The latest podcast is up. You can download it at iTunes, or just to listen, go to http://www.themagicpodcast.com and it will be there including all the the past episodes (many no longer on iTunes). This month we have new segment called Passion for the Past. This episode focuses on the life of Harlan Tarbell, of the Tarbell Course in Magic. Also, Mark is on with Tips for balloon workers and also shares a great trick idea out of the Mark Wilson Course in Magic and a gospel message to go with it in his science segment. Faith Renee shares her routine for the effect Baffling Boomerangs. Pastor Rob Watkins is back again this month with a devotional. Talk on Ear Plugs by Jay Sankey..and so much more. It is hosted by Oz and Wilde. Listen in and let us know what you think!

Haven't gotten a chance to listen to it yet- does Jay Sankey still sell Ear Plugs? I know for awhile he was only selling replacement plugs, but I am not sure if he still still sells them. A great concept I thought- but by the time I got around to buying them, they were no longer listed on his web site... Anyone know the current status of buying this product again/new?

I stand corrected (again!). I see that Ear Plugs is once again back on the Jay Sankey web site for sale- cool! He also has a neat demo of his sponge ball type moves on the site as well using the ear plugs. I guess I better get my order in! I saw Jay's lecture a couple of years ago at the World Magic Seminar, EXCELLENT, with more ideas than you can shake a stick at. He must think of new material even in his dreams...

You answered yourself before I could. I think they are great for the pulling one after another out of your ear...about how some people try so hard not to hear the gospel...but how witnessing works on them...

Saw Jay on his US tour in San Diego and shared with him our gospel routine for his effect Reconstruction...and he was very pleased that we had done that. We make a cross on the back of the and when the heart is pealed off, we put it on the cross and the card then "transforms" into their chosen card which you can give them as a souvenir.

Well...hope you like the podcast. It was fun putting it together.

><> J
Kif

Another great job!!

Neato! Where can I buy "Making Magic Mediocre?" Sounds like some good tips in there Mortimer! I think I stole this line from Mortimer: "This juggling ball represents our Savior... whoops... dropped Him... oh well, He always seemed to bounce back, didn't He?"

I think Mortimer should do a late night routine with Joey at 2010 International.

Humor is a great way to make a point. Glad Mortimer was a hit. We may be establishing a new expression for this kind of performance or dialog..."That's a Mortimer." He could very likely show up somewhere at late night at some point...that is what the podcast cold opens are all about...working out material for Joey's show
Thanks so much for the feedback. We sure hoped it was being taken in the spirit it was intended.

Magicbus - love the juggling line! That's a Mortimer.

(and we are all guilty of them once in a while)

A Mortimer.... A MORTIMER?

Not another thing to keep track of?????

Where will this all end?

"Your driving me crazy Kif!"

I finally ordered the Ear Plugs DVD along with an extra set of Ear Plugs from Jay Sankey yesterday. I like Wilde's idea from the podcast, plus, I am getting a little weary of counting the tiny sponge bunnies sfterwards everytime I do a sponge rabbit routine- keeping track of these "earplugs" looks a lot easier... May our ears not be stopped to listening to God's Word! Plug along everyone!

Glad you liked the ideas. That "Wilde" bit actually came when we got to the studio to record...and had nothing planned for that segment. (Yes...we do more than you would think off the cuff for that program)

I really think the size and shape of the earplugs makes it a great alternative for the ever rolling away red balls.

However, the 3-D bunnies that Ammar came out with are pretty good too. They have admittedly more the Ahhhh factor than the earplugs do. Working walk around guys like Bob Sheets will tell you that nothing goes over bigger with lay audiences than sponge bunnies.

It is all message driven what works best for the moment.

Glad you liked the Sankey's Ear Plugs. He is a pretty creative guy.

Got my Earplugs from sankeymagic.com The "plugs" are a little less soft than Goshman sponges (reminds me of the yellow foam put inside throw pillows) but work just fine. Execellent Sankey instructional DVD of course came with the plugs. OK Kif if I work out a routine based on your original idea? I'll plug it in at The Magic Café' when done. My "The NIV Complete Concordance" (by Edward Goodrick and John Kohlenberger, published by Zondervan)is loaded with Bible verses under the following headings:
Ear (EARS)
DEAF
LISTEN (Listened Listening Listens)
And for the words HEAR and HEARD there must be over 250 verses listed. Wow! Lots of routine possibilities for sure.... The concordance above is a good resource in that is does not just list topics, but actual words. So if a verse comes to mind with just a WORD you can remember, but you don't know where you saw it, you can locate it. Most topical indexes or concordances at the back of one's Bible do not have a catagory/heading entitled "Ear" or "Ears".

When working with sponge products...though admittedly I have not tried this yet with Earplugs...it is good to get them wet, and squeeze them out as completely as you can an hour or so before a performance and then let them air dry. For some sponge balls, it makes them even a bit bigger. The material Jay Sankey uses may not react the same way, it is something worth trying to see if you have a bit more "spongy" with them.

Look forward to your patter ponderings.

><> J

Will do. The DVD that comes with the Earplugs is amazing- Jay Sankey has obviously done these sponge plug/ball moves thousands of times. His simple retention vanish is the best I have ever seen... The DVD alone is worth the price of the product I believe, applies to any kind of sponge routine.