Some Hanky Panky!

I show up tonight to the sound of "WE GOT FREE TICKETS TO THE ALABAMA THEATER"! That would be the timeshare pitchman next to my spot, it's not that I mind him barking his product - but I sure wish he would learn to do it correctly. When people look to see who is barking, they see him staring them right in the eye, instant fear they go running off. When I'm barking, I know better than to look at people ... I make myself look busy so they can see that I'm not just waiting for them, give them some time to see that I'm harmless.

There is just no substitute for experience. I know it's going to be hard to do my bally when they are barking like that ... I'm not gonna just stand around while they chase everyone away, so I bring out the heavy artillery. What I call the Amazing Disappearing Vanishing Silk Handkerchief trick.

Some history ... in my early years, I hitchhiked all the way to California and back with this trick. It's indeed my all time favorite, but I don't do it often cause it's also one of the most overexposed magic tricks in history - Life magazine once featured an expose of this trick, and Mohammed Ali told the world how it worked on TV. As I do this trick, I'll often hear "I know how that works" (I'm good at handling that situation, so it doesn't hinder the effect).

I also know it can draw a crowd in like no other, and standing 5 feet from a barker ... I know it's my best option. The end result was the best Tuesday night of the summer, perhaps I should keep doing this one even when the barker isn't there? Sometimes it's the simple stuff that works the best!

I was able to splice together a short video clip, my video editing skills are getting sleightly better. I know they are still amateurish, but I'm learning ... I suggest you save this clip and hide it from me, cause I'm going to spend my golden years hunting down and destroying any copies that might be floating around! :-D

JoeJoe