* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Magic New Zealand * www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #235 Date: Sunday 8th February 2004 Editor: Alan Watson www.magicianz.com www.alan-watson.com e-mail: AW@Alan-Watson.com ================================ Hi here is the latest news ================================   1. Editor’s Message   2. S.A.M. An Array Of Stars For St. Louis Convention   3. I.B.M. Convention Cleveland Convention   4. 29th Australian Convention Of Magicians Update   5. Lance Burton To Be Featured On Fox News Magazine   6. Wesley James Workshop & Book Signing   7. 'More Science of Magic'   8. 2004 Magic Convention Bloemfontein, South Africa   9. Perfection in Magic   10. Canada’s Flying Sorcerer Spins His CD Magic Around The World   11. A Ripping Good New Year! - Peter Marucci   12. The Amazing Orchante Saga   13. e-zine Archives   14. Subscription Management ------------------ 1. Editor's Message ------------------- Message from Alan Watson - The Magic One The Paul Daniels MasterClass and Show sponsored by I.B.M. Ring 160 and Magic New Zealand (held in Auckland, New Zealand) was a HUGE success. On behalf of Magic New Zealand awards committee Michele and I presented two awards: Paul and Debbie Daniels (Honorary Membership to Magic New Zealand) and Kris and Kristine Kardo (aka Chris and Lynn van Oeveren) Lifetime Achievement Award.  Both awards were in recognition of a lifetime dedicated to excellence in the magical arts. On behalf of the I.B.M. Tony Wilson President of Ring 160, presented Paul and Debbie with a I.B.M. Ring 160 pennant and a 50th    year Jubilee copy of Magicana. Darlia Phillips presented Debbie with a lovely bouquet of flowers. Paul and Debbie had a great time visiting the sights of Auckland while staying with us and one of the major highlights for them was catching up with their friends Ronnie Ronalde and his Austrian wife Rosemarie. Ronnie Ronalde the internationally acclaimed whistler/yodeller/singer of vaudeville days, as well as being a fellow Water Rat and has been a lifetime friend of theirs. ---------------- As we all know there is two sides to a story and in next week’s issue Diana Zimmerman is preparing a news release about their vision with regards to the Magic Castle in Hollywood. The Annual General Meeting of the Academy of Magical Arts, Inc. will be held on February 22nd at 3:30 pm. Because of all that is going on..They expect a large turn-out. ---------------- A Kiwi welcome to Bill Spooner (Past President of the IBM) who is currently on tour of New Zealand. ---------------- Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com ----------------- 2. S.A.M. An Array Of Stars For St. Louis Convention ----------------- Message from George Schindler - Society of American Magicians - Public Relations The Society of American Magicians released the names of the artists already booked to appear at their Annual Convention at the Adams Mark Hotel in St. Louis (July 7-8-9-10). The line up includes many award winning magicians with the accents on comedy, close-up, stand-up and children's magic in addition to the presentation of new illusions never seen before in the U.S. This list includes lecturers. (Alphabetical list) Axel S. , Steve Bargazte, Bob Bloenk, Tom Burgoon, Dan Cole, Steve Corbitt, Mike Douglas, Dan Fleshman, Charles Gauci, Phillip Kaiser, David Kaye (Silly Billy), Jay Marshall, John Mendoza, Mirko, Jim Pace, Topas & Roxanne (Magic Affairs Show) and Arthur Trace. A list of 35 attending dealers will be released on our website: www.magicsam.com ----------------- 3. I.B.M. Convention Cleveland Convention ----------------- Message from Tony Wilson (NZ) Tuesday, June 29 10:00am The Hospital Shows 12:00N - 6:00pm Junior Member Workshop 12:00N Registration 6:30pm Linking Ring Hospitality Party 9:00pm The Ring 23 Show 9:00pm Stage Contestants’ Briefing 10:00pm Close-Up Contestants’ Briefing Wednesday, June 30 8:00am Registration Opens 8:30am Preliminary Stage Contest 9:00am Lecture 10:00am TVP Meeting 10:00am Invisible Lodge Meeting 10:00am Collectors’ Gathering 10:00am Spouse Gathering 10:30am Lecture 3:00pm Dealer Show 4:00pm 2003-04 Board Meeting 4:30pm Women’s Forum 8:00pm Premiere Gala Show 11:00pm Magic Idol Contest Thursday, July 1 7:30am Ring 2100 8:00am Registration Opens 8:00am Preliminary Close-Up Contest 10:00am IBM Annual Business Meeting 10:00am Spouse Tour 11:00am Lecture 2:30pm Big Three (close-up, BONK! show, Lecture) 4:00pm Special Interest Groups Special Interest Groups ** ** Repeated Friday and Saturday also**** W.W. Durbin by James Robenault Balloons by Tom Vorjohan, Daniel Herron Press Kits for You   by Tobias Beckwith Movie Saturday at Reubens Stage Make-Up TBD 8:00pm Gala Show 11:00pm Lecture Friday, July 2 8:00am Registration Opens 8:00am Order of Merlin Breakfast 9:30am Gold Cups Finals 11:00am Lecture 1:00pm Ladies’ session 1:00pm Youth event 2:30pm Big Three (close-up, BONK! show, Lecture) 4:00pm 2004-05 Board Meeting 4:00pm Special Interest Groups (repeat of Thursday) 8:00pm Gold Medal Show Saturday, July 3 9:00am Karrell Fox Memorial Lecture 10:00am Reno Convention 2005 Pre-Registration 10:00am Youth event 11:00am Lecture 1:00pm Autograph session 2:30pm Big Three (close-up, BONK! show, Lecture) 4:00pm Special Interest Groups (Repeat of Thursday) 4:00pm Junior Members, Youth Send-Off Party 5:15 pm Banquet 8:00pm International Show 11:00pm Strolling Olympics Sunday, July 4 10:00am Jeff McBride Workshop, additional fee/registration required. Details TBD ----------------- 4. 