I'd like to take a moment to wish a magical Thanksgiving holiday to all the readers and contributors on the stage manipulative magic forum of the Café... and maybe start a short thread about what we as manipulators are thankful for. I'll start with (not necessarily in order of importance):

1. I'm thankful for all the writers and publishers whose books got me into this area of magic--especially Henry Hay and Lewis Ganson, but also Will Dexter, Ottokar Fischer, the Fleming Book Company, The Miracle Factory and many others.
2. I'm thankful for being alive in the electronic age so that I've had the chance to see great manipulative acts like Channing Pollock, Carlo Tornedo, Neil Foster, Norm Nielsen, Lance Burton, Joseph Gabriel, Jade, and many more than I have time or space to mention. Wikipedia tells us that the age of vaudeville was "from the early 1880s until the early 1930s," so I would guess that most of us were born too late to be inspired by vaudeville. I'm especially thankful to Milbourne Christopher whose _Festival of Magic_ preserved one of the few video recordings of Cardini. (And an extra "Thank You" to shows like Hollywood Palace, International Showtime, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and more for the opportunity to enjoy (and preserve on videotape and other media) some of those acts.)
3. I'm thankful for magic organizations like The International Brotherhood of Magicians and The Society of American Magicians for providing a community of magic enthusiasts who foster the evolution and preservation of our art.
4. I'm thankful for the parents and friends who encouraged and nurtured our love of this art.
5. I'm thankful to Melvil Dewey for being thoughtful enough to designate a special number (793.8) as the Dewey number for magic books. (For many of us it was the first and sometimes only Dewey number we ever knew by heart. There probably should be an extension of 793.8 that is reserved for manipulative magic.)
6. I'm thankful for the U.S. Playing Card Company for making cards with an air-cushion finish that made them a delight to work with.
7. I'm thankful for the inventor/discoverer of fanning powder.
8. I'm thankful for all the magicians and artists who designed fanning decks (but especially thankful for Zina B. Bennett and the Zinab deck).
9. I'm thankful for magic dealers who stocked their shelves with great books, videos, tricks, and supplies that we've used to develop our acts.
10. I'm thankful for the Internet and forums like The Magic Café for providing the opportunity for all of us to exchange ideas and observations and the convenience of shopping for magic supplies without leaving our homes.
11. I'm thankful for Buatier DeKolta who I believe is credited with inventing the multiplying billiard balls the way we know it today.
12. I'm thankful for the audiences who express their appreciation of the hard work we put into our craft by rewarding us with applause, laughter, and their sense of wonder.
I'm sure there are some important items missing from this list, but it's a start.

----- Amado Narvaez

Happy Thanks Giving to everyone here too.

I am thankful and grateful for being able to network and fellowship with magicians all round the world at the Magic Café. A BIG 'thank you' to Steve Brooks and his support team and all the moderators for making this platform available for all magicians.