Brandon Sheffield's blog

Aaron Fishers One Hand Popover

Aaron Fishers One Hand Popover

 

I want to tell you why I got this DVD and why I’m amazed by it.

I had only seen a couple of bad performances of it on YouTube a while back and of course there were no credits, so I didn’t know who the move belonged to. I liked the idea behind but it was something I just kind of let go. But then I got vol. 1 of the Trilogy by Dan and Dave and it had this great effect in it and I instantly wanted to learn it. But one of the best moves in the effect was Aarons One Hand Popover move, and for the life of me I couldn’t get it down.

So now I have this great move in my head that I can’t do. But the good thing is now I know who created it and where I can find it. So I start reading reviews on how great the Paper Engine is, and how many useful things I would find in it. So I ordered it and it was everything people had said and then some. I’m still learning from it and I use a ton of the material from it almost every day. Sadly though I still couldn’t get the One Hand Popover move down to where I could perform it.

Fast forward to a couple of months ago, Aaron starts talking about the DVD release on his twitter and I messaged him with a brief description and told him I couldn’t wait to get it because I really wanted to be able to learn it. He promised that any trouble I had with the move would be addressed and explained to the finest detail. Needless to say he was right.

Now let’s get on to the DVD.

I knew right when I heard the opening music that this was going to be a fun DVD, and I was not disappointed. Aaron is truly a funny guy, and made what can be a difficult move, a blast to learn!

A lot of people frown upon the idea of buying a DVD for one move. As husband with four children I usually fall into that category. But this is the thing, usually when I perform it’s for my teenage employees, and the one thing I have learned is they love flashy, hard hitting magic. Moves like Daryl’s Hot Shot cut kill them. So not only will I find a thousand uses for this move, but I already know the kind of reactions I will receive from performing it.

Also do not be fooled into thinking that this DVD has only one trick with a few applications for it. But Aaron goes into things that I have already put into practice. There is a part where he is talking about the way us as magicians like to practice and how it’s a bad habit (elbows and knees). Let me tell you this,  because of the way he talks to you like you are his student, it made me almost feel guilty because I was practicing the move in the very way he thought was a bad habit, and I set up straight in my chair and did as I was told!

So get this DVD, Aaron will have you doing this wonderful move in no time, and it’s like being sitting in on a one hour magic lecture. There are not too many things you are going to buy in the next few months that will give you this much information and knowledge.

 

Brandon

Good mood, means good videos

So I woke up this morning in a pretty good mood, so I wanted to pass that along to some else!
Some of the next few links are funny, stupid, amusing, interesting, and basically just entertaining!

I happy when Cody's dog comes back to us when she is called, why cant Molly be this smart?

I wish this show would come back on TV, what was your favorite skit?

One of the best comedians ever! If you get a chance look up Andy Kaufman on YouTube so you can see a master at work, here are a couple more!

Better than David Copperfield? I think so! But if you do like magic, this will make you laugh out loud! 

OK so they can dance! But then again, they can too!

Billy Joel, everyone likes at least one of his songs. They may not realize it, but they do! I think I'll do a post later on Billy Joel alone. I think people have forgotten how important he is to music and America in general. But that's a different post for a different day!

You might not have liked them, I might not either. But I guess they had to have some kind of talent to do this!

Even if your not a huge fan of poetry, I think you will like these two guys. And if you do like poetry then not only will you know this woman, but you will love her poetry! 

Thats all for now, but Ill be back soon!

Brandon

Slap That Ace

Some of you know, some of you don't know, that Magic is a huge part of my life. I have loved it since I was a kid. But I didn't really want to learn it until I saw David Blaine's first TV special in 1997, but it wasn't until about 2001 that I figured out where I could learn it, and I figured out how hard it was to really do.

Magic has been around since all most the beginning of time, it has its own styles, rhythms, its own genres. Its history is rich with some of the greatest entertainers the world has ever known. Magicians have been entertaining audience's world wide for generations.

Take painting for instance, where a paint brush of some kind has been used since the beginning. We have the same thing in magic, some of our tools have been the same since the Pyramids in Egypt. This effect is one of the earliest recorded. It was first shown painted on the walls of a pyramid in Egypt a thousand years ago. Its still done today in the magic community and you can even see Penn and Teller do it! Now its on to the links.

This doesn't show a ton of magic, but these guys are the best. Dan and Dave Buck can do things with a deck of card that really look like your seeing special effects in real life! They are considered pioneers for bringing a new style of magic to to the world of magic. Its very flashing and hard hitting. You can an example of it here.

I will be posting more great links , of some old school and new magicians a little later and maybe even one of myself. Thanks for reading

Brandon

Links for today, a little bit of everything

Some day I want my magic to have a message like this. I know some times he can be corny but the more I see David Copperfield’s effects on YouTube, the more I’m beginning to see the kind of magic that I want to perform.

Here is something that mixes my two favorite things, magic and music.

I was going to keep this magic related but I’m in the mood to share some links with you guys tonight.

Now I hope you click on every link because I promise you will find something that amuses you, even if it’s only a little.