29th Australian Convention Of Magicians Update ----------------- Message from Tim Ellis (Aust) Just to let you know that we have decided to add SPECIAL EXTRA GIFTS in the goody bags of the first 150 registrants to the 29th AUSTRALIAN CONVENTION OF MAGICIANS - so if you haven't sent in your registration form yet - DO IT!!! We already have almost 100 people signed up, so make sure you get a random bonus goody in YOUR bag! It could be a 6 Card Rap CD, or a set of Manuel Muerte lecture notes or who knows what! But if you are registrant 151-300, you'll never know.. ALSO - Big announcement coming soon ONLY for those who have registered. So don't delay! Tim Ellis Convention Co-Ordinator http://www.magicunlimited.com/magic_convention.htm PS: If you haven't booked your accommodation, call the Jika International TODAY on Freecall 1800 035 650 and reserve your room (no payment required) before they are sold out. PS: If your company would like to sponsor the goody bags by donating products to be included, please contact me. All they need to provide are 300 of their product and we'll also add their advertising flyer into the goody bag and acknowledge them as an official sponsor in the Souvenir Convention Programme. ----------------- 5. Lance Burton To Be Featured On Fox News Magazine ----------------- Message from Wayne Bernath (US) The crew from FOX News Magazine came to Las Vegas recently and interviewed Lance Burton backstage after one of his "Master Magician" shows. The segment will air on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 8 and 11 p.m. on the FOX News Channel. ----------------- 6. Wesley James Workshop & Book Signing ----------------- Message from Michael Canick (US) WHEN: Sunday, February 15th Signing: 2-5- p.m. Workshop: 6-10 p.m. WHERE: Michael Canick Booksellers, L.L.C. 200 East 82nd Street, #3B (corner of 82nd Street) New York, NY 10028 CONTACT: Phone: (212) 585-2990 Fax: (212) 585-2986 E-Mail: canick@panix.com Website: www.canick.com WHAT: Michael Canick Booksellers is proud to announce a workshop and book signing by underground magic legend Wesley James, in conjunction with his highly anticipated and already acclaimed new book, "Enchantments: Magic for Cards and Hands," published by Hermetic Press. Refreshments will be served and Mr. James will also be selling some of his other publications as well as performing routines from "Enchantments." The event will take place from 2-5 p.m. ADMISSION IS FREE. On the evening of February 15th, from 6-10 p.m. Mr. James will give an intensive workshop to a small group (15 maximum) of "professional and serious amateur magicians." The workshop will consist of hands-on experience with material from "Enchantments" as well as other work that Mr. James has developed. There will also be discussion on presentation and performance. Since Mr. James rarely, if ever, has given a workshop of this nature, we expect this to sell out quickly. Don't be disappointed; reserve a seat today. The evening will start with a catered dinner at 6 pm, where Mr. James will be available for informal, group discussions. Following this, at about 7 p.m., Mr. James will give his workshop, which is scheduled to end at 10 (or later, if things are really cooking). Admission charge is $110 per person in advance; $125 on the day of the workshop (if space permits) and $100 for members of our Book Club. "Enchantments" (nearly 500 pages, w/ over 360 illustrations by Tony Dunn) is for sale at $55.00. Please contact us as soon as possible if you would like a book personally INSCRIBED to you or just SIGNED, if you prefer. P&H and New York State tax are additional, if required. We are also offering for sale the following sets of lecture notes. These are nicely produced (printed, actually) with clear illustrations and photos. These, too, can be signed by Mr. James, if requested. 1) Ambitious Undertaking. Notes on the Ambitious Card Plot. $15 2) Selling the Tough Stuff. "Effect Notes from The Hybrid Lecture." Card & other stuff. $25 3) Make Me Care. Thought-provoking notes on presentation & the use of your body. $25 4) Stop Fooling Us. The Wesley James Magic Castle Lecture in a "Newly Revised & Illustrated, 2nd Edition" $25 5) Magic Record and Thoughts of Wesley James. 34 tricks plus essays on "critical aspects of close-up presentation." $30 ----------------- 7. 