SHOUT OUT

Fact is stranger than fiction. A brain trust of Hollywood's most talented creative minds could never conceive the cultural icon that is Jim Rose, an internationally renowned performance artist, controversial author and Snake Oil salesman extraordinaire.

Rose burst into national prominence during the 1992 Lollapalooza tour, garnering raves on MTV and publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal to Rolling Stone. The venerable rock n' roll magazine called the Jim Rose Circus "the absolute must-see act". USA Today termed Rose's troupe "Lollapalooza's word of mouth hit attraction". The quick witted show became the darling of high and low brow society alike.

Prior to Lollapalooza, Jim Rose honed his spectacular and exotic skills throughout Europe and North America. His shows are revered as a mind bending thrill ride. Rose leads and misleads a rapt audience on a journey rife with black magic secrets, idiotic achievements and dangerous exploits.

It explores and sometimes exposes the intricate distinctions between man, monster and dumbass. Performances are infused with Rose's wicked wit, hilarious asides and stunning feats. He delights the audience with a charismatic tongue-in-cheek style reminiscent of the glory days of P.T. Barnum.

Since the early Nineties, Rose has headlined seven world tours and released a self titled video (on Rick Rubin's American Recordings) which quickly became a cult classic. A perennial favorite among the most influential musical artists in the world, Rose was invited in 1994 to tour with Nine Inch Nails and a then unknown Marilyn Manson. Tours with Korn and Godsmack followed.

By 1998, Rose and his Circus were astonishing the masses on another world tour and on other levels. First, Rose was featured as a guest star on The X-Files. Then his eccletic lifestyle and compelling personality became the basis for a provocative literary work. His book, Freak Like Me was released by Bantam Doubleday Dell and ending up on several best-seller lists.

As reported in the LA Times and Daily Variety, he has sold the book's movie rights to White Peach Productions and scheduled to start shooting at the end of this year. Later, Rose's legendary persona garned a new degree of infamy thanks to hit TV show The Simpsons where Homer joined Rose's circus as the Human Cannonball in a truly memorable episode.

Rose's recent accolades include being the top ticket of the Melbourne (Australia), New Zealand and Edinburgh (Scotland) Fringe and Comedy Festivals. Jim Rose can also be played. He is the popular Psymon on Play Station's new SSX Tricky and SledStorm 2, both EA products. His TV series "The Jim Rose Twisted Tour" can be seen in reruns all over the world.

Rose's cutting edge business acumen has been noticed organically: Wall Street Journal cover story, Fast Company magazine cover and featured in the new book The Deviant's Advantage. He has been hired to consult for numerous corporations including Microsoft and regularly assists public relations firms with pop culture campaigns and strategy. Rose served as a spokesperson for Gordon's Gin and his creative exploits were detailed in the book Improperganda - the Art of the Publicity Stunt. He has just wrapped as an actor for the movie 'Doubting Riley' produced by HBO's 'Project Greenlight' alumni. 

Rose is currently working with independent artists with D.I.Y. marketing and helping them to make sure they don't become victims of scams, frauds or other rip offs. He recently released a video titled "Bands Beware of Jim Rose Circus scam that actually works", filmed at a charity event.

A Few Words about the Cover Portrait of Jim Rose

In a world of digital technology, Gail Potocki was trained in the manner of the Old Masters, learning to  blend the brushwork of Rembrandt with the ideals of the 19th century Symbolists. Seeing Jim's circus performance and recognizing his passion for the lost arts is what led Gail to appreciate Jim as a fellow anachronism and inspired her to create his portrait. Much like the lemurs assisting his pose, Gail views Jim as an exotic and nearly extinct creature.
Gail, who was the First Prize winner of the 2002 International Symbolist Art show 'The Dreamer and the Dreamed' and in 2003 won the top prize of Choix des Juges at Brave Destiny, the world's largest exhibition of Surrealist Art, continues to work in Chicago, finding inspiration in building her collection of 19th century mystical Art Nouveau artifacts.

