Hastings Nebraska here I come.

April 7 through 9 I will be traveling to Hastings Nebraska to perform my comedy magic show for Hastings College this will be my first foray into the Corn Husker State, only the second time I have flown with my show props and equipment, and the first time I have flown with the newest TSA rules and regulations.

Forget Carry on

If you think you have had trouble going through security imagine packing a brief case with among other things a bowling ball, 8 10 inch stainless steel rings, several lengths of rope, scissors, a knife, a gigantic deck of cards, all sorts of electronics for sound, and a kiwi.

The only things from my show I can actually carry onto the plane are my regular deck of cards, a clipboard, and my sharpie markers. I have one of those new awesome stainless steel sharpies and I doubt that could even be packed in a carry on bag. I can't even carry on my kiwi! I guess they are afraid I will assault the crew with high amounts of fiber and Vitamin C.

Which reminds me of a terrible joke

I heard this joke on Prairie Home Companion, a great source for wonderful, terrible jokes. A coyote is coming down the jet way to get onto the plane with a dead raccoon in his mouth. The flight attendant says, "You can't bring that on the plane." The coyote replies, "But this is my carrion."

I'm not sure how well that joke works in print but it works well audibly. I know what you are thinking. "That's terrible." But I know you will be telling that joke sometime soon! Don't deny it. Though I don't tell jokes in my act; I do comedy. So, don't worry, I won't be telling you about dead raccoons on stage anytime soon.

I just came for the pudding

I look forward for performing for the students of Hastings College and getting to visit the Queen City of the Plains.

About the Author

Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts, is a Chicago Magician who travels the country performing for colleges and corporations.

There's a potato in your eye

So you may or may not know but I am of Irish decent. James Fairman came from Ireland in 1774 and settle in Schuylkill County Pennsylvania. And you probably do know that Thursday is St. Patrick's day. Which is an Irish/American Holiday. I suppose if the term "Irish Americans" existed 230 years ago my family probably would have been called that. But it didn't and what they were called was much worse.

So, on Thursday many people will be out to celebrate what they think Irish and Irish/Americans should do; drink until stupidity. Anyone reading this who knows me, knows I enjoy a glass of whiskey just as much as the next guy but there should be limits. As Charlie Sheen has taught us, public intoxication of all forms should be avoided at risk of loosing one's livelihood.

I will be out with my friends Thursday evening celebrating at the bars of Lodge Management on Division Street. You will be able to find us at Mother's, Mother's Too, Shenanigans, Bootleggers, The Lodge, and The Hangee Uppee. We will be easy to spot as we will be on stilts and "wearing the green." Please come down and see us, raise a pint (or maybe even two) to Eire and mind your P's and Q's or I'll stick a potato in your eye.

About the Author: Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts is an Irish/German/American Chicago Magician who performs for corporate and college events.

Top 7 Reasons to have a Magician at Your Next Event

7. Save Money- A magician in comparison to many other forms of entertainment is actually cheaper than most. A band (because it requires many performers) can really become very expensive. Most "speakers" are way over priced because they market almost exclusively to the corporate market.

6. Universal- Magic is loved by people of all ages and social standing. Not everyone loves rock, hip hop, or polka but almost everyone loves magic.

5. Flexible Size- Either a magic show or a walk around magician can fill a stadium or fit in a living room. No only does it fit in different size venues it also fits different styles of parties, different energy levels, and even different noise levels.

4. Customizable- Most magicians, including your author, can customize their show to fit your specific message, theme, or event.

3. Less stress- An experienced magician can help you with planning suggestions, venue recommendations and more.

2. Different- Shake things up with the wonderment that a magician can provide. A DJ, band, or speaker is so blasé.

1. Memorable- Your guests will be talking for a long time about the great time they had at your event. You can make a great impression on your client. When you have someone at your event that can do the impossible, imagine what your client will think of you.

Edd Fairman is a Chicago Magician who does magic for corporate and private parties. He specializes in making you look good through an awesome show, great communication through the booking process, and logistical help.

Let the Right One In

Not all parties are created the same. As a comic magician I perform for many different types of functions. Each one requires its own show. I may perform some of the same tricks in two different shows but I don't know if I've ever performed the same trick in the same way twice. Even when I was doing the run of my show at the Gorilla Tango Theatre, I never had the same show two nights in a row. Each audience, each volunteer, each room requires a different show.

So, if you hire an entertainer and they start asking you a bunch of noisy question it's not because they are trying to get fresh, it's because they are trying to do the best show for you. If they don't ask you questions about what you are looking for, run, run like the wind. Which actually doesn't run. So, run, run, like a gazelle being pursued by a cheetah.

Even two company Christmas Parties aren't the same. I have performed at Christmas Parties for an accounting firm (very nice but very quiet people), an engineering firm (very nice but very analytical people), and even a trucking firm (very nice very, but how do we say, very boisterous people). Each show had to be tailored to fit the tone of the party and the personality of the group.