'More Science of Magic' ----------------- Message from Edward Hall (NZ) Discovery Channel is running the programme 'More Science of Magic' at various times, including Tuesday 10th February at 11:30pm. Repeated 8.30am Wednesday 11th February hosted by Lance Burton. ----------------- 8. 2004 Magic Convention Bloemfontein, South Africa ----------------- Message from Bernard Dyer (South Africa) Hi All Magicians and Magiciennes, Bloemfontein Magic Society has made their Official announcement of the Magic Convention. Dates in Bloemfontein are; Thursday 5th August 2004 and finish with a breakfast on Monday 9th August 2004. MONDAY 9th August is a Public Holiday. Bloemfontein Magic Society has all the details on their Web Site. Go to www.sams.org.za and "click" on Convention 2004. You can also download the proposed programme as well as the Registration Form. The First 10 Delegates To Register Get A Prize From The Sponsor Eurolux. There is also a R100 discount if paid early before 31st May 2004. Visit the site now and register. ----------------- 9. Perfection in Magic ----------------- Message from Tim Quinlan www.insidemagic.com I didn’t see the Justin Timberlake – Janet Jackson incident during the Super Bowl Half-Time Show. I was typing an article for Inside Magic about how perfection is so wonderful to watch and is one of the best things about being a magician. I started this essay – part of which is here – during the World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas after seeing Tommy Wonder and Jon Armstrong perform their close-up routines for a second time. Their demonstration followed my prayerful watching of Peyton Manning leading the Indianapolis Colts to a victory in the play-offs. Manning was not intercepted and had a near perfect QB rating. To me, that was perfection and because the Colts were the underdogs in Vegas betting, it was profitable perfection. Watching Mr. Wonder and Mr. Armstrong was also a chance to witness perfection. I have seen many great magicians in my life. I’ve seen many magicians that are supposed to be great but weren’t and many who were unknown but were deserving of the “Great Magician” title. I wrote my effusive praise of these two magicians at the time of their shows and you can read the article here. Peer pressure often makes me say that certain magicians or tricks are great when, in fact, they are not. I hate that feeling. I don’t want to hurt a brother or sister magician by suggesting that they are not as great as the major magic magazines would have us believe and fortunately the crowds around them keep me from encountering an awkward moment of truth. Mr. Wonder and Mr. Armstrong had the hype and I was ready to bite my tongue, smile, clap politely and nod knowingly (but not all at the same time) when they completed their routines. But I was shocked and surprised and delighted. They were both so perfect. They understood exactly what they needed to do for the audience of magicians and pulled it off without a flaw or blemish. This is where the analogy to Peyton Manning comes in. Mr. Manning has the talent to read a defense as he comes to the line and call the appropriate audible to take advantage of the situation. He can do this because he is a student of the game and works hard at his profession. I suggest this disciplined study of the profession is exactly the same reason Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Wonder can do this as well. They understood the challenge before them. I am guessing there were many like me that had heard the hype and were waiting to see something less than the most impressive close-up act ever. I also know, from talking around the bar later in the evening, that all were as impressed as I had been. Perfection in our art is something that is rewarded, thankfully. When we, as magicians, see perfection in another practitioner, we are able to not only accept it – we welcome it. It is what we want to see. We want to be fooled. Even better, when a lay audience sees perfection – such as Lance Burton’s FISM act – they too are excited. They understand that what they are seeing is perfection and the result of years of rehearsal and revision. In the case of Mr. Manning and his quarterbacking skills, I heard the opponents complimenting Mr. Manning’s ability to read their defenses and react. So where does that leave us? We like perfection, we enjoy watching it, and working towards it. But best of all, our audiences enjoy it too. Our audiences will be impressed by a well-performed act that demonstrates our professional care and skill. That’s the best news we can hear. I’m getting back to the Timberlake/Jackson exposure in a second. When I used to do talent shows as a young man, I was consistently envious of the singers and dancers. They could perform and would usually be judged much better than I was. I attributed this to the judges’ natural bias for a more “serious” act rather than a novelty act such as magic