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HOTEL SCAM Targets Groggy Guests

Many people will be traveling to see family and friends in the next few weeks. Scammers know this too, and may try to trick you into divulging your credit card information by posing as hotel employees. The BBB is warning holiday travelers to beware of a telephone phishing scam designed to steal credit card numbers.
The Better Business Bureau says telephone phishing scammers, pose as hotel employees and call different rooms, trying to get sleepy customers’ credit card numbers in the middle of the night.
Read this article for more info: 
http://www.wral.com/hang-up-the-phone-hotel-scam-targets-groggy-guests/13139780/

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ROSEDINI: THE NUMBERS GAMES

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NUMBERS GAMES

Internet Gambling

Information about cards that you're not supposed to see can create an unbeatable advantage in poker.

Millions of people around the world are being fleeced on internet gaming sites due to collusion. The sites all advertise that they have software that catches the patterns and bans the cheaters. The software detects the players that never go up against each other. Over time it does work if the team is only relaying information and fending for themselves. If the cheaters create a syndicate that shares all profits, then they have no fear of going against each other and cannot be caught. The penalty for being caught is getting kicked off the site. There are hundreds of sites with new ones being added daily. They do not share cheater information like Las Vegas casinos so it's not much of a penalty at all. Internet gambling has surpassed pornography as the number one moneymaker on the worldwide web. Expect this scam to grow.

All Numbers Lead to the Same One
This "number stunt" is one of the oldest and best.
My father learned it from his father. No matter which number the volunteer chooses, the answer will always be 1089.
Secret: Here is how it works: Ask someone to write a 3-digit number and to reverse it. He has to subtract the small number from the large one. He then reverses the new number and adds the two together. The final total will always be 1089. Let's say he chose the number 851: 
851 - 158 = 693 + 396 = 1089 

If the first equation is 99, it has to be added to itself before continuing the calculation. For example, if the first number he chooses is 150: 150 - 51 = 99 + 99 = 198 + 891 = 1089

The 99 Presentation:
Tell him: "Write a 3 digit number, reverse it and subtract the small one from the large one. Now you have a 3-digit number, reverse it and add them together."
If the volunteer says that he only has a 2-digit number (the 2-digit number will always be 99), tell him: "OK, let's make it a bit harder. Whatever number you have, add it to itself. Then reverse the answer and add the two totals together." His final result will be 1089.
Knowing 1089 is always the answer can be used in many mind-reading feats.

My Favorite 1089 Force: 
Get prepared ahead of time by memorizing the tenth word that is on page number eighty-nine of a chosen book. When the person gets to the final total (he doesn't know that you already know the number is 1089), give him the book and ask him his number. Say: "Since the last two digits of your number are 89, go to page 89; and since the first two digits are 10, go to the tenth word."
Right when the volunteer is about to read the word, you say it aloud as if you were reading his mind.

Repeated Number
Tell someone to write the number twelve million three hundred forty five thousand six hundred seventy nine on a piece of paper: 12,345,679. This long number represents each digit except 8, so it won't be hard to memorize.
Ask him to circle the number that he thinks is his lucky one. Let's say 5. Mentally multiply the chosen number by 9 (5 X 9 = 45). You then ask the person to multiply your total by the long one. (In our example 45 X 12,345,679 = 555,555,555). The result will be a long series of the lucky number.
This works with each number, even 8.

100 to 999
Here is a simple "mind reading" game that you can do anywhere.

Hand a piece of paper to a volunteer and ask him to write a number between 100 and 999, without showing it to you. (Let's say he chooses 643). Proceed by asking him to reverse the number and to subtract the small one from the large one. (In our example 643 - 346 = 297). 

Then ask the person the first digit of the final number. (In our example it is 2). After a few seconds of "concentration", you will guess correctly the final number.

Secret: The final results will always be: 99, 198, 297, 396, 495, 594, 693, 792, 891.
Once you know the first digit, it is very simple to guess the full number because if you add the first and last digits you get 9, which is the middle digit.
The only exception is if the first digit given is 9, that means the number is 99.

Which Day is it?
Ask someone from the audience to give you a date. With some calculation you will be able to guess the exact day of the week the date falls on.
To start, you must learn a code that represents a number for the months, and a number for each day of the week. 
Month Value
June 0

September, December 1

April, July 2

January, October 3

May 4

August 5

February, March, November 6

Note: In Leap Years, January and February values are reduced by one. 

