FISM, Arthur Trace, Old Spice and BoondoggleInside MagicMagic News Updated Daily for the Professional Magician

We smell boondoggle and not the new body wash for men from
Old Spice; "Rough and Ready for Fun and Frolic on the Man's Dime" is
the slogan of that boondoggle.

The boondoggle we smell wafts over us from a high-flying jet
carrying a writer over to Stockholm, Sweden (that's Europe)
to attend the FISM conclave.

FISM boasts 2,000 or more magicians are in attendance and
have traveled from around the world.

Why?

Magicians know why FISM rocks but to an Associated Press
Writer there had to be a hidden motive.
It can't just be for the love of magic and the desire to steal tricks
from folks who will never appear in your home market.

Stakes are high for the 156 top
magicians competing in the main event for best illusionist stage show and
sleight-of-hand routine: three top finishers are guaranteed contracts for
lucrative shows in Las Vegas, Paris
and Monaco.

"This is like the Olympics of
magic," said John Connelly of Seymour,
Conn. "If you win (the main
event) you're made. You'll probably make a million dollars."

Set for life? A
million dollars? Guaranteed contracts in
Las Vegas, Paris,
and Monaco? We guess they can't write it if it's not
true. But we know some FISM winners and
if they had the cool million bucks, they must have blown it during their
guaranteed contract in Vegas or Monaco.

The writer is quick to point out FISM does not award cash
prizes. The cash and fame come because
of winning.

We were very excited to read glowing reports of Quinlan's
Inside Magic Favorite Arthur Trace of Chicago.

The author compares Mr. Trace's hopes with those of a young
Lance Burton in 1982 when he wowed magicians in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Mr. Trace has honed his ten-minute act over the last four
years. Along the way, it was sufficient
to win the IBM's Triple Crown. The
reporter uses does not seem to appreciate the certain je ne sais quoi embodied
in the routine: " a conceptual artist interacting with a painting while
balls and cards keep appearing and disappearing in his hands."

A love letter from the same reporter may read: "You are
not ugly and you have a job. I like your
credit rating."

We prefer Mr. Trace's description: "I am both an artist
and an athlete," he said. "Magic is just like a painting. I use it to
say what I want."

The poetry of magic is again raised by Quinlan's Inside
Magic Favorite Dirk Losander and contrasts with the pendantic writing of
the reporter.

Reporter's version, "Dirk Losander,
the German levitating illusionist."

Mr. Losander's description of the magic of magic, "It
is all based on the same secret. It is like there are only seven notes (in
music), but you can arrange them in different ways."

As Jeff McBride suggests "Magic is an international
language … It transcends all the language and cultural barriers."

We don't mean to pick on the reporter but we are jealous she
got to fly to Stockholm
to hang with the world's greatest magicians on an expense account. On the other hand, we got let go from our
assistant manager's position at the 7-11 for suck-starting the plugged Slurpee
Machines.

Good Luck to Mr. Trace! We're behind you all the way!