or ventriloquism. I’m not ashamed of my many second and third places in the talent contests – usually losing to singers – because it served to remind me that I could be better and I really believed if I could perfect my act, it would be rewarded by the judges. But the singers and dancers are in a different world now. I’m still working on my act. But they have to separate themselves from other singers. They have to do something outside of “singing” to make their act memorable or special. David Copperfield can grab headlines by performing Magic. David Blaine can command the attention of the global media by performing exactly the type of effects for which he is known. Mr. Copperfield does not need to do something other than Magic to draw attention to his show. Ms. Jackson and Mr. Timberlake are in a part of show business that mandates they do something over-the-top in order to keep the spotlight on them. They break from singing to stripping to draw attention to the fact that they are still singing and deserving of attention. Mr. Timberlake’s former girlfriend, Britney Spears had to engage in the same type of extra-curricular behavior – the lesbian display of kissing Madonna during a televised event – to draw attention to her. Ms. Spears’ singing was not enough. How fortunate we are that we can work within our craft to not only impress audiences but also keep them coming back. We don’t need to perform outlandish or questionable stunts, we can be accepted and richly rewarded by simply polishing our act. Edgar Burgin didn’t need to draw attention to him other than by performing as he had for so many years. Houdini, even with his tremendous attention to public relations, still worked within his persona as a magician/escape artist. I hope there does not come a day when magicians are so mainstream that we will have the economic pressures apparently suffered by singers like Mr. Timberlake, Ms. Jackson or Ms. Spears. It’s nice to be in a part of show business where our diligent rehearsal and constant work to improve our act will be encouraged by our peers and appreciated by our audiences. Mr. Copperfield and Mr. Blaine provide credibility for all of us. They are television stars and, in the case of Mr. Copperfield, an institution as important to some towns as the traveling circus once was. But neither performer needed to do anything beyond the outer-limits of what we would define as Magic. So, in the end, Mr. Manning passed well, I won big money but also had a wonderful time watching someone who was as good as one could be in that position at that time. I then had a chance to see two close-up magicians who were also exciting because they were performing as perfectly as I have ever seen any magicians perform. Perfection is probably not something that can be attained in the activity of ripping off the top of a fellow singing star. The attention Mr. Timberlake and Ms. Jackson received and will receive will have little to do with their putative talent as singers. We’re lucky in so many ways but perhaps most significantly, given the most recent events, in that we can be a success because of something we do with the art we love rather than the media event we create to bring attention to ourselves. That is solace to those of us who practice before mirrors every day trying to get our second deals perfect or our delivery just right. Tim Quinlan © Inside Magic 2004 ----------------- 10. Canada’s Flying Sorcerer Spins His CD Magic Around The World ----------------- Message from Clive Court (Canada) Canada’s Flying Sorcerer Spins His CD Magic Around The World VANCOUVER, BC---From Tahiti to Monte Carlo, 2003 was a busy year for Canadian magician Murray Sawchuk. He barely had time to touch down in Canada. Sawchuk planned to return to his parents’ home in Burnaby, B.C., for Christmas but a tempting offer to entertain on a cruise ship in the Caribbean changed his direction. Cruise ship gigs are a goal for many Canadian visual performers. He will return to Burnaby later in January. Murray, as he is known professionally, moved to Las Vegas from Florida two years ago with an offer to perform at the New Frontier and Flamingo hotels on the famous Strip. The past year began with Murray spending three days a week in Los Angeles where he took acting lessons in the mornings, auditioned for TV and movie work in the afternoons, and polished his stand-up comedy skills in the evenings at clubs like The Comedy Store, Route 66, and The laugh Factory. “I’ve always had a love of stand-up comedy and use it in my longer shows. But I wanted my material to be as strong as my magic. The only way to do that was go in as a comedian. You learn a lot quicker that way—or quit a lot faster.” Murray was pushing himself to get a better grounding in the business. He decided it was time to extend himself from being a world class magician into acting and comedy. That still remains his focus for 2004. Meanwhile, his original magic