Day Value
Sunday 1

Monday 2

Tuesday 3

Wednesday 4

Thursday 5

Friday 6


Saturday 0

As an example, the date given to you is May 5th, 1844. Take the last two digits of the year (44) and add a quarter of it (11) which totals 55. Then add the value of the month (4 = May) which gives 59, next add the day of the month (5th) giving a new total of 64. Divide this new number by 7; the remainder will be 1. 1 represents Sunday. May 5th 1844 was a Sunday.

If the last two digits of the year given by a spectator cannot be divided exactly by four, then take the closest lowest number divisible by four.

For example, let's take the year 1838. We use 36 as the closest lowest number that we can divide by 4. Then add a quarter of 36 (9) to 38 giving 47 to which the value of the month is added.

This example (May 5th 1844) applies for the nineteenth century 1801 to 1900.  When the given date happens to be in the twentieth century 1901 to 2000 subtract 2 from the last remainder; when the date is in the eighteenth century (1701 to 1800), add 2 to the last remainder.

Let's Recap:

Add the last 2 digits of the year to its quarter.

Add the code value of the month.

Add the date of the month.

Divide the total by 7.

The remaining number represents the day of the week.

Subtract 2 from the last remainder if the date is in the 20th century. Or add 2 if the date is in the 18th century.

Other Examples:

June 18, 1921: Add 21 to 5 (quarter), plus 0 (month), plus 18 (date) equals 44. Divide by 7; the remainder is 2. Subtract 2 for twentieth century = 0. 0 represents Saturday.

October 4, 1718: Add 18 to 4 (quarter), plus 3 (month), plus 4 (date) equals 29. Divide by 7, the remainder is 1; add 2 for eighteenth century. The number is 3 which represents Tuesday.

You can impress people by guessing the day of their wedding, birth, and so on.

Date Prediction

The medium holds two pocket size calendars. He hands one along with a pencil to an audience member, and keeps the other. The performer tells the volunteer to choose a month and to circle one date of the chosen month without showing it to him while the performer does the same.

The volunteer is then asked to say the date and month he chose. The medium shows him his calendar which has the same date circled.

Secret: The effect is done with a thumb tip writer. When the person is asked to circle his date, the performer pretends to do the same with a pencil. Once he hears the date, he circles it with the thumb tip.

The same principle can be applied with many other feats of mentalism. The thumb tip writer provides an endless list of predictions and lots of fun.

Easy Mental Arithmetic

Ask an audience member for a three-digit number that you write twice on a black board. Let's say 391.

  391          391

Then ask him for another three-digit number that you write under the first one that serves as a multiplier. Let's say 748.

  391          391

x748    

And last you write a three-digit number under the second one that will also serve as a multiplier. Let's say 251.

  391         391

x748       x251

Now you tell him that you can mentally do the two multiplications, add the two results together and come up with the total faster than he can with a calculator.

Secret: When he gives you the second three-digit number, (in our example 748), subtract each digit from 9 and write this new number as the second multiplier (in our example it would be 251):

  391      391

x748     x251

While the volunteer is busy multiplying and adding, you subtract 1 from the first three-digit number, and write down the result. (In our example it will be 391 - 1 = 390).

Then subtract each digit of the last result from 9. (In our example subtract the digit of 390 from 9 which gives 609).

You now write this last result (609) to the right of the last number (390) and you get the final total. In our example the final total is 390,609.

This can be done with any three-digit numbers if this formula is applied.

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ONLINE ROMANCE SCAM: Victim Loses $88,000

Victoria resident who sent $88,000 to an overseas love interest is the latest victim of an online romance scam, financial crimes detectives say. 

The incident was reported to police after the person who sent the money lost contact with the scammer and became suspicious, says Victoria Constable Mike Russell. He said Tuesday the victim is in his or her 60s, though he wouldn’t reveal the person’s gender.

More on this story from The Globe & Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/online-romance-turns-sour-as-victoria-victim-loses-88000-in-scam/article15515522/

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GAMBLING SCAMS AND CARD SHARPS

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Face Up Poker

The hustler goes first and takes four tens plus a non-important card. The dupe is always surprised that he didn't take a royal flush. But after the tens are gone, he realizes that the best hands left are four-of-a-kind higher than a ten or a straight flush, which are both better than the hustlerís hand.

The four tens preclude the dupe from building a straight or a straight flush higher than a nine. The hustler then discards three of the tens and the odd card. The one ten will be used to build the highest straight flush left. The mark is totally caught off guard with that winning strategy.

