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Celebrating Philippe Petit — magician, wire-walker, street artist, author, and the most intrepid athlete of our time..

Celebrating Philippe Petit — magician, wire-walker, street artist, author, and the most intrepid athlete of our time..

In-depth article by Dave D’Alessandro for NJ.com

You probably have your own definition of athleticism, derived from some combination of skills that fits the traditional model. If you happen to rate athletic achievement by physical talent, strength, coordination, flexibility, dedication, body control and courage, a few guys stand out.

Those leather-lunged lunatics who climb Mount Everest without the aid of oxygen always come to mind first. If you think anyone can do that, offer them A-Rod’s money for incentive and his juice packs for energy. They still have a better chance of being eaten by a Yetti before they reach Base Camp.

But we also think of Philippe Petit, because in its purest form, courage is character, and character trumps everything – even in sport, where no victory can be as satisfying as one teetering on cataclysmic failure…

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An Honest Liar – Directed by Tyler Measom and Justin Weinstein

An Honest Liar – Directed by Tyler Measom and Justin Weinstein

By Manori Ravindran for Exclaim.ca

What’s the difference between a magician and a con artist? To hear it from James “The Amazing” Randi, not very much. He should know: the Toronto-born magician and escape artist became famous for clawing his way out of straight-jackets and surviving padlocked water chambers, feats that drew comparisons to the renowned Harry Houdini. But despite his talent, what has made Randi a household name is an unflinching belief that magic shouldn’t fall into the wrong hands. 


As such, it’s the 86-year-old Randi’s second career as an investigator and — according to The James Randi Educational Foundation — “demystifier of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims” that drives An Honest Liar, Tyler Measom and Justin Weinstein’s zany and totally engrossing documentary about magic and, by the same token, deception…

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Did trigger finger ruin my magic? Not a lot… thanks to my doctor’s bag of tricks..

Did trigger finger ruin my magic? Not a lot… thanks to my doctor’s bag of tricks..

By Angela Wintle for MailOnline

Paul Daniels is renowned for his sleight of hand, whether dealing a pack of cards or (appearing to) saw his wife and assistant, ‘the lovely Debbie McGee’, in half. 

But a year ago, while the veteran magician was performing a card move for a packed audience, he realised things weren’t going according to plan. The old dexterity was missing.

‘The ring finger of my right hand had locked into a bent position,’ he says.

‘I improvised my way out of it by pressing the finger against my body and clicking it back into shape, before continuing the trick.

‘One of the reasons my magic tricks don’t go wrong is because I never tell the audience what I’m going to do, so I can swing round and change direction. But it was a close-run thing!’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2714072/Did-trigger-finger-ruin-magic-Not-lot-thanks-doctors-bag-tricks.html#ixzz39N54WLnl