act with the appearing and vanishing CDs is still paying the bills and propelling him around the globe. Murray developed The Guy with the CDs act nearly a decade ago and it has taken him to some of the world’s best cabaret venues. It has also won him more than 20 international awards. His auditions in Los Angeles are beginning to pay off. He has done a pilot for a prospective TV series, filmed a bit part for a new horror movie, and a cameo for a Comedy Central series spoofing reality cop shows. “It was a great beginning to a new phase of my career because I learned so much that I can now apply to my shows and future TV work.” Murray’s first major live show of 2003 was at The Gatlinburg Theatre in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. Then he flew to Holland to perform in The Hague. “The theatre there was so huge, they had a giant TV screen on each side of the stage. I was doing two completely different shows a day so I had to take two hours worth of material—this gave me the chance to introduce some new effects.” After doing a TV special in Paris, Murray headed for the South Pacific and Tahiti where he had an extended cabaret contract with one of the major hotels. “Tahiti was absolutely amazing from the people to the magic and they seemed to love it.” From summer in Tahiti, it was back to Las Vegas where he had a brief contract that moved him Up-Strip to the lavish MGM Grand Hotel and their famous La Femme show. It’s based on the revue at the Crazy Horse nightclub in Paris. “Friends ask me what living in Las Vegas is like. In two words, it’s extreme! Everything is extreme—the music, lights, shows—and the people. Everyone comes here to celebrate something-- birthday, anniversary, marriage or divorce. Do I love living here? Yes and No. As long as I ’m working in Las Vegas, Yes. But after my time here, I’ll be ready to move on. It’s not a place to raise a family or be stable. There is the Strip and the strip malls—that’s it. When you live here, you rarely go near the Strip. When I’m working at a casino like the MGM Grand, I take all the back roads and go in the back entrance where the traffic congestion and the tourists are non-existent. Like many residents, the only time I venture out on the Strip itself is when I have visitors and the want to do the Strip. Then I pull out all the stops.” Following his experience in La Femme, where the magician is needed to give the dancers time for a breather and a costume change, Murray was off to Monte Carlo for the fall cabaret season at Le Cabaret Casino. “Monte Carlo is a really different world again. It’s a real Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous experience. Money seems to be no problem in Monaco—from the cars and yachts to the people. Everyone at anytime of the day looks like they’re going to an elite meeting or dinner—and many are just grocery shopping. The architecture and the class of Monte Carlo is something dreams are made of. But a few weeks every year will suit me just fine.” So Murray’s next gig was cruising in the Caribbean on a Holland-America cruise liner. Christmas in the Caribbean—a nice change of pace because he doesn’t have to do two shows a night. And when that’s over, he’ll finally make it back to Burnaby, BC, for a few weeks vacation. Who says a magician’s life is a dull one? It seems a lot better than singing your way across Canada in the winter going from pubs to community halls along frozen roads. Which is more universal, music or magic? You work it out. ----------------- 11. A Ripping Good New Year! - Peter Marucci ----------------- Message from Peter Marucci (Canada) Despite the name: You can't park on a parkway. You're not likely to buy a garage at a garage sale. And you should never -- ever -- put mouth coils in your mouth. In fact, unless you include sword-swallowing in your act, you should never put anything in your mouth (or, conversely, take anything out of it) as part of your show. All right, you're going to tell me that a lot of big-name magicians do it. So? A lot of big-name magicians may beat their spouses, take drugs, or have a lot of other revolting habits. Does that mean that you should follow their lead? Of course not! So, you say, what's the point of mouth coils? Well, despite their name, they can be a very flashy, surprising part of your act -- and you don't even have to put them in your mouth. The following is a written as a New Year's Eve routine, but it can be changed to just about any holiday of the year or to a "happy birthday" routine for birthday parties. A RIPPING GOOD NEW YEAR! by Peter Marucci Effect: The magus shows a strip of paper that says Happy New Year (assuming it is a New Year's Eve party; otherwise, make the words fit the occasion). He tears up the papers and asks his audience for the magic words. When he unfolds the paper, instead of being restored it has turned into a multi-colored 25-foot streamer. Working and Presentation: This is dead