Until May...

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This is the final post until next month. The next newsletter will be sent to supporters on May 1st and new posts will start that same evening.

Before we go, some follow-up on this week’s posts…

A recent email from JR-

I really loved Ryan Plunkett’s idea for the Instant Rebate effect and I’m planning on trying it out this weekend. Then I read this comment in the Wikitest facebook group…

Is he missing something or am I? You were just talking about hiding the tip in the area where the snacks get deposited right? Or am I misreading something?—JR

He’s confused. First, you can’t use “etc. etc.” after you give one example. That’s not how that works. And you’re correct, JR, you’re not hiding it in the inner workings of the vending machine. You’re just popping it into the area where the food gets deposited. It does take, maybe two seconds at the machine without the person you’re performing for. If that’s not “practical” enough, you can also buy yourself something from the machine first and load it while you remove that item.

I performed this a couple nights ago at an ice-cream parlor/bowling alley place with a friend. I didn’t have a thumbtip on me so I just folded the bill and stashed it in the area where the food drops out. Then I brought my friend over and had the bill reappear in her bag of gross veggie chips.

I just sort of finger-palmed the bill behind the bag and dumped it out with the contents of the bag. It wasn’t as clean as reaching in with the thumbtip would be. But she had video of evidence of me reaching into the machine with empty hands, pulling out the bag that she chose, and dumping out the bill that I had never touched before. There’s still no explanation. So you don’t even need to let a lack of a thumbtip prevent you from trying this.

After yesterday’s post, I’ve already received a few emails asking if we can create the ability to save some presets into the DrawCycle function for the Jerx app. I asked Marc Kerstein about it and he had it updated and approved within hours. You should see that update in the Jerx App soon.

Regarding Closed Circle, Tomas B. writes:

What a delight to read your method to Closed Circle!

It made me think of classic endings to such scenes with a built in silence delay, which I hope means that you don't even have to touch the cup:

After speaking of all the clues you say:

”Which means that the killer iiiiiiissss..."

and you first look over the assisting spectators, then focus on the wrong one, as if you are about to accuse him/her, which is funny since it's a corpse.

"...YOU!" Quickly turn to the only survivor and hit your fist hard on the table to freeze the cycling in the app.

Does that work, or is it the compass direction that needs to change for it to stop?—TB

Unfortunately, no. I don’t think that would reliably stop the cycling of the outs. It could probably be made that sensitive, but then that would prevent using the feature in other ways.

But still, I like the idea of using the “built in silence delay” you talk about, that is inherent in stereotypical detective revelations. As the cycling comes around to the number you need, your pause can be seen as building dramatic tension. “Putting all the clues together, it’s clear the murderer is…[wait for the out you need]. You!” And in that moment you can push the mug out of your way to stop the cycling.

Also in regards to Closed Circle, Leslie T. writes:

Really like the routine.

In the spirit of keeping it self contained…

How about using Quinta to force a murder weapon that people have on their person?

Could be pretty funny if the object is miles away from what people consider a weapon.

The killer bludgeoned their victims to death with a cell phone, stabbed them in the jugular with a house key, or suffocated them with tampons. —LT

I considered something similar and I will probably add it to the outs to see how it goes. I just have to think of where it would fit in the flow of the routine.

But yeah, that’s definitely a good addition to it that would keep it completely anytime-anywhere (as long as you have your phone).

Okay, everyone, see you back here on National Black Barber Barber Shop Appreciation Day for a dope-ass high-top fade and more magic discussion.