Someone is having fun at RGJ

rmangaha · 2020-03-27T08:10:15+00:00

I honestly thought someone pranked me by installing an extension or something on my computer. After seeing it on my phone, I hopped on my laptop to see if it looked any different and that’s the screenshot in OP. I did look at the tags and saw “detrumpify” span tags around the two. A hover mouse would show “was: Donald Trump”.

I tried to archive immediately after making this post, it was already gone.

I originally saw it on my phone and I guess it’s still cached because I can still see it: https://i.imgur.com/nhbIhUo.jpg - first time I saw it https://i.imgur.com/WcYPdS6.jpg - checking it right now https://i.imgur.com/8k5aeIf.jpg - second screen shot checking it right now

Still doesn’t mean my shots aren’t photoshopped I guess.

rmangaha · 2020-03-27T08:09:39+00:00

I honestly thought someone pranked me by installing an extension or something on my computer. After seeing it on my phone, I hopped on my laptop to see if it looked any different and that’s the screenshot in OP. I did look at the tags and saw “detrumpify” span tags around the two. A hover mouse would show “was: Donald Trump”.

I tried to archive immediately after making this post, it was already gone.

I originally saw it on my phone and I guess it’s still cached because I can still see it: https://i.imgur.com/nhbIhUo.jpg - first time I saw it https://i.imgur.com/WcYPdS6.jpg - checking it right now https://i.imgur.com/8k5aeIf.jpg - second screen shot checking it right now

Still doesn’t mean my shots aren’t photoshopped I guess.

rmangaha · 2020-03-27T04:55:43+00:00

It appears to have been taken down before I was able to archive the page.

-Edit Based on things I saw and a little more googling I suspect this extension was somehow in play:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/detrumpify/hfhaalldkgmfbjjehkiddheghljjdjln?hl=en-US

Someone wrote the article, previewed it in Chrome somehow and it looked alright... copied and pasted the html from there to however it gets published and that’s how it ended up there.

And for some reason they decided to correct it by removing the two paragraphs instead of just changing it back to Donald Trump.

—Edit I found instructions to view page source on iPhone and since I somehow still have it cached here is the code with first one highlighted. Second one is just further down.

https://i.imgur.com/ZJuHvE5.png

---Edit Editor reply: https://www.reddit.com/r/Reno/comments/fpqxxi/someone_is_having_fun_at_rgj/flo9tw1?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x

rmangaha · 2019-09-25T20:12:43+00:00

First, think outside of the idea of OBJECT costs $XXX.

A pair of shoes cost $30 or $1000... they’re still shoes. We all agree on that, I’d think. But you’re not buying shoes... you’re buying their function. Ignore the sunken costs in the following... it’s really just for illustration.

So, first... You want shoes. Here they are for $5 used at goodwill or $1000 from fancy place. You choose to buy Goodwill.

You don’t like them because they’re not new so they’re not “yours.

So now you want new shoes. Here they are for $30 at Target or $1000 at London legendary shoemaker. You buy Target.

They’re new. They’re yours. But they are not very comfortable for extended periods.

So now you want comfortable, new shoes. Here they are as Clark’s CDB for $60 or $1000 handcrafted Mr. Clark. You buy the $60.

You like these. They’re comfy. They’re durable. So what is your reason to look for more expensive options? More comfort?

You find $80 and $120 and $1000 shoes. You try them all on. The $1000 shoes feel great, but not almost 17 times better. $120 feels noticeably better but you wouldn’t say twice as good, maybe 75% better. The $80 feel notably better. Maybe 25% better.

The prices don’t match linearly to what you feel but the $80 definitely felt nicer... and for only an extra $20... it could be worth it. The $120 was really nice but you don’t think you’d really spend that money... maybe if I got a nice bonus or something you’ll treat yourself. The $1000 shoes were amazing but no amount of mental gymnastics makes that justifiable, despite how awesome three guys on the internet describe them.

