Friday, November 16, 2007

My good friend Harvey Weinstein

Harvey Weinstein

Pics du Jour

Took Harvey to work with me the other night. He snapped these pics with his new bad ass 10.5 mega pixel camera. It's been fun having him in town and trying to show him around a bit.

Tom Frank • Nov. 2007

Tom Frank • Nov. 2007

Tom Frank • Nov. 2007

Tom Frank • Nov. 2007

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Cups and Balls


Tom Fank's Cups & Balls, originally uploaded by Dai Vernon.

Ricky Jay on the X-Files


Ricky Jay On The X-Files - Celebrity bloopers here

Just caught this episode on TNT. Liked it.



Episode Description
Originally Aired: January 16, 2000
Scully and Mulder investigate the death of a magician. However, as the story unfolds, they learn that the magician is still alive, posing as his twin brother, working in cahoots with another magician to rob a bank.

Old Friends

Been spending some time with some old friends. Harvey Weinstein, visiting from Cincinnati and Ras who lives in Malibu. Harvey, I've known since high school, Ras (also from Cincinnati), I met when I started going to some Dead shows with them in the early 90's. Great fun and many fond memories. It's been fun to remember all the crap we pulled as high school kids. Polly, Harvey and I all attended the School For the Creative and Performing Arts in downtown Cincinnati, a school that both myself and my son Buster were both kicked out of.

Harvey and I met Polly in Hollywood at a good Peruvian Restaurant. We enjoyed a delicious meal, then;Polly headed back to work and Harv and I headed out to Malibu to see where Ras and his wife are building a home high in an largely undeveloped Malibu Canyon, North of Zuma Beach at the Ventura County line.

Watched the sun set and enjoyed the beautiful colors. We took a cigar walk on the beach and saw none other than Cheech Marin hanging out waving at some kid who was surfing. We smiled at him, he smiled back. . . walked on the beach. then, we drove up into the canyon less than 10 minutes from the ocean to Ras's property. Amazing star lit sky.

Pizza in Malibu, the back home. Life is good in Paradise.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Bird of Paradise


Bird of Paradise, originally uploaded by Jenny Romney.

Hollywood & Highland


, originally uploaded by Dai Vernon.

A New Week

A new day in paradise. Glad last week is over. Rough week at work had me doubting my ability. Cheap and unresponsive crowds had me scratching my head and looking for a cocktail after work. You see, the thing is. . . I don't even like booze. It's the taste, I don't like. . . the buzz was what I was looking for. Anyway, other than a rough week at work, things were fine. I count me blessings daily.

Last night things finally came together for me. All week end, since I couldn't attend the Magic History Conference, I choose to celebrate and study the history of my art by examining and resurrecting a staple in my act for years. . . the Cups and Balls. Last night my shows were artful, entertaining and were met with applause and the best money of the week.

I went back and forth from talking through my Cups and Balls to simply using some appropriate Chaplin music. Very interesting the difference in reaction the same routine got. It got me thinking how and why this ancient trick still plays in this wild and crazy world we live in. The final loads are revealed and mouths still drop. There's a reason the classics are just that.

Fuck, what do I have to complain about. I've been chipping golf balls out in the back yard, enjoying a Hollywood fall/winter sunshine and trying to keep up with my tan. We had a couple of Seattle Days last week. A bit chilly and overcast, but today it was in the mid seventies when Polly got me up at nine. Blue skies and sunny in the morning means only one thing to me. . . a cigar, bagel and some nude sun bathing on the new day bed on the patio. Waaaaaaa poor me.

I finally finished reading "The Man That Was Erdnase". Excellent read, a true murder mystery of the card shark Milton Franklin Andrews. Nobody knows for sure if he was the author of the Bible of Card Magic, "The Expert at the Card Table", but the strong evidence in "The Man That Was Erdnase" leads the reader to conclude just that.

The book was a fascinating look into the written history of card magic and card cheating. Combining the extensive research of Martin Gardner and Jeff Busby the book brought a smile to my face and a deck of cards to my hands.

If you don't have this out of print treat, there's another one ebay that will sell on Wednesday. I suggest you buy it. Click Here for Ebay Listing

Video du Jour • Click Here