easy, your can carry it in your pocket, and it will play for anything from a parlor party to a stage audience. All you need is a strip of tissue paper about 2 inches by 14 inches with the words "Happy New Year" (or whatever the occasion) printed on it, a mouth coil and our old friend, the thumb tip. Have the mouth coil and the thumb tip concealed in the left hand; the fingertips of that hand are also holding the Happy New Year strip of paper, so it's no big deal to conceal the coil and tip. Tell your audience (in this case, a New Year's Eve party) that, to make the magic work, some magic words are needed. You suggest, none too originally, the words "Happy New Year" and get the audience to shout out the "magic" words. You can have a lot of fun with the interplay here, telling the audience they're not yelling loud enough to make the magic work. This is great at kids' parties but it's also a great way to loosen up an adult audience, especially if they don't know you and don't know what to expect. Getting them all working together at your command gets them on your side -- and you've done 90 per cent of the job in winning them over. Show the strip of paper to the audience, pointing out that it's a memory aid in case they should forget the magic words (". . .which are . . .?" you say, as often as possible, getting them to yell the words). Matching your actions to your words, say: "I will now tear the paper into two pieces. I will now tear the paper into four pieces. I will now tear the paper into eight pieces. I will now tear the paper into (pause here and look mildly puzzled) . . . a whole bunch of pieces." As they are laughing at this bit of nonsense (we hope!), stuff the torn pieces into the thumb tip and pick it up on the right thumb. Ask the audience: "What were the magic words?" They will reply, "Happy New Year!" (If they don't, perhaps you might consider taking up golf or stamp collecting.) Smile confidently as you say, "And the magic words restore the torn bits of paper." Begin pulling the coil out of your left hand. Start slowly and build speed as you look more and more puzzled. If possible, start on your right where you are performing and walk across the stage area as you pull the coil out of your hand, leaving a streamer trailing behind you. Or, if you are working on the same level as your audience, drape it over the first row of spectators. When you run out of coil, just drop the end of the paper and shrug, showing your hands empty without drawing attention to the fact. "Well," you comment, "I guess someone said the wrong magic words." And go on with the rest of your show. Second Thoughts: There are a number of different types of mouth coils on the market and you'll just have to go by trial and error to see which you like the best. Me? I make my own. That way, I can control the length, colors, and variety and I don't look like every other guy or gal who's using mouth coils. Oh, yes. Just one more thing. Repeat after me: I will never put a mouth coil in my mouth. Because, if you do, you'll get a spankie! Peter Marucci 270 St. Andrew St. East Fergus, Ontario, Canada N1M 1R1 e-mail: showtimecol@aol.com ----------------- 12. The Amazing Orchante Saga ----------------- Message from Tommy Orchard (The Amazing Orchante)(UK ex-pat Kiwi) Page 55 Ferocious Seas – Angry Gods! December 1969. Somewhere off the southwest coast of Tahiti In the middle of a raging storm - LOST AT SEA! How do you explain or describe what you are feeling in the depths of your soul, knowing that you are on the brink of a catastrophe – that any minute, any second, you face annihilation. Imagine looking up at a monstrous wall of water that stretches up so high before you, the top appears to be touching the sky or, as in our case, a sheet of blackness as far as you could see! Imagine you are teetering, for a moment, right at the peak of what seems to be an endless, sheer drop of water then suddenly you're hurtling down that watery slide, heading for what you feel must be the very bottom of the seabed! On top of all that, there is a ‘howling banshee’ of a gale and violent, driving rain. Imagine propelling, driving at full power, a small motor launch that, by comparison to that 'watery Mount Everest’ - was the size of a matchbox - up that endless wall of water, praying that you’ll reach the top before it collapses, crushing you - everything - under astronomical tons of sea-water. Better still, rent the video, ‘The Perfect Storm’; there is an incredible segment where a large commercial fishing boat, is caught under similar circumstances. When you see this, shrink that boat down to at least a quarter of its size - that will give you a very accurate picture of what we went through! I am not a religious man, not in the normally accepted sense, but I do believe that ‘something’ is there – "an essence of all existence” . As U. F. O. buff, I'm convinced that we, the human race, are descendants of an alien race who