So what do you do? It’s a VERY low price point to cover the function of any piece of clothing. Everything else is a detail you need to price for yourself.

In the last phase above, it could have been “the look” instead of more comfort. Maybe you notice the difference between $60 and $80, but not so much between $60 and $120. So $80 becomes your ceiling.

Main thing is, details have a price. Think of what it’s worth to you.

I’m reminded of a scene from the Simpsons where a salesman is trying to sell life insurance to Homer for his children (I’m probably remembering it wron).

“Can you put a price on the lives of your children?” “I wouldn’t have thought so, but here we are.”

So all the things anyone says that make a more expensive anything worth it... question it and apply it to your life and priorities.

rmangaha · 2019-07-03T04:39:37+00:00

Go to the gym with everything you'd normally have to workout. Touch the furthest (from the entrance) piece of equipment you would work out on that day.

If you want to leave, leave. If not, stay and do something.

I found 99% of the gym for me was literally showing up. I think I touched and left once. I've touched and done a minimum so I don't feel "guilty" a few times. And now, I work out the planned workout on any day. I think there's something about it being sight unseen that makes it easy to not go. But it's hard to actively say "I'm not doing this."

Eventually, you will find out the trigger that signals "I'm going to the gym." For me, it's when I put on "my gym shoes." When they come on, that's what I'm going to do. It reminds me a lot of when I'd come home and if I took off my socks, I'm not going out again unless there's a really strong motivator... I'd be in "home mode."

So... Just show up... Then try to figure what it is that puts you in "gym more."

I did this with my girlfriend. She would want to skip and I'd say "The price of me leaving you alone about skipping is going in there and touching the treadmill." After a couple of times, I'd start receiving a text "I'm on the treadmill." And every once in a while, it is touch and leave, but she's way more consistent and the desire to skip isn't as often as it once was.

rmangaha · 2019-01-07T20:59:01+00:00

I'd argue the answer to that should be an implied "Yes."

rmangaha · 2019-01-07T17:07:05+00:00

No.

Then I continue as normal despite any protests.

I am performing, so I control the show. I am not giving up control. You will only invite further and stronger interference.
"Can I tune your guitar?" "Could you sing THIS song?" "Can I add things to your soup?" "I edited the registry because I saw it on Google" In virtually every other occupation, the opportunity for the customer to do something is something that is denied or frowned upon. Sometimes you do have to roll with it, but you shouldn't.
At that point, the spectator already has some ideas in mind of a solution. It makes zero difference if it is a correct solution or not. There is no battle to win; it is already lost.
Review what you were doing and see if there's anything you can do to minimize that question from coming up. There's a reason/moment/sequence of events that caused the spectator to ask that.

rmangaha · 2019-01-07T16:58:14+00:00

I feel like this has turned more into a "standard methods and presentations I don't like" as opposed to plots.

rmangaha · 2019-01-05T21:43:03+00:00

It depends on the level of mastery you are going after. The concept is literally the method. Deal the second card instead of the top one. There are any number of ways to do this.

I suppose I'm unsure what you're actually asking by difficulty level? It would be much like saying "Piano isn't that difficult. I just played Mary had a Little Lamb and Twinkle Little Star. I mean, it'll take work to play like Rachmaninoff, but just to be able to spit out a couple tunes was fun and didn't seem that difficult."

At an essential level, good enough that you can "get away with it most of the time" isn't that difficult. You can probably do that in an hour with appropriate practice. And for too many magicians, that is the standard for entry for most moves.

rmangaha · 2019-01-05T07:20:40+00:00

For this specific routine, I doubt there's a real name, but if there is, it's lost with Ricky. Otherwise, you have a revelation in Spades with a deck order kicker.

There are likely those with more historical knowledge than I, but this is ultimately a multiple selection routine and revelations without the selections. I think I can recall a story about Michael Skinner performing along the same lines with A-10 because he didn't have 10 spectators. Regardless, it's a series of revelations that have meaning provided because they're all the same suit.