The key for a hustler to get someone to take him up on this bet is the act. After watching a legitimate poker game and seeing someone lose, he acts drunk and says: "You're the worst player I've ever seen, you couldn't win even with the cards turned up, blah, blah, blah." He is careful to emphasize: "I will even give you all ties and let you go second so that you can see what I have ahead of time blah, blah."

Going first insures the hustler a victory.

Marked Deck

An old con artist's trick is to mark cards so they can be identified by touch. Bumping is when you can feel bumps on the surface of the cards. Make a tiny dent with a pin. Roughing is when you rough up the edge of the cards with sandpaper. 

By feeling the cards, both systems allow the dealer to always know what you have.

Monte Myth #1

The Three-Card Monte is an old street con game.

It works like this: the dealer holds a red queen and two black kings that he throws face down on a table or cardboard box. The rule is to guess which one is the queen. The victim puts his money down on the card he thinks is the winner, then the dealer turns it over to show which one it is. It appears to be a simple game to beat.

There is a general perception that street hustlers working the Three-Card Monte games always let you win the first time you play to get you hooked.

This myth grew from seeing money changing hands with other betters. The other betters are in fact part of the scam. It is their job to make you feel comfortable enough to take out your money and try to beat the dealer.

When you first walk up to the game, you see a guy who is winning most of the time with great enthusiasm. He makes the game feel like itís a lot of fun and an easy way to make money. When he wins, you see how he did it.

When he loses, you see where he went wrong. The dealer has a bag full of money stuffed in his pocket that he uses to keep his winnings and pay his losses. Since only one person bets at a time, the ìother betterî offers to let you play. If you accept, the dealer will hustle you out of twenty dollars on the first bet.

After a quick loss like this, you might take a step back to reassess your strategy. This allows our friend, the "other better", to start betting again. He loses three times in a row and out of anger throws the losing card. When the dealer turns his back to retrieve the card, the "other better" bends the corner of the winning card. When the dealer returns, the game starts again. This time the other player picks the bent card and wins every time.

After sustaining several losses, the dealer says: "That's enough, let someone else play", and he looks at you: "One last bet. Five hundred dollars limit.  How much do you want to bet?" When you open your wallet, the "other better" excitedly snatches all your money and throws it on the bent card. The dealer turns the card over and you lose. He grabs the winnings, and puts it in his money bag that he stuffs back in his pocket. 

The dealer had secretly taken the bend out of the winning card.

When you start to argue to get your stolen money back, his partner, the "other better" screams "Police!" and takes off running. The dealer runs in the opposite direction. If you chase him he will throw his money bag. Once you get it, you'll find that it's a duplicate bag stuffed with newspaper and a rock. The rock adds enough weight to throw the bag far enough for the hustler to get away while you're chasing the bag.

Monte Myth #2

Three-Card Monte is one of the easiest sleights to learn. You only have to lift your middle finger first when throwing the cards onto the table. The simplicity of this trick means many people know how to do it. They know exactly where the winning card is, but they never win. If they pick the right card, the dealer says: "Double or nothing" That is the cue for his partner to slap the money on the table first.

Since only one person is allowed to bet at a time, this negates the deal.

The Talking King

Ask a volunteer to place four cards face-down under four objects. Tell him you will use the help of the king of diamonds to guess each card. Slide the king face up under one card at a time and bring it to your ear where the king "whispers" the name of the card in question.

Secret: This trick is very simple to learn. First ask the volunteer to shuffle the deck. Once done, go through it to take the king of diamonds out. While doing that glance at the last four cards at the bottom of the deck and memorize them. Ask the volunteer to cut the deck, and to pick a half.

Whatever he chooses, make sure he ends up with the half that has the chosen cards. Then ask him to count the cards; this move will bring the four cards on top. Whatever the number of cards he comes up with, just say: "Yeah, that's about right." Ask him to put each of the four cards that are on top of the deck under four objects.

Now the rest is easy. Since you remember the cards, the king doesn't have to say anything.

If The Shoe Fits, Steal It

Show your audience the front and back of a playing card, let's say the ten of  hearts. Place it on the floor face-up. Put your foot on top of it, fully covering it. Lift your foot again. Everyone is astonished to see the ace of diamonds instead.

