Live-blogging #BrowsersBash2016

If all goes according to plan, all live-blogging posts from #BrowsersBash2016 will appear under this post. The most recent update will be immediately after this post, below the ad. Check back often for updates!

• Unofficial after party and jam sessions about to begin!
  
   
• Jeff's quoting: “A dream you dream alone ... is only a dream.  But a dream you dream together ... is reality.”
• Thank you all for helping the Browser’s Magic Bash dream become a reality!

It's time for the stage show!

• First up, Gordon Precious. 
• Next, it’s Jason Palter.
• And Steven Brundage!
• David Merry’s taking the stage. 
• And closing with David Williamson who made special arrangements to come up here and fill Tom’s spot!

• Jeff’s thanking: the MonteCassino staff. Cheers to the office, engineering, hotel, bar and kitchen staff.
• Also thanks to: Annie Pinsky, Dick Joiner, David Merry, Magic Mike Segal & Jen Segal, Ben Train, Michael Gillis, Chris Mayhew, Lidden Li, Shawna York, Nicole Lee, John Michalson, Roxanne Talbot, and Christina Asher!
• Thank you to the Zone Performers:  James Harrison, Ben Train, Chris Mayhew, Big Louie Lebetjis, & Joe Deng.
• Special thanks to John Talbot and Lee Asher, without whom none of this would have been possible.
• A touching video tribute to Tom Mullica.

• Thanks to Steve Kline for working non-stop, sweating blood and tears to ensure the runs smoothly!
• Thanks also to Jeff Hinchliffe, Luiz Castro, and Jonathan Sy for helping Steve put the equipment and stage together! 
  
• David Williamson lecture!

• Daniel Garcia mini-talk!
• Part of the proceeds from every ticket sold for this year's Bash being donated in Garcia’s name, to Chad's charity (Spread the Magic Foundation) and to the Burn Unit at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto.
• Daniel Garcia lecture time!

• Lanyards for the Bash were generously donated by Chad Juros of the “Spread The Magic Foundation.”  (Yes, the same Chad Juros honoured by David Copperfield on Good Morning America last Fall.)
• The Spread The Magic Foundation spreads hope and inspiration to children battling cancer.
  Visit them at spreadthemagic.org
• Thank you Chad!
• This year's Food Drive raised over 300 kgs of cans & dried goods for Toronto Food Bank. DOUBLE last year’s total!  Way to go!

• Chris Mayhew creating a “happy birthday” video for a special somebody turning 90 soon!
• Recently, Michael Francis broke Guinness Records for coin rolling!  He demonstrated for us today.  Impressive!
• United States Playing Card Company (USPC) is with us today exhibiting their cards.
• Everyone in this room is invited to attend the 52 Plus Joker Playing Card meet June 12th the Browser’s Den of Magic, for FREE!!
• Michael Close mini-talk.
• Lunch time already.  Yum!

Dick Joiner is emcee for the close-up show!  

Bobby Motta,  Michael Lam, Michael Close, Daniel Garcia, and David Williamson to close!

Fabulous!

From Niagara Falls, it’s Greg Frewin!

“Zone performers” James Harrison, Ben Train, Chris Mayhew, Big Louie Lebetjis, and Joe Deng will be entertaining tables during breaks!

• Jeff's looking more at home in his “trusty sweater vest.”
• Welcome to Dan Morrissey (of Morrissey Magic) to the stage!  We’ve missed you Phoebe and Dan!
• Welcome to Phil and Evelyn Matlin (of Perfect Magic, Montreal) to the stage!
• Mentioning Joan Caesar, past president of the IBM and founder of the Canadian Association of Magicians! 
• Added bonus:  Welcome to Len Cooper’s family! Bernice, Len’s wife, as well as his children, Jack and Sandy Cooper!

Talk about one big magic family!

Today's the day!  Let's do this!                           

#BrowsersBash2016

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To experience the full impact of this announcement, set the date on your computer to April 1 and the time to 6am.

#BrowsersBash2016 social media

As many of you know, Saturday is the "Browser's Bash," an all day convention hosted by the Browser's Den of Magic.

Like last year, I plan to be doing some combination of live-Tweeting and live-blogging of the event.  Apologies in advance for clogging your feeds.  To follow my Twitter account, you can use the web or use the Twitter widget on the right side of this page, under the "Selected Anniversaries" feature.

If you're at the event and Tweeting, I encourage you to add the hashtag "#BrowsersBash2016" to your Tweets.  I'll be adding a feature near the top of this page, which collects and posts all Tweets tagged in this fashion.

If it pleases the technology overlords, I'll also upload some footage to the new Canada's Magic YouTube channel.

I look forward to seeing many of you on Saturday!
 

#BrowsersBash2016 Tweets

Top 5 posts for March 2016

Here are the most viewed posts at Canada's Magic this month:

5. Greg Frewin's Imagine Tour - Catch him while you can!

4. Toronto: Zack Mirza's "Immaculate Deceptions" - Did you go? What did you think?

3. Monday musings: Search engine optimization - Nothing attracts comment spam, like ranting about comment spam.

2. Shin Lim in the Huffington Post - An interesting read.

and the most viewed post this month  ...

1. Random thoughts on "Outerbridge Clockwork Mysteries" - You can see them at the CAM convention in April!

Timmins Comedy Festival 2016

From the Facebook page of IncrediBrent and Super Sarah:
A note to subscribers: the content of this post is embedded from another website and is not available to preview. To view the content of the post, please visit http://CanadasMagic.blogspot.com. Some of the embedded code may be visible in this notification.

Here's some Big News: On April 2nd, we will be sharing the stage with these other funny folks at the Timmins Comedy Festival! We'll also have our own show at 2:00 in the afternoon on that day.
Posted by IncrediBrent and Super Sarah on Thursday, 18 February 2016

Ottawa: Michael Bourada

From Michael Bourada's Twitter feed: A note to subscribers: the content of this post is embedded from another website and is not available to preview. To view the content of the post, please visit http://CanadasMagic.blogspot.com. Some of the embedded code may be visible in this notification.

Excited to announce I'll have my own weekly show Every Friday at The Prescott in #Ottawa starting Apr 1st. #ottnews pic.twitter.com/05qonM6Rs8

— Michael Bourada (@MichaelBourada) March 8, 2016

James Randi's "An Honest Liar" on PBS TONIGHT

Check your local listings.


From PBS:

For the last half-century, James “The Amazing” Randi has entertained millions with his dazzling feats of magic, escape, and trickery. Along the way he discovered that faith healers, fortune-tellers, and psychics were using his beloved magician’s tricks to swindle money from the credulous. Fed up with the fraud, he dedicated his life to exposing con artists with a wit and over-the-top showmanship all his own. An Honest Liar is part detective story, part biography, and a bit of a magic act itself.


Read more.

Toronto: "Magicians: Life in the Impossible"

From Hot Docs:

April 30th, May 2nd, and May 8th

An average magician can entertain but a world-class artist can reawaken your faith in the impossible. In this utterly charming showbiz chronicle, four stellar magicians will amaze even the staunchest of skeptics. But for each of these virtuosos, true success seems illusory. Among them: Brian Gillis was Johnny Carson’s favourite close-up magician and a regular on The Tonight Show; David Minkin can levitate almost anything with his mind; and Jon Armstrong might be the best card trickster in the world—but none of them are satisfied. Each can captivate a crowd, but how long can they chase their dreams and at what cost?

Read more and buy tickets.