Terrific new Pablo Torre podcast about the techniques used by a popular "mentalist"

He was the person scheduled to perform at this year's White House Correspondents' dinner instead of a comic--and apparently makes frequent appearances on major podcasts and tv shows. 

Pablos's latest podcast goes into detail revealing how some of his popular tricks work, and asks whether the techniques stray from the common definition of magic tricks to outright fraud. (Torre's guest previously posted a much longer expose that's supposedly good.) 

(The Columbo episodes about a mentalist and magician are good fun, and were great inoculation against falling for such nonsense.) 

There are a lot of fun cards in the new horror-themed Magic The Gathering set

You can see all the Duskmourn cards here, and Amazon has preorders at various price points.

Cursed Windbreaker, art by @ninovecia! #MTGDuskmourn pic.twitter.com/DNZMntdZnF

— Flubs, the Lore-Frog (@BaseJeleren) September 8, 2024

Creeping Peeper

AD : Ovidio Cartagena pic.twitter.com/U5nR72vthE

— Istrandar (@istrandar) September 7, 2024

Reluctant Role Model
MtG: Duskmourn
AD: Ovidio Cartagena
© Wizards of the Coast#MTGDuskmourn #MTG #mtgart pic.twitter.com/q5A4tg4n0x

— Chris Rallis (@ChrisRallis_Art) September 10, 2024

Really good shark man

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A post shared by Wayne Reynolds (@waynereynoldsart)

Wayne Reynolds may have drawn the most perfect shark head shape ever here pic.twitter.com/8Uz00wkoGq

— Boris 🦖 (@Vosk___) March 27, 2024

Some of Ricky Jay's collection just went up for auction; PBS has a conversation between Ricky Jay and Art Spiegelman about Jay's collection from 2015

The conversation is here. Spiegelman tells a funny, self-denigrating story at the end about when he first started showing pages of Maus. The auction is here, including a downloadable pdf of the guide. And here's a thread by his former assistant, highlighting some items.

And since I wanted a big jpeg for myself:

Neon Dynasty art; Cyberpunk screenshots; Lego robots

Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful. 🐶💛 pic.twitter.com/Zh9FCWTr45

— Caraid (@CaraidArt) February 3, 2022

Kate Mulgrew shares the design for Mirror Universe Janeway; Noir Toad; Good rule for a MTG library

Terran Marshal Janeway exercising the right to bare arms 💪🏻💪🏻 #JanewayOrTheHighway #StarTrekOnline #StarTrek pic.twitter.com/v4mO15xzhA

— Kate Mulgrew (@TheKateMulgrew) January 25, 2022

A puzzle that tricks you into writing the name of god

The story behind the warning that Orthodox Jews should not work on this puzzle is fascinating, and I am very glad I heard it today.https://t.co/gkOXB9YRkM pic.twitter.com/9fzP0Kiplk

— john stuart thrill 🕶 (@js_thrill) August 8, 2020

I believe (I haven’t worked the puzzle myself) that the puzzle involves manipulating letters of other alphabets as symbols, including the Hebrew alphabet, and at some point in doing the manipulations you would produce the Tetragrammaton (one of the Jewish names for god)

— john stuart thrill 🕶 (@js_thrill) August 8, 2020

It was unclear to the makers of the puzzle how big of a deal that would be for people solving the puzzle, but here’s wikipedia giving a summary:https://t.co/bls8YzxDKn pic.twitter.com/ybqgauMihh

— john stuart thrill 🕶 (@js_thrill) August 8, 2020

So if someone were working on the solving the puzzle on scrap paper, and stumbled onto the right track for the solution, unaware of what was going to happen, they might wind up with a piece of scrap paper that they then had to protect/treat as especially sanctified in perpetuity

— john stuart thrill 🕶 (@js_thrill) August 8, 2020

"Civil War-era witch bottle found by archaeologists digging along I-64 in Virginia"

From February:

To history experts, the scenario goes something like this: A Union officer stationed on enemy Southern soil drops a handful of iron nails into a bottle, adds some personal effects — clippings of his hair or fingernails, maybe some urine — corks it up and buries it near his hearth.

