to read it and double check my magic scenes. Once he gave me the thumbs up off it went into The Great Romance Contest of 2013. From there it came in runner up and was contracted by Assent Publishing’s Breathless Books imprint. The book is to be released this February and will be my 15th title. I couldn’t have done it without my Twitter magician. Not only do I have a new appreciation for the magician’s craft and skill, but now I am a diehard fan. There is a whole lot more to magic than meets the eye!


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Thank you Killarney for guest posting at Canada's Magic!

To learn more about "Love's Magic" visit http://www.assentpublishing.com/AuthorAnnouncements.aspx#KSheffield

20 December 2013

Toronto: Dan McLean Jr as "Trashy Claus"

From Facebook:
Friday December 20th

This Friday night is the Trash Palace's Christmas party, and they've asked me to be their "Trashy Claus": A drunken, grumpy Saint Nick.

I'll be just a small part of the evening's fesivities, singing an unsavoury version of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", and reading a few pages from "Santa's Diary" (more unsavouriness, from my 1992 essay).


Read more.

19 December 2013

Keith Brown Fringing

Congratulations Keith!