If you are planning an event and hiring an entertainer, here are some questions you should ask yourself:

1. What do I want the entrainment to accomplish? Do you want to just have fun? Do you want to motivate the audience? Do you want to get a message across?

2. What is the feel of the event? Is it high energy? Low key? Elegant? Casual?

3. What are the capabilities of the venue? Can you fit what you want to do in the space allotted.

The entertainer you are hiring should ask you these questions to decide if they are the right fit for your event. If they don't, you can ask them the questions but I would be on guard. If you don't like the answers no body should have to tell you to move on.

If you have any party planning questions please feel free to email me at edd@wizardofsorts.com

About the Author: Edd Fairman is a magician for corporate events who specializes in making you look good. He lives in Chicago and travels through out the US performing.

When you are this cold...

It's hard to be funny when it's below zero. It's hard to be funny when you all you really want to do is hide under the covers until summer. Every year it happens. Every year around now I just don't feel the funny. But guess what? The audience doesn't care. So what is a comedy magician to do? LIE! Yup. LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE.

When I feel crappy and I'm just not feeling the funny, I lie to myself. I tell myself that I am feeling very funny. I say to myself that I am in a great mood. Self delusion is a powerful tool when used for good of course. When your job is to create an illusion its best to start with yourself. I also tell myself I'm six foot tall, still have a 30 inch waist, and have been to India. I'm not sure why its India but it sounds interesting. It's important to be interesting. If you find that your own life isn't interesting I recommend making stuff up. It's fun. It's creative and it will keep away Alzheimer's.

When one goes to lie to oneself about something, it is very important to be careful. Little lies: good. Big lies: not so good. Exaggerations about something that really did happen: very good. Lying about something that can be proven false: very bad. This past weekend I performed for a man named Glen Miller. So saying that I performed for Glen Miller isn't a lie. Saying it was the world famous musician is a lie. It's a very bad lie because it is very easy to prove that A)the musician Glen Miller is dead. B) he died before I was born. And C) no one would care even if it was the real Glen Miller because no one cares about jazz anymore.

So, stick to unprovable, unimportant lies. Oh and only lie to yourself. Not other people. That would be dishonest. It is only acceptable to lie to other people if you are a magician (and it vanished), politician (I did not have relations with that woman.), doctor (You've got a least six months to live), parent (Santa is watching), neighbor (Your lawn looks great), boy friend (No those jeans do not make you look fat) or anyone not wanting to get in trouble (I was just saying). Otherwise lying should be avoided at all costs. It sullies one's reputation and makes them look bad among people no one really cares about.

I am sure that most self help guru's would call it the "power of positive thinking" but they are just lying to you and themselves.


About the Author: Edd Fairman is a comedy corporate and college magician residing in Chicago who never lies (except just now) and is available for your next event.

Putting the kids to work.

Earlier this week I sent an email to many of my corporate clients about the up coming Take Your Kids to Work day. If your office is planning a day or you know someone who is, take a look at my tips:

Take your Child to Work Day Tips

This year Take Your Child to Work Day is nationally slated for April 28, 2011 but many offices choose a day that works best for them. If your office is planning on participating this year, you need to have a plan for the day. Activity Suggestions Tour: Schedule a tour of the company with short explanations of what happens in each area. If you can find an object that the kids can follow through the procedure can be fun and helpful. They can follow a case, a file, a customer order, etc. Crafts: Have the kids think of what job they might like to do when they grow up and draw a picture of that job. Also, companies like Fun Express and Oriental Trading Company offer fun prepackaged craft kits. (Photo frames are a great idea). Photo time: Take picture of the child at Mom or Dad's desk for the the above mentioned photo frames. Lunch: Pizza is always a favorite. Entertainment: It can't be all work and no play. Hiring a professional entertainer can take the stress out of the day. About the Author Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts is a professional corporate and family magician based in Chicago. He has performed for 1000's of clients and dozens of Bring Your Child to Work Days. You can find out more about him at http://www.wizardofsorts.com

Who's to blame for all of this?

As February approaches with all of the Blue and Gold Banquets, I start to think back to how I got started in all of this. First a bit of explanation. A Blue and Gold Banquet is the yearly celebration of Boy Scouting's birthday. Cub Scout packs, consisting of boys ages 6 to 12 and their families have a meal, entertainment and usually have a ceremony where the oldest boys "graduate" into Boy Scouts.

When I was 6 years old I joined my local Cub Scout pack and in February we had a magician perform. His name is Bob Beatty and at the time he was an Elementary School Principal in Johnstown, PA. That was really the beginning of the end of it all for me. That year my parent's got me a magic kit for my birthday and then another one for Christmas.

My scouting career and magic both grew and I went on to earn the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in scouting. Now, each February I perform at many Blue and Gold Banquets. I feel in a small way I am giving back to what scouting and Bob Beatty have given to me.

As a comedy magician I know I'm not setting kids on a path to save lives but I may inspire the next great comedian. You never know.

About the author: Edd Fairman is a Chicago Magician who performs for companies, colleges, and private events.