He likely offers up a fervent prayer that he’ll survive the Civil War and return home to Pennsylvania. And the bottle of nails was his good luck charm.

A century and a half later, in 2016, archaeologists excavating the remains of a Civil War outpost on a broad highway median in York County before widening work unearthed that bottle. The lip was broken off, the nest of nails badly rusted.

The artifact was cleaned up and cataloged as a sort of makeshift storage container. Then, six months ago, experts in ceramics and folk ritual recognized it for what it is: a witch bottle — part of a tradition of folk magic that stretches back to the Middle Ages.

...

At first, archaeologists at WMCAR thought there were perhaps only 12 known witch bottles in this country, compared to a couple hundred in Great Britain. But

The Wikipedia entry on witch bottles:

Witch bottles began as countermagical devices used as protection against other witchcraft and evocation.

The Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles is producing a magic show over Zoom and includes a mystery package shipped to the viewer's home

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A post shared by Geffen Playhouse (@geffenplayhouse) on May 14, 2020 at 12:08pm PDT

The Present:

is inspired by Helder Guimarães’ own life experience with quarantine during childhood. Using his signature mind-bending illusions, Guimarães recalls the funny, moving, and ultimately illuminating lessons he learned when he least expected them, and shares this story with us at a time when we need it most.

This new production will take place virtually via Zoom with a maximum of 25 households per show. You will be mailed a sealed mystery package in advance, the contents of which will only be revealed during the course of each performance, as Guimarães’ story unfolds. In a unique twist, The Present will provide both a virtual and physical experience, as magic will also take place in your own hands, from the comfort of your own home.

HOW IT WORKS
1) Purchase a ticket online through this website at least 7 days in advance.
2) A mystery package will be sent to you inside a USPS Priority Mail box.
3) DO NOT OPEN this package until instructed during the show.
4) Follow the instructions and log-in to the Zoom virtual theater at the date and time of your performance.
5) Enjoy the show.

*Previously: Vampire Pizza promises to deliver an immersive story with your pizza

The making of a Magic The Gathering card inspired by cave art

AD Andrew Vallas sent the assignment, calling for the depiction of a myth - Nethroi making someone disappear, perhaps by eating them. Mood: "Like a ghost story around the campfire". The style guide had this gorgeous rendition of Nethroi, by Slawomir Maniak, to work from. pic.twitter.com/x6mM4pbNnl

— Seb McKinnon (@SebMcKinnon) April 3, 2020

So of course, the famous Lascaux cave paintings became an inspiration and a starting point. I thought this style was quite fitting for this "beast plane". pic.twitter.com/4thXrWDGOD

— Seb McKinnon (@SebMcKinnon) April 3, 2020

Once I got the OK from Andrew, I got a large piece of birchwood panel, and started the piece in charcoal. pic.twitter.com/1BFpGUxg71

— Seb McKinnon (@SebMcKinnon) April 3, 2020

And here's the final painting. These were a real joy to work on, and it felt so good to switch from digital to traditional for a change, getting paint on my hands, real texture under my fingers. I missed it. These Mythos works are my first non-digital paintings for MtG. pic.twitter.com/hzez0KLIpt

— Seb McKinnon (@SebMcKinnon) April 3, 2020

I leave you with the special extended card version of Mythos of Nethroi. Thank you @GavinVerhey and @blakepr for getting this preview to me, thank you Andrew Vallas for this wonderful commission, and thank you all for tuning in, and supporting my work! Much love! 🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/CSFRRFa0NC

— Seb McKinnon (@SebMcKinnon) April 3, 2020

*Available for preorder at Amazon and ebay.