Secret: Two cards are needed. The ace of diamonds is carefully and tightly held behind the ten of hearts as though both cards were one. Prior to the stunt, stick a piece of gum or beeswax on the sole of your shoe. Cover the card so it cannot be seen. When lifting the foot up, the ten of hearts will stick to the sole leaving the ace of diamonds on the floor.

Craps Prop

Craps players pride themselves on their knowledge of the laws of probability, but they are not always prepared for a hustler's angle.

First, before getting into this, if you don't understand craps, then you should learn.

Second, never take a proposition bet.

Game # 1:

Any dice player knows betting on "hard ways combinations" is a sucker's bet. So if a hustler approaches them with a proposal that if they will be the bank, he will only bet the "H.W. Combos." He says he will put two dollars on all H. W.'s, and every time they come up he gets casino odds. When hard four or ten (2-2 or 5-5) come up, he is to be paid off at 7 to 1 odds, which will give him $14.00 for his two dollar bet. When a hard six or eight come up, he is to get 9 to 1, which is eighteen dollars.

Any time a seven, soft four, soft six, soft eight or soft ten is rolled, he will lose his two dollars and have to ante up again.

The key is that the hustler only loses two dollars.

In a casino he'd have to bet eight dollars to cover all of the hard ways. The dupe always seems to overlook that important part and only hears the 7 to 1 and 9 to 1, which is the legitimate casino payoff. Even at two dollars the hustler can win a lot of money fast.

Game # 2:

This one is called "the bar six-eight game". The hustler tells the dupe that the six and eight will be void on the come out roll. Anytime the six and eight are rolled on the come out, it will be ignored and the dice will be rolled again.

If the six and eight are barred, the dupe will want to bet against the dice, fading the shooter.

He will do this because he knows the six and eight are the easiest points for the shooter to make. But he forgets that in casino craps, the odds only favor the shooter on the come out, after that, they shift to the "don't" bet.

But since the six and eight have been taken out it allows the hustler to roll over and increase the odds for instant wins from seven and eleven.

The experienced player will let the hustler throw all night thinking he has the best bet and that he's just going through a period of bad luck that will turn at any minute.

The Sure Bet

Forcing is a way to make a volunteer pick a particular object card while he thinks he had chosen freely.

Every trickster should have several forces at their disposal. Most require practice, but here is a simple one to get you started: The performer takes out a deck of normal cards and secretly peeks at the bottom one. He sets the cards on the table and says to a volunteer: "There are fifty-two cards in a deck. I want you to cut them to where you think there are thirteen left on the bottom."

Then the performer picks up the bottom cut and counts them one at a time, placing each card face down on top of the cut that was left on the table, until finished. It doesn't matter how many cards are counted because the bottom card is now on top. The performer tells him to look at the top card but not to let him see it, and to shuffle it anywhere into the deck. All the performer has to do is reach into the pile and pull out the designated card.

Now you are ready for the greatest card scam ever devised. It's better than Three-Card Monte. Let's say the seven of clubs is on the bottom, it is brought to the top, looked at and reshuffled into the deck by the volunteer, and the force is complete.

Take the cards into your hands and start turning them over one at a time, placing each card on top of the previous one face up on the table. When you get to the object card, in this case, the seven of clubs, don't stop! Continue with four or five more cards on top.

The volunteer will think you have made a mistake; that's when you look at the cards that are still in your hand and say: "I bet you twenty dollars that the next one I turn over is yours." They always bite because they have already seen their card on the table. After the twenty dollar agreement, reach into the stack of card on the table, find the seven of clubs and flip it over.

I have won thousands of dollars over the years doing this trick. I make the silly point of not betting, we have a laugh and I give them their money back.

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Grandparents Fall Victim To Scam

If there was any doubt that the diabolical “grandparents scam” is alive and well, a story posted Monday afternoon on the Fort Collins Coloradoan website drove that point home — in heartbreaking detail.

Read the full article here: http://www.abqjournal.com/299217/biz/grandparents-fall-victim-to-16000-scam.html

And check out "Grandkid in distress" story: http://www.abqjournal.com/257568/biz/money/grandkid-in-distress-may-be-cruelest-hoax-of-all.html

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Jim Rose Circus Tricks: PAPER BOIL, GLASS AND SCIENCE,...