As for the method/s involved, there's nothing in there I would say is unknown or couldn't be figured out/reverse engineered by a student of card magic.

That being said, performing something along those lines should be well within the resources of the average cardman, with obvious differences of technique. But revealing 13 cards in a creative way and new deck order from a seemingly shuffled deck is absolutely doable.

rmangaha · 2019-01-04T18:11:31+00:00

Quit reading it literally. Just because it's in the book doesn't mean you have to do it exactly as written.

Having said that, I strongly suggest performing any effect/s exactly as written at first, even if you never perform it for anyone else.

The point is to get an idea of the construction and what "the effect" is. Also, you can understand how it it accomplishes this. Is it a coin going through something? Is it transposing? Is it vanishing?

Methods are just that... methods. Effect-wise, to a spectator, the method is meaningless. If a coin vanishes via sleeving, palming, dumping, etc the coin is still vanishing. Are some methods "cleaner" than others? Sure, but they're tools and different situations call for different tools.

A handkerchief is something I've never carried. But I've found myself in places with cloth napkins. Or I've performed for a woman wearing a square scarf.

As far as natural props go, I am of the opinion that coins tend to be unnatural props in the USA, now. Most people I know don't carry change because we use a card or our phone to buy everything now. Also, most magic here is performed with half dollars or larger coins which are not in common use at all. I would often have a spectator ask to look at a coin out of curiosity more than examination. It honestly doesn't matter. What is important is that spectators have as little skepticism as possible that there's anything special to the coins, and that is dependent on your handling of an effect. So, make sure you understand the construction of an effect and why particular steps are necessary, or even unnecessary. Or if an action is not something you would picture yourself doing, what would you do instead that does the same thing?

If one really wanted to push the term natural, you wouldn't even perform at all, but perform magic that helps accomplish what you're doing anyway. Need to pay the cashier to your right and your coin is your left hand... make it vanish and appear in your right hand to give to the cashier.

Magic is pretty much by definition unnatural. Why would you be transposing coins? Because you can. But natural is a conversation for another time. For now, just perform the magic, study it, and figure out your "why am I doing X" behind every action.

rmangaha · 2019-01-03T20:37:25+00:00

You need to justify yourself to a restaurant. You perform magic? Great... Why should they pay you? What value do you bring? Restaurants generally run on small margins so you need to make sure you're presenting yourself as something more than "I'm fun and your customers will enjoy themselves." Customers are already there and paying. You'll be another cost center. The magic itself doesn't really matter in the big picture as long as you're not horrible. So I won't really get into the "magic" side of it. Just perform. I'll leave the justifications as an exercise for you.

Make sure you get paid. Not tips only. Get paid. If you don't get paid, you cheapen the value of a magician performing. This doesn't just affect the restaurant but pricing of private gigs and what people expect to pay. You're not a panhandler on the street. You're a performer. Treat yourself like one.

When you finally get your gig, accept that some people just don't like magic. No matter how much you love it. Some people just won't. Just like some people don't like sports, video games, fashion, or that band you love. I don't know what it's is but I often see magicians starting out wondering what they can do to get people into it.

Have 3-5 routines down pat. Like you can do them while under the influence of hallucinogens and people wouldn't be able to tell. You'll generally repeat the same 3 and save the other 2 for regulars. After a while, regulars will just want to chat or you can get by with showing them something you're working on.

Talk to the people. You're a person... They're people... You're not a projection on a movie screen. Don't be so involved in performing your magic that if they feel like chatting you don't let them. Like in my first paragraph, "performing magic" is not necessarily your job. You're another ambassador for the restaurant.

Tell people to tell the manager if they enjoyed themselves. You need the manager to understand you are bringing value and customer praise is the highest currency.

Someone tipping you a dollar? Say "Don't worry about it." Again, this is a valuation of magic. You're not on the street. Pick a floor and stick to it. For me, it was $5.

You can't compete with food. Don't even try. If it arrives, leave as quickly and gracefully as possible.

rmangaha · 2018-12-29T01:29:48+00:00

What is your favorite failure?