Ten more funny tweets

this is a real ad that a real restaurant in mexico made pic.twitter.com/WFCpy4WVcr

— journie (@goingonajournie) August 13, 2019

The 4th preseason game always produces a few gems like this pic.twitter.com/q0yNmzZev3

— Paid man gets bored (@cjzero) August 30, 2019

haunted by this question pic.twitter.com/GqFw3KovPr

— Andrea Long Chu (@theorygurl) August 28, 2019

Here is a fun but perplexing story of some local graffiti. A while ago, I noticed that someone had spray-painted the words "You know Wolverine dies in the end" onto a series of concrete dividers that separate the pedestrians from the cars on a local bridge

— thingswithwings (@twwings) August 29, 2019

did

did Wayfair just try to serve me an ad for a GIANT CAGE pic.twitter.com/lexqzu74Hs

— stugotts wizarding bank (@nataliamanzocco) August 29, 2019

выыы всееее ебануууууулиииись pic.twitter.com/uEvnad2UKq

— motúznaya (@La72La) August 23, 2019

Hey gang! Your friendly neighborhood government here -- j/w if anybody's got a large subterranean space we could use for a while? Yeah, like, tomorrow. No specific reason! But hurry. pic.twitter.com/A9HxSuKzu0

— Alan Pyke (@PykeA) August 29, 2019

I don’t wear athleisure, I wear combatleisure.

My lipgloss comes in combat shimmer.

My dog is a combat retriever.

Am I doing this right 🥺

— Natalia Antonova 🐈🔔 (@NataliaAntonova) August 27, 2019

AHH LAWD HE EATIN pic.twitter.com/kBg6JiLj1r

— chonky animals (@chonkyanimaI) August 18, 2019

Yes what you're seeing is an actual photo of a former US diplomat who stopped me in Georgetown when he saw my Yale t-shirt (he graduated from Yale in 1957) That's his massive Irish wolfhound "Big Beast" pic.twitter.com/y31l66QlNB

— سلطان سعود القاسمي (@SultanAlQassemi) August 29, 2019

*More funny posts.

"Victoria Helen McCrae Duncan (25 November 1897 – 6 December 1956) was a Scottish medium best known as the last person to be imprisoned under the British Witchcraft Act of 1735"

Wikipedia:

During World War II, in November 1941, Duncan held a séance in Portsmouth at which she claimed the spirit materialization of a sailor told her HMS Barham had been sunk. Because the sinking of HMS Barham was revealed, in strict confidence, only to the relatives of casualties, and not announced to the public until late January 1942, the Navy started to take an interest in her activities. Two lieutenants were among her audience at a séance on 14 January 1944. One of these was a Lieutenant Worth who was not impressed as a white cloth figure had appeared behind the curtains claiming to be his aunt but he had no deceased aunt. In the same sitting another figure appeared claiming to be his sister but Worth replied his sister was alive and well. Worth was disgusted by the séance and reported it to the police. This was followed up on 19 January, when undercover policemen arrested her at another séance as a white-shrouded manifestation appeared. This proved to be Duncan herself, in a white cloth which she attempted to conceal when discovered, and she was arrested.

...

She was initially arrested under section 4 of the Vagrancy Act 1824, a minor offence tried by magistrates. The authorities regarded the case as more serious, and eventually discovered section 4 of the Witchcraft Act 1735, covering fraudulent "spiritual" activity, which was triable before a jury.

...

Duncan's trial for fraudulent witchcraft was a minor cause célèbre in wartime London. Alfred Dodd, an historian and senior Freemason, testified he was convinced she was authentic. The trial was complicated by the fact that a police raid on the séance in Portsmouth, leading to the arrest of Helen Duncan, yielded no physical evidence of the fraudulent use of cheesecloth, and was therefore based entirely on witness testimony, the majority of which denied any wrongdoing. Duncan was barred by the judge from demonstrating her alleged powers as part of her defence against being fraudulent. The jury brought in a guilty verdict on count one

...

Duncan was imprisoned for nine months, Brown for four months and the Homers were bound over. After the verdict, Winston Churchill wrote a memo to Home Secretary Herbert Morrison, complaining about the misuse of court resources on the "obsolete tomfoolery" of the charge.

...

On her release in 1945, Duncan promised to stop conducting séances, but she was arrested during another one in 1956.

