Toronto: Playing Card Collectors Meeting

From the Browser's Den:

Sunday March 2nd, 2014

Calling all playing card collectors within a 200 kilometer radius of Toronto and the GTA!

With the help of 52 Plus Joker (North American Playing Card Collector's Club), the Browser's Den proudly offers you the opportunity to spend an entire afternoon with World renowned Playing Card Experts and authors of the Hochman Encyclopedia of Playing Cards - Mr. Tom & Judy Dawson.

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Brian Michaels remembered in the Hamilton Spectator

From The Spec:

Brian Moynagh crammed more life into 39 years than most do in a lifetime, his wife says.

While the Burlington magician was known internationally for his seamless tricks, he was awe-inspiring off stage, too, as he persevered against his cystic fibrosis.

Moynagh — who went by the stage name Brian Michaels — died Feb. 7.

Aware from the start of his CF diagnosis, Carrie Lamers says she and her husband lived life together "with eyes wide open but a healthy dose of denial — We knew what we were getting into, but we never dwelled on it at all."

Even after receiving a double-lung transplant in 2006, he was back on stage in two months.

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[via Ring 17]

Joan Caesar and Jay Sankey at Blackpool 2014

Joan Caesar and Obie O'Brien will be hosting the "The Four F's Stars of Close Up Magic."

Jay Sankey will be lecturing and performing at Blackpool 2014, February 21st to 23rd!  For more information, visit the Blackpool Magicians' Club website.

WowFest news round-up!

Watch Ryan Pilling talk about WowFest on BT Calgary.

Ryan Pilling and Gwyn Auger interviewed by Swerve magazine.

http://t.co/k1EADluCxm Time to get your tickets for the first and possibly ONLY Garden Variety Show of 2014! #calgary #letsgetmagic
— James Jordan (@GVS_varietyshow) February 13, 2014

Review: Lee Asher's Catch 33

From Wayne Kawamoto:

Classic Monte with a Killer Ending

Lee Asher offers this amazing take on classic three-card monte that's taught via a downloadable pdf file that you can view on your computer or mobile device. Asher not only teaches the basics of the monte, he offers a stunning switch at the routine's end that may very well surpass the classic "bent corner" ploy. It's an entertaining routine at a great price.

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Toronto: Magic at the Winchester has moved

From Reality Based Magic:

I very much regret to report that due to circumstances beyond our control, The Winchester Stage and Bar is no longer available for our performances on Sunday evenings.

Fortunately, our Tuesday night venue, The Cage 292, has taken us in. Going forward we will continue to offer our shows ever Sunday night at The Crimson Lounge, located inside The Cage 292 (292 College Street @ Spadina). We will continue to honour all tickets and reservations from Magic at the Winchester at the new location.

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David Blaine a Ford fan

News reports about David Blaine's meeting with Toronto Mayor, Rob Ford:

From The Star:

Meanwhile, well over a dozen journalists, plus TV cameras and photographers, were camped outside Mayor Rob Ford’s office waiting for famed magician David Blaine to appear.

Blaine had apparently phoned Doug Ford Thursday night to see if he could pop over to city hall and meet Toronto’s notorious mayor.

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From Global Toronto:

The magician entered and exited the mayor’s office through the back door and was kept out of the gaze of Toronto’s media.

The impromptu meeting was apparently set up late Thursday night when Doug Ford said he received a call from the magician.

“He said ‘I’m a big fan of your brother, and I’d love to come by and do a few tricks,’” Ford claimed.

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From Sun News:

Mayor Rob Ford got a magical visit from David Blaine on Friday.

Blaine — clearly a master magician — managed to enter and leave the mayor’s office through the back door, avoiding media gathered out front.

“David Blaine was amazing,” Ford said after the private show for a collection of mayor’s office staffers, councillors and the city’s top bureaucrats. Ford’s staff did show off a bent quarter and a playing card — the five of hearts — as evidence of Blaine’s appearance.

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