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DO NOT TRY ANYTHING YOU READ HERE

 DISCLAIMER

The contents of this section are dangerous. Misuse of the material can cheapen an art form or at the very least make you look stupid. More importantly, misuse of this information may result in jail time or death. Do not attempt any of these tricks without the direct supervision of a responsible professional.

The Paper Boil

Make a cup from a tightly folded piece of paper and fill it half way with water. Bring a lit candle underneath it. The water will start boiling but the cup won't catch fire.

Glass and Science

Position a glass bottle in front of a lit candle. If you blow against the bottle, the candle flame goes out, even though you blow against a "wall".

Secret: The air currents from your breath are divided, but they join on the opposite side of the bottle to extinguish the flame.

Bend a Nail with Your Hands

To start, choose a light penny nail. After a few successful sessions, youíll be able to use stronger and bigger caliber nails. Place the nail on a piece of cloth, like a bandana or handkerchief, and wrap each end of it. The more wrapping you do, the safer it will be for your hands and the better grip you'll get on it.

This done, place the wrapped nail on your leg above a bent knee. By pushing each end down, bend it in the middle. Nails are easier to bend than most people think.

A Quarter is Too Heavy to Lift

You need a hard cover book, a regular wineglass, a bandana, and a quarter.

Place the book flat in the palm of one hand and hold it with the thumb. Put the wine glass on top of the book and spread the bandana on top to cover everything. Ask someone if he can lift the glass, which of course he can.

Now put a quarter inside the glass and spread the bandana to cover everything again. Under cover of the bandana, secretly move your index finger to hold the foot of the glass firmly with the thumb.

When the person is asked to lift it again, he will have difficulty doing it, as though weight has been added to the glass.

Before showing the glass and book again, replace your index finger to its original position.

Spoon Boom

This is a bar bet I actually saw take place one time in Australia.

Sitting in a booth next to me were a tourist and an Aussie hustler. The hustler broke the ice with a story about how his father was driving down the road and hit a kangaroo. His father propped it up and put his jacket on the roo so he could get a picture taken with it. Right when he was preparing to pose, the kangaroo's eyes popped open and he hopped away into the bush wearing the jacket. He had only been stunned.

After a few beers, the hustler stuck the handle of a spoon between his teeth and tried rapping the spoonís end on the table. He took it out of his mouth and said: "It sure is difficult to hit something hard with the spoon between the teeth".

When it was time to order another beer, the hustler proposed that whoever can hit the other the hardest on the head with the spoon wins a beer. He told the tourist to put the spoon in his mouth. The hustler lowered his head and said: "OK, hit me as hard as you can". The tourist tried but it hurt his teeth. When it was the hustler's turn, and the tourist lowered his head, a friend of the hustler's came up from behind with a spoon in his hand and smacked the tourist sharply on the head. Since his head was down, he didn't know he was hit from behind, so he paid for the beer. 

It's amazing what people will do to get a free beer!

Dad's Favorite

There is no trick that I have seen more times than my dad's favorite prediction.

This trick is so simple that I'm worried that you might slap me after reading it. So before you raise a hand to take a swat at my face, try it. Like my daddy used to say, "This will baffle'em."

When guests visited, my father would point to an envelope with an ashtray on top of it and say: "Before you came over tonight I wrote a prediction on that envelope." He'd pick up salt and pepper shakers and say: "These two shakers look exactly alike, except for the initials on top. I want you to choose the "S" or the "P". After the selection, dad would go to the envelope and prove that he had predicted the right choice. At first, his friends would protest that he had a 50/50 chance. So my father told them that any time they came over he would have the envelope waiting. So from then on, every time they came over he would do it with different items like two cards "Pick the King Or the Jack," or "Pick either mustard or ketchup." It didn't matter, my father was always right.

Sorry dad, but I'm going to give the family secret away.

Secret: He would select two items ahead of time. Let's say quarters with different dates. He'd write one date on the envelope, and the other date on a piece of paper that he put inside the envelope. He'd set the envelope on the table with the date side facing down, and place the ashtray on top of it. It didn't matter which one they picked. If it was the date on the envelope, he would take the ashtray off and turn it over. If they picked the date on the paper, he would just reach in and pull it out.