*Previously: These look like witches' towers in real life

Rolling out the teen tiny red carpet; Young Penn and Teller; Giant minotaur

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Some of my installations at the @okoloaround festival. Photos by @borpla #streetart #urbanintervention #miguelmarquezoutside

A post shared by Michael Pederson (@miguelmarquezoutside) on Aug 24, 2019 at 11:42pm PDT

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A post shared by apple (@apple) on Aug 24, 2019 at 9:18am PDT

44 years ago today, Teller and I did our first show together at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. pic.twitter.com/7GeR3Fjbf7

— Penn Jillette (@pennjillette) August 19, 2019

The children of Toulouse must have the craziest nightmares... pic.twitter.com/cYaxX0q87m

— Chet Faliszek (@chetfaliszek) July 30, 2019

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Don't Go Breaking My Heart 💔 Featuring the Heart Paperweight by Tropical Iceberg Glass #cmogshops #heart #artglass #homedecor

A post shared by Corning Museum of Glass Shops (@corningmuseumshops) on Jul 8, 2019 at 7:00am PDT

Ten funny tweets

Nobody:

Yasiel Puig: pic.twitter.com/bTC3hsGUoz

— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) August 9, 2019

for the past hour I’ve been trying to decide which is worse. I honestly can’t say pic.twitter.com/nofBqcM7T1

— sarah schauer 🦂 (@SJSchauer) August 8, 2019

harada being openly accepted into black culture and being promptly confused is the cutest thing pic.twitter.com/dm2SQqwpUY

— ✨ Kuu ✨ (@KuuEater) August 8, 2019

Slightly obsessed by ‘Hans Klok’, who is advertised prominently by a major Las Vegas casino as being ‘the world’s fastest magician’. Not the best - the fastest.

— Simon Carless (@simoncarless) August 9, 2019

I went to a museum today... these trilobites were very rude... pic.twitter.com/ly8YB9Apb1

— Dr Dave (@dave_the_dr) August 10, 2019

The real villain here is that sweater...open for a surprise! https://t.co/O8t2vFLkgG

— Melissa McEwen (@melissamcewen) August 10, 2019

pic.twitter.com/Pd2bKjIq8o

— Fast & Furious Present: Tom (@elbows_selbo) August 9, 2019

Ummmm.... 🤨 pic.twitter.com/VReBOgTynS

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 9, 2019

When you take a new job, show up for work and forgot to read the entire job description... pic.twitter.com/uquLIKJZpJ

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) August 11, 2019

the ultimate pool party for shelter dogs
(thepetcollective) pic.twitter.com/86SBnNdES9

— Humor And Animals (@humorandanimals) August 10, 2019

*More funny posts.

Bugs Bunny is a kaiju; Cowboys are witches

I will die on the hill that Bugs Bunny, when compared to other bunnies, is also a Kaiju

— Chris Pepper (@chrismpepper) June 5, 2019

2. YEEhaw not yeeHAW pic.twitter.com/3iIBSMd1L1

— kit sparks (@newsysparks) May 25, 2019

"Jonathan and Drew Scott, HGTV’s twin tandem, have ... garnered enough devotion to compel hundreds of people to set sail with them across the Caribbean"

Ringer:

(Jonathan, born John Ian Scott, eventually had his legal name changed to the more enigmatic Jonathan Silver Scott in service of his budding career as a magician), and tween clown performances—to fill, well, a cruise ship slideshow. As adults, the brothers worked together as flight attendants for the airline WestJet and—fatefully, as it turns out—flipped a handful of real estate properties to help make ends meet. Jonathan’s magic career continued in earnest until, according to the brothers’ 2017 memoir, It Takes Two: Our Story, he had some $80,000 worth of illusions stolen by a Calgary conman, forcing him to declare bankruptcy. “All those late nights drafting ideas, building in the barn, and choreographing routines were essentially now for nothing,” he wrote. “A lifelong dream up in smoke.”

Appropriate gifs inserted into Magic the Gathering cards

pic.twitter.com/sxqKUYHmfv

— Magic: The GIFening (@MTGIFening) September 30, 2017

pic.twitter.com/bJVqnp0c8G

— Magic: The GIFening (@MTGIFening) April 22, 2018

doodled the Beast from @leverus's book, The Magicians for #inktober. this one's for @benstonick, who loves the books pic.twitter.com/5xX9XOdOdx
— Kymtolery Snoot (@kymcattys) October 9, 2014

Greed

Magic: The Gathering card by Izzy Medrano.

Guaranteed tie