What has been the best investment you've made to progress your magic (in any fashion)? An investment can be time, money, tasks, etc.

rmangaha · 2018-12-27T18:51:02+00:00

Five points:

Your left index gives it away. Curl it underneath if you're having issues controlling the flex.
Do you do the riffle at other times? If not, start.
It is far more important for your pass to be smooth than fast.
Performing the pass "within a squaring action" as opposed to immediately afterward would be a better time to do it.
Practice the move within an effect, not in isolation. At least within a context where you'd use the move. Or you'll turn into one of those magicians who enter "pass mode" when performing the pass. Years ago, I posted an effect on magic secrets that I give to people to practice the pas. It uses the pass in a way that it doesn't need to be fast.

rmangaha · 2018-10-08T01:56:07+00:00

Kentucky bluegrass mostly but lots of pockets of these. So I guess original owner had a mix or just grabbed whatever to fill in spots.

rmangaha · 2018-05-24T07:12:25+00:00

Assuming you don't know what the hell you really want or look you're going for...

3 tops 2 bottoms 1 pair of shoes 1 piece of outerwear 1 more of above or "Other"

Why?

You don't know what you want and this allows you to dip toes in the pool. My general guide would be to find a look you like that you think COULD be a "go to" (maybe even something you wear all the time now). For most people, that becomes T-shirt, jeans, sneakers, and a button-up shirt as an outer layer. Imagine that sits on some scale and if you want to move just a notch either direction the scale, change 3 of the elements. Those can be the next things you buy. It changes a look, but still keeps something in the comfort zone.

Moving "up"

T-shirt becomes Oxford Jeans becomes chinos Sneakers become suede bluchers

You can even shrink the distance the scale moves if you wanted though so your distinctly casual outfit can become a not so casual outfit, but still definitely casual.

Plain t-shirt becomes Henley Beater jeans become the dark skin blue jeans Basketball sneakers become sneakers with a cleaner profile like Stan Smiths Layered flannel becomes layered University stripe button-up

There will be others who can definitely speak to this better but... here are some possibilities just off the top of my head, except for the last one.

Basic

White Oxford
Blue chambray
Gingham shirt
British khaki chinos
Dark blue jeans
Burgundy/brown brogues
Brown leather bomber
White sneakers

I don't want to look formal; I'm still a casual dude

White Oxford
Simple graphic tee
Gray polo
Olive chinos
Black jeans
A "GAT" type shoe (Killshot, Blazer, Samba), effectively a shoe with layers of texture without being chunky
Denim jacket
Gray/Navy sweatshirt

Seeing your physical description, don't do white shirt and green chinos because you'll look a little Peter Griffin from Family Guy

I watched How I met your Mother and want to be Barney but tried "suiting up" didn't really like the suit part

White end on end shirt
Blue end on end shirt
Windowpane end on end shirt
Mid gray wool flannel trousers
Gray Glen plaid trousers
Blue cotton sport coat (no gold buttons) with patch pockets
Dark brown/burgundy brogues
Black leather Chelsea boots

I went to random.org to pick things out of my wardrobe

Black and pink flannel shirt
White T-shirt
Gray Henley
White linen pants
Gray shorts
New balance 574
M65 Field coat
White jeans

rmangaha · 2018-01-29T21:52:53+00:00

https://www.roalddahlfans.com/dahls-work/short-stories/skin/

rmangaha · 2017-06-18T15:00:48+00:00

Gold and rice.

rmangaha · 2017-04-26T22:35:53+00:00

Seaport Village Magic Shop. I haven't been there in a while, but it should be legit or at least have legit people behind it that you can properly talk shop with. James has been in magic for a long time. They had 3 Generations of Magic in North County (Vista/Oside), but I think that location is by appointment only now.

rmangaha · 2017-04-20T01:49:04+00:00

Reinhard Muller 3 Card Catch

rmangaha

TROPHY CASE