I have to admit that I’m a huge Andy Kaufman fan. Not a lot of people in my generation have even heard of him. I was lucky and my parents kept a lot of the old SNL seasons recorded. We were told by my dad to watch him and we have been hooked every since, so here he is doing one of his most famous bits. I admit you have to have a different kind of humor to understand him, but if you did have it, then you got to laugh with a great comic.

Female Mike Tyson, enough said!

This only bothers me for a couple of reasons, first because I know people like this. Secondly I’m not sure if this fake or not. But I can assure you that I know people, who might even be family who act just like this, that’s all I’m saying.

I love Jason Mraz, not in a weird warm fuzzy feeling kind of way, but in a cool guy way. I’m just going to be quite, enjoy the link.

This is something for the girls that are reading this right now.

Well that’s all for now, but Ill be back with some very soon trust me.

Top 5 NBA players ever

At work we do top 5 list all of the time. About everything so I thought I would start posting some here and letting you guys decide and give your own opinions about my lists. With basketball being my favorite sport I wanted to start with the top five players of all time.

I understand there are going to be arguments on who were better Larry or Magic and things like that, so if you disagree with me, leave a comment and let me know.

This list was based on stats and rings, among a few other things. Let me explain a few things first. Wilt Chamberlin was not on this list simply because I know his stats were awesome but that’s were his greatness ended. When compared to Russell I think he was not that great of a winner. Again this is just my opinion. I will not lie and say this is list is not impartial; I will not hide that fact at all. But I tried my best to make it fair and I think this top five will be accepted among most people.

Here is my list, again feel free to discuss.

5. Larry Bird

He is considered one of the greatest Celtics ever, also known as the basketball Jesus to most of the people in Boston. Not to mention one of the top players from the 80’s. He was a 3 time MVP, 2 time NBA Finals MVP. He was voted to the all star team 12 times. Won 3 championships and won the rookie of the year award in 1980.

While he was considered a great out side shooter he could post you up down low and make you pay inside. I would probably say he was an under rated passer because he was thought of as such a great scorer.

With his rivalry against Magic Johnson he brought new fans to the game and brought the old ones back.

4. Earvin “Magic” Johnson

Larry Bird is quoted as saying that Magic was heads and shoulders above everyone else. “I’ve never seen any one better than him”

As one of the tallest point guards in history, Magic could do it all. He could kill your team in so many ways. He posted your guard up and he blew by your big men. He could pass from anywhere on the court and from any angle. Behind the back, no look, scoop pass, and eyes closed. If it could be done with a ball magic could do it.

He spent 13 seasons with the Lakers, all except for one season was he not an all star. He won an amazing 5 titles, not to mention being voted 9 times to the all NBA team.

3. Oscar Robertson

For some reason when these lists are made, Robertson is left off by so many. I think it might be do to the fact that he only won one title. But I think beyond that he was the best all around player ever.

Playing 14 years in the league where he ended his career with 26,710 points. He is the only player in league history who averaged a triple double for an entire season. What most people do not know, is that he did that in just his second season. He just missed doing it again by one-tenth of a rebound per game in another season. His career stats are absolutely amazing.

• 25.7 points
• 7.5 rebounds
• 9.5 assists
• 44% FG
• 84% FT
• 1 time MVP

2. Bill Russell

If you looked up winner in the dictionary I’m sure you would see the same picture that you are looking at right now. Not only did he win a astonishing 11 titles with the Celtic, but he was the league MVP 5 times. He averaged almost 23 rebounds a game for his career, having a one game where he pulled down 51 rebounds and 49 in two others. He had 12 consecutive seasons with a 1000 or more rebounds. He was a great shot blocker and one of the best defenders the league has seen.

Winning was every thing to Russell, not only as a player but he also got a title as a player-coach. While not the greatest scorer ever, only averaging 15 points a game for his career, some say if the Celtics would have needed him to score he could have easily doubled that average, his drive to win was that high. He would be found in the bath room throwing up before games, because of being so scared to lose. He was voted Greatest Player in the History of the NBA by the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America.

1. Michael Jordan

There is not much that I can say that hasn’t been said about Michael a thousand times by other people. The only thing I can say is that he will always be my favorite player ever. He is what made me fall in love with the sport of basketball. I remember me and my brother Dustin watching the 1997 finals and during commercial breaks we would run outside and try our best to look like Jordan, our tongues sticking out, while twisting and contorting our bodies in air as we did our layups against invisible defenders like he did. We wanted to be him; we thought we could be him.

Even today we still talk about him like he’s still playing. Our greatest sports memories came from him. Whether it was him passing the ball to John Paxson to hit the game winning shot in the finals against the Barkley lead Suns, him crying like a baby while holding on to the championship trophy that he won with out his father being there for the first time, or the “flu” game, or even the shot over Byron Russell in the 98 finals. Everyone knows the stats, so I’m just going to leave it at this. Michael made it into more than just game when he played. Every thing was so much more; it was amped up through the roof. He was the greatest of my generation. He was a mixture of all the great players before him, and he leaves shoes that will never be filled.