Magic Unlimited

As seen on TV

What's a reasonable price for an hour of close up magic? Someone out there is asking $2500.

Well, I guess those GoogleAds have to be paid for somehow!

I had a dream!

I had a weird dream the other night.

You know those little 'Wizards' that come with certain computer programs? Little animated characters that help you to do certain things like search or format a page?

I dreamt that you could choose from a vast range of animated characters and have it downloaded directly into your brain. It would then give you direct access to the internet, so you just had to think of what you wanted to know and this character, like a cyber-Jiminy Cricket on your shoulder, would tell you the answer.

The more I thought about it, I realised it's inevitable. I think, one day, we will all be wired up directly to the internet... with all of the world's accumulated knowledge literally in our heads, without the need to ever learn a single thing.

“Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.” - Henry Ward Beecher

Victorian Tourism Centre

Victorian Tourism Centre just won't give up. Yet ANOTHER spam fax arrived this morning with it's taunting message:

IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO RECEIVE FURTHER INFORMATION FROM VICTORIAN TOURISM CENTRE PLEASE CALL 03 825 60174 OR EMAIL [email protected]

Of course, calling the number achieves nothing except reassuring them that my fax number is "live" so it's well worth keeping on their database.

So why do they keep spamming me?

1. It costs them virtually nothing.
2. They are trying to sell me "holiday vouchers" I can use in such exotic locales as Warrnambool, Echuca, and Hastings.

So... I took some time to check out the wonderful voucher system they sell to these desirable locations:

Example 1 - Lake Wendouree Tourist Park, Ballarat. Special VicTourism package just $299. Lake Wendouree Tourist Park's website has the exact same special offer, just $299.

Example 2 - Ocean Grove Cedar Cabins. Special VicTourism package for 2 nights with 2 brekkies, 1 $40 dinner & a game of golf just $294.90. Ocean Grove Cedar Cabin's website, 2 nights accommodation only $220.

Example 3 - City Park Hotel Melbourne. Special VicTourism package for 2 nights with brekkie $329.90. City Park Hotel's website, 2 nights with no brekkie $250.

Example 4 - Mallacoota Motor Inn. Special VicTourism package for 3 nights with a free BBQ pack $299.90. Mallacoota Motor Inn's website, 3 nights with no BBQ pack (depending on season) $225, $240 or $330.

Of course, use of these Holiday Vouchers is "not valid public, school holidays, long weekends or certain special events. Please check with hotel as sometimes on availability you may be able to book, however a surcharge may apply."

So hopefully I have now proven that these "special offers" are not really that special after all, and Victorian Tourism Centre offers packages that are more expensive than you can get if you book with the hotels directly.

PLEASE STOP SPAMMING ME!

Congratulations Nick!

Congrats to Nicholas J Johnson, Australia's Honest Conman, for picking up second place in the Australian Skeptics Prizes for Critical Thinking for his school show 'Bad Science'. You can read more about it in his excellent blog here, and don't miss his show SCAMTASTIC starting tomorrow night!

Saturday night

I was over in Adelaide on Saturday night, it was a last minute booking, filling in for another act who was unable to do it. The show went well and I was looked after especially well by the event organiser. One thing I did want to mention was the hotel I stayed at. It was the Stamford Plaza, very classy, and pricey! (I was given a $35 allocation for dinner and all that got me was a 9" pizza and chips!) What really caught me off guard was in the hotel room itself.

Up on the wall by the bed was not a reproduction of a famous painting, not an original by a local artist, not even a large framed landscape photo... but instead.. this:

A cork bulletin board covered in promotional flyers for the hotel! First time I've ever seen anything like that!

If you didn't like Criss Angel's levitation, try this one

From Criss Angel's latest MINDFREAK series

Here's a trailer you'll enjoy - CLOVERFIELD

For more info - and clues -  http://www.1-18-08.com/ and http://www.slusho.jp/

Phenomenon - almost done

As they're down to the final episode, here's the official website for NBC TV's Uri Geller/Criss Angel show 'Phenomenon'. You can see lots of videos of the contestants and take a look at the final four.

It's interesting that Channel Nine are plugging it as an upcoming 'Special Event'. It's not going to be that special if they're simply airing a live, interactive, viewers-vote American TV show that we'll already know who won... unless, of course, Channel Nine are planning to air an Australian version of 'Phenomenon'..? Imagine, all of Australia's top mentalists on the one show... who would win?

Opening in Australia, Jan 24, 2008