With both bets covered, Pop's scam was better than 50/50!

Unusual Lighter

The next time someone asks you for a light, reach into your pocket and produce a flaming match from a matchbook.

Secret: To do this feat, have a prepared matchbook in your pocket. Bend a match forward from the top  folder, then close it behind the bent match. When reaching for the matchbook, hold the back with your fingers, and press firmly the head of the bent match with your thumb on the striking surface until the match is lit.

Be careful, there have been many accidents to sensitive parts of the body due to the matches igniting in the pocket.

Smoke Produced From Sleeve

Anybody can blow smoke down a sleeve and make it come out of the other one.

Secret: Get a soft rubber tubing long enough to reach comfortably to each wrist under your long sleeve shirt. Make sure you can move your arms naturally. Tape each end of the tubing on your wrists, facing the palms of your hands. Now lift your right hand and blow the smoke through the tube. It will look like the smoke comes out of the other sleeve.

The Jerk

Put a plastic cup full of water on top of a napkin on a table. With a sharp jerk, the napkin can be pulled from under the cup without knocking it down.

Artificial Blizzard

Create an artificial blizzard with a wine glass and paper napkins.

Secret: Tear a paper napkin into small pieces. Take a good quality wine glass and rub it awhile with a silk scarf. Make sure all parts are rubbed. Now place the glass upside down and let the pieces of tissue paper drop down on the glass. They will stick to the glass. Once the electricity effect wears off, the scraps will jump off the glass.

One Through Ten

Here is a guessing trick that you will get right every time.

Tell someone that you can read his mind. Ask him to think of a number between one and ten and not to tell you what it is. Wait a few seconds and say: "OK, did you think of one?" They always say yes and you always win.

Face-Up Poker

A hustler asks a mark if he'd bet a game of face-up draw poker.

He spreads a fifty-two card deck face up on the table and says: "I will reach in and pick out any five cards I want and then you reach in and pick out any five cards you want". The hustler says the dupe wins in the event of a tie, and that he'll let the dupe take his cards last. They agree the suits are all of the same value. Since the opponent gets to go last on both deal and draw it will seem like a sure bet for him to at least get a tie.

The best hand in poker is a royal flush, and to get a tie, all the dupe has to do is take a royal flush in another suit.

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PUNK GLOBE: “GET OUT OF JAIL FREE" CARDS

From PUNK GLOBE's Jim Rose Circus Scam, Fraud And Con Artists Beware monthly article.

WARNING!!!

The contents of this article could be dangerous. Misuse of the material can cheapen an art form or at the very least make you look stupid. More importantly, misuse of this information may result in jail time or death. Do not attempt any of these tricks without the direct supervision of a responsible professional. 

Twenty-First Century Phobias

We have all had super glue stick our thumb and index finger together for a fraction of a second until we pull them apart. Super glue was invented to seal wounds quickly in Vietnam; it’s more skin friendly than you might think. You can wait longer than a fraction of a second and still pull your finger apart. 

If you have cavities and I chew tin foil, it will creep you out.

Let’s say you’re sitting at a park bench and a maintenance worker unexpectedly starts a power tool behind you, it will make you jump.

Getting Even
Some people turn the other cheek to get most of the blanket. These people only believe in karma  if someone cheats them. A person I once knew, who believed in karma, use to go around punching people in the mouth asking them “what they did to deserve that.” There is probably nothing more bitter than an opportunist who miscalculates. Disappointed opportunists are notorious for “get even” schemes.

House Down
When the victim is away on vacation, the hustler rents a truck and puts a little mud on the license plate. Wearing sunglasses and a fake mustache he pulls up to the day labor meeting with a job offer. He tells every able bodied man with a hammer to get in the back of his truck, and that he will pay each of them twenty dollars an hour for four hours work. He takes them to the victim’s house and says: “I’m going to build a new home on this land. I need each one of you to start helping me knock this house down. I will be back in four hours to pick you up and pay you. So start hammering away and I’ll see you soon.” Of course he never returns.

Box of Rocks
The less mean spirited revenge seekers might send a box of rocks C.O.D.

Merry Christmas
Some of them wait until two days after Christmas and place an ad in the newspaper that says: “Will buy your used Christmas tree for five dollars.” They put their victim’s address in the ad. This happened to a friend of mine once. Hundreds of people brought their Christmas trees. The Boy Scouts had truckloads. He spent two weeks arguing and apologizing to people who ended up throwing their trees in his yard and driving off in anger.

