Thanks to several people who share the same interests, I have plenty to share with you in this post.

First, ThomasBerger directed me to Anton Zellman's website. Anoton is a trade show performer who makes his living by doing presentations involving memory work.

Especially intriguing for readers of this blog is the fact that you can actually see a full presentation which shows how Anton draws a crowd (QuickTime or Windows Media Player), demonstrates his perfect recall (QuickTime or Windows Media Player), teaches the audience how to remember names (QuickTime or Windows Media Player), works in the client's product (QuickTime or Windows Media Player), and concludes with a mind reading demonstration (QuickTime or Windows Media Player).

Speaking of trade shows, in Tony Andruzzi's Magazine Memory Act, he mentions that one of the most lucrative uses for this classic act is to memorize a client's catalog. You start by handing out a catalog to everyone (tell me a client wouldn't love this act already!), and asking them to choose any page. You then recall and pitch everything that is on that page! Many trade show workers have routine in which they're able to work in the client's product, but how many acts have you seen in which the routine IS the selling of the product?

Moving into the relam of pure entertainment, we have Oleg Roitman, "The Human Calculator" who does street performances involving mental math. According to his site, his act mainly features the classic feat of giving the day of the week for any date.

Any one who has an interest in math and the sciences, especially in the recreational aspects, has come across the name Martin Gardner more than just a few times. Last November, on the occasion of Martin Gardner's (it just seems wrong to write "Martin's" or "Mr. Gardner's") 90th birthday, the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) did a feature article about him.

As an aside, readers of this blog may enjoy the MAA columns, especially Cut The Knot and Card Colm columns. Thanks to the Magic Cafe's own Balducci for the MAA links.

I'll be back soon, but these links should give you food for thought until my next blog entry.