visited this planet way back. I guess for many of you, that admission has put me, along with various astronauts, scientists and pilots, both military and civilian, who know the truth - and are not afraid to say so - straight into the ‘loony bin’! I had two experiences some years ago, back in New Zealand, that was ‘proof’ to me, that we are being visited by aliens, but that is another story which I may write about later, if I remember. I do tend to go off on tangents at times. As I stated in the last paragraph, I'm not the religious type but I tell you this, one minute you are praying to anything that might hear you - the next cursing everything! From the depths of your soul, you silently scream at the elements - at life, your total helplessness. Your mind is overwhelmed with a tidal wave of primeval fear as you imagine the all to real prospect and horror of ravenous sharks tearing, ripping you apart; eating you alive! In your mind's eye, that precipitous, towering wall of water tossing the minuscule boat, you, everything, into the watery depths - knowing that at any moment that is precisely what can - should - happen - hour upon hour, the Relentless, petrifying, Then you go through stages of ‘numbness’, thinking - saying nothing. It is a continuous cycle of fear, dread, and resignation; but from somewhere deep down inside, your instincts are screaming - “survive!” You become aware that you are nothing but a tiny speck on a vast ocean on a planet; one of countless millions, billions, of other stars and planets in a small corner of the universe. Part of a galaxy that it is hurtling in an unknown direction, at an unimaginable speed through an ever-expanding universe populated with billions of other galaxies, stretching to eternity! Phew, let us get back to earth. At around two or three in the morning, it gradually dawns upon you that it is all over. The launch is floating on a calm, serene ocean - the same ocean that, for hours on end, had tried to toss you into the seething ocean; now, the only sound is the gentle, rhythmic slapping of water against the side of the launch. The outboard motors are silent, for the simple reason that we have run out of fuel. I have absolutely no memory of when this happened but, thank God, it must have been some time after the storm had blown itself out - if we’d run out of ‘juice’ during the storm, I wouldn't be here today writing my SAGA. We found out later that the fuel tanks had been filled-up completely before we had motored out to sea the previous morning, and that there was enough fuel on board to have gone approximately 500 nautical miles - 500 nautical miles - and we ran out of fuel! - Continues - ------------------ 13. Magic New Zealand e-zine Archives ------------------ Back issues of the Magic New Zealand e-zine go to: www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html Both the User Name and Password MUST be entered in lower case to gain access. User Name: magic Password: kiwi When you enter the archive the e-zines are in issue order and are coded. Eg 001 Nov06 1999.txt first three numbers (001) denote issue number, then the date (Nov06) and the last figures the year (1999) ------------------- 14. Subscription Management ------------------- Our subscriber list is NOT made available to other companies or individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your privacy. To subscribe or unsubscribe from the Magic New Zealand e-zine: www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html Magic New Zealand e-zine is published weekly, on Sunday. The opinions expressed in this e-zine are those of the individual contributors and not those of Magic New Zealand. Neither Magic New Zealand or Alan Watson can vouch for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, message, statement, or other information reported via Magic New Zealand e-zine. Subscribers to this publication and authors who contribute to it by doing so agree that they will not hold Magic New Zealand and or Alan Watson liable or responsible in any way for the opinions expressed herein. We reserve the right to edit, correct or, in our discretion, choose not to publish any submissions provided to Magic New Zealand for potential publication. Magic New Zealand welcomes readers to submit timely articles or news items which appear to be of interest to our readers. Those submitting to this e-zine agree that we have permission to publish their submissions and that they have the full copyright to the material submitted. All works published by Magic New Zealand are fully protected by international copyright as provided by law, and articles cannot be published for profit by anyone other than the individual author without the written permission of Magic New Zealand. >>This publication may be freely redistributed (but not sold) to other magicians if copied in its ENTIRETY including the copyright notice below and the above disclaimer.<< © Copyright 2004 Alan Watson