Winning a Fight
Often clever people and those who use the information in the book Snake Oil for the wrong purposes, can’t get a fake ID, or get out of town fast enough, so they have to fight. When these situations occur the hustler goes straight into the weasel: letting the shoulders hang down; acting wimpy hoping to avoid the confrontation; cocking the head and stuttering pathetically. This makes the aggressor overconfident. If there’s no way of getting out of the fight, the hustler springs the hardest punch he can muster to his opponent’s nose and takes off running for his life.

Easy Jail Time 
Most wise guys end up in jail. The clever ones know how to type because typing is the easiest of trustee jobs.

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Unusual Fireworks - A Spoonful of Fire WARNING

From Sideshow World - Jim Rose Scam Fraud And Con Artists Beware

DO NOT TRY ANYTHING YOU READ HERE

DISCLAIMER

The contents of this section are dangerous. Misuse of the material can cheapen an art form or at the very least make you look stupid. More importantly, misuse of this information may result in jail time or death. Do not attempt any of these tricks without the direct supervision of a responsible professional.

Unusual Fireworks: Light a candle and spray the juice of an orange peel towards the flame; it will produce unusual fireworks.

A Spoonful of Fire: Pour a little bit of gasoline in the bottom of a bowl and light a match to it. Dip a spoon into the bowl until it catches fire. Then bring the flaming spoon to your mouth and swallow. People will believe that you swallowed burning gasoline.

Secret: You actually swallow nothing. Make sure your lips are wet. While closing your mouth around the spoon, you gently blow the flame out. You then pretend to swallow. Remember to never breathe in when doing a fire stunt.

Fire Bar Bet: Place a piece of paper on top of a glass, and a dime on top of the paper. Challenge your friends to make the dime fall inside the glass without touching the paper.

Secret:To do this, light a match, and hold it close to the piece of paper without touching it. The heat will ignite the paper. Once it is burned, the dime will fall into the glass.

The Straw that Could Break the Camel's Back: Challenge a friend to lift a beer bottle with a straw without touching the bottle.

Secret: To do it, bend approximately one-third of the straw. Put the bent part of it inside the bottle. Wait until it unfolds, then lift the bottle slowly by holding the end of the straw that is sticking out.

Locked Knee: Ask someone to place his left side against a wall. The left foot, leg, and arm have to touch it. Now ask him to lift his right knee and to keep it up for a short while. He can't do it and heíll think his knee is locked.

Secret: Standing in this position against a wall stops you from shifting your weight; your left shoulder cannot turn away from the wall, therefore your right knee has lost its power.

Second Time Around: Have a lit candle on a table. Blow the flame out, then bring a lit match one inch above the candle wick; it will light again without being touched.

Secret: When the candle's flame goes out, the rising smoke catches the flame of the match.

Ping Pong Schnoz: Throw a ping pong ball in the air, catch it with your nose and keep it balanced while walking around the room. Impressed with yourself?

Secret: This one is an eye popper and it's soooo easy to do. Put a little dab of rubber cement on the tip of your nose so that when the ball hits, it sticks. Rubber cement is clear and won't be noticed unless you draw attention to it. Rubber cement is used on the skin in many illusions and special effects. I'm sure it's not good for you, but the only complaint I've heard is from those who have to take it off nightly because the constant peeling irritates the skin.

Paper Bridge: Place two glasses of equal height about five inches apart, and put a $1 bill on top of the two glasses. Now ask someone to position a third glass in the middle on top of the $1 bill without the glass dropping.

Secret: To make sure the $1 bill supports the third glass, crease it lengthwise like an accordion. It will then bear the weight of the glass.

Smoky Drink: Blow smoke from your mouth into a glass. Then pour the smoke into another glass. For the finale, you drink the smoke.

Secret: Since smoke is heavier than air, it will pour. This procedure needs to be done very slowly and gently. When pouring the smoke from one glass into the other make sure that the edges are touching. When 'drinking' the smoke, blow air softly into the glass making the smoke disappear. To prove that you drank it, you can keep some smoke inside themouth and blow it out later once the glass is empty.

Cheers!

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