Bottoms Up Card Trick

Effect: A pack of cards is fanned out in front of a spectator. The magician runs his fingers around the card fan and the spectator is asked to tell him when to stop his fingers on a card. This card is shown to the audience, replaced in the pack and the pack handed back to the spectator to shuffle. The magician then reveals the card which was chosen.

Method: Ask a spectator to shuffle the cards. When he/she hands them back to you note the bottom card . That is going to be their card.
Start by fanning the cards out. Run your finger across them and ask the spectator when to stop. When he/she says to stop, put your thumb on that point of the deck.
While your thumb is on that point, use your other fingers to slowly work the bottom card under your thumb. As you pull the cards off the top of the deck with your thumb, slide the bottom card under the other cards and pull them off the deck and show the spectator his/ her card. This is where you take over. Since you already know the card you can have the spectator cut, shuffle, e.t.c.

Good routine to try out:

Start flipping the cards from the top of the deck over onto the table. When you flip their card over, continue flipping for another few cards, then say, "I'll bet you that the next card I flip over will be yours!" They'll think you messed up because their card is already flipped over on the table. When they say, "you're on!", reach over and flip their card, which is already face down on the table. They'll be amazed.

Miss India beauties set their sights high

Winners of the Miss India pageant held in Mumbai last week, say that they are feeling on the top of the world, but are not willing to rest on the laurels. Ankita Shorey, Miss India International, told PTI that her parents always treated her like a princess but she is feeling like one in reality now. "I am feeling that I have become a princess of the world now! But I am aware that beauty and intelligence go hand in hand. Communication skills are very important," said the 24-year-old Delhi girl, who has made Mumbai her home for the last two years. She said the Miss International pageant is slated to be held in September-October this year and after a short vacation with parents back home, she will return to start training on building her confidence levels. "Bringing the crown home and making the country proud is my first priority after which I plan to look for opportunities in films," she said. Ankita said Bollywood has always been her first love. "I have never dreamt of anything else." After graduating from Jesus and Mary college in Delhi in 2007, she has modelled with Shah Rukh Khan for Emami and with Ranbir Kapoor for Virgin Mobiles. Hasleen Kaur, the 22-year-old Delhi girl who won the Miss India Earth title, said going through the process of Miss India contest had been an evolution and transformation for her. "It has helped me improve my confidence, poise and grace," she added. Hasleen said the Miss Earth pageant will take place in September in Vietnam. "After a vacation of ten days at home in Delhi, I will get back to training in diction, fitness and educate myself on environmental issues and my country''s policies on environment. "At Miss India, I was representing myself and now at Miss Earth, I will be representing myself as an Indian. So this is a huge responsibility to uphold the country''s policies, culture and values." Hasleen said she is looking for a better and bigger career in fashion and Bollywood. Besides, she would like to continue her association with Girl Child Education, a project given to her as a Miss India contestant. "After I come back from Miss Earth after hopefully winning the crown, I will associate myself with an NGO and contribute my little bit to education and employment of girls," said the 22-year-old graduate in English Literature. Kanishtha Dhankar, who won the Miss India World title, said Bollywood will be the next step for her. "I have to prepare for the Miss World pageant and work towards winning it," she said.

Tendulkar's Magic In World Cup

Over the last two decades, there is very little missing from Sachin Tendulkar's list of achievements as a batsman but the absence of a World Cup in his trophy cabinet continues to rankle the Indian run-machine. The 37-year old, with more than 32,000 runs and 97 centuries in international cricket, came closest to ending that quest when he was the highest scorer in the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, where Australia beat India in the final. The Feb. 19-April 2 World Cup in the sub-continent represents, in all probability, Tendulkar's last chance to set the record straight and the batsman is all too aware of the event's importance. "I still want to achieve something and everyone knows that," a smiling Tendulkar said at an award ceremony on Friday, adding that India's rise to number one in the world test rankings has given him confidence to believe a cup victory was possible. "To get there was not easy, we had to work very hard," he added. "There were lots of challenges but we stood together, backing each other, trusting each other and achieved various things as a team. "When we got there (in 2009) many people thought that it was may be a matter of 30-40 days as the South Africa series (2010) was coming up and no one expected us to do well to be honest. "After losing the first Test in Nagpur, we got to hear that soon we will lose the number one spot. But here I am standing today after almost a year and we are still number one. To get there is wonderful but to stay there for a year in this competitive era is just fantastic." India are currently number two in the One-day rankings and Tendulkar singled out coach Gary Kirsten for special praise for the team's improved performance. "Gary Kirsten has brought a remarkable change in our side," Tendulkar said about the former South Africa opener. "I found the atmosphere in the dressing room quite different and that has brought all the changes. I think all batsmen have performed well since 2007."

Magical Environment

Honoring 'The Ten' that lost their lives STILLWATER — The symbol of an orange ribbon, still to this day, memorializes 'The Ten' — Kendall Durfey, Bjorn Fahlstrom, Nate Fleming, Will Hancock, Daniel Lawson, Brian Luinstra, Denver Mills, Pat Noyes, Bille Teegins and Jared Weiberg — who lost their lives in a plane crash in Colorado on Jan. 27, 2001. But that ribbon means so much more for former Oklahoma State president Jim Halligan, who now serves in the Oklahoma State Senate. "If you see me any time with a jacket on, you'll see me with one of those orange ribbons," Halligan said. "And I've actually indicated that I want one on my coat when I'm in my casket. Because we said we would never forget." While the orange ribbon is something Halligan and others are able to keep close to them, the former OSU president made a decision in the following days that a statue would also be commissioned to remember those whose lives were cut short. And thus today, in the southwest corner of Gallagher-Iba, there's a kneeling bronze cowboy surrounded by images of The Ten, along with a brief message from the families of each victim. "When we interacted with the families, right away they brought to our attention — which I thought was a great idea — that they would like to have a bronze sculpture of some kind," Halligan said. "So we commissioned an artist and honored them with that. I had known, but not really reflected upon, that a cowboy never lets his hat touch the ground." That memorial is also used as a teaching tool for players new to the program — as a way to understand the adversity the Cowboys have overcome. "On my (recruiting) visit, I walked by it and I asked them what that means and they explained it all to me," OSU senior Marshall Moses said. "And just over the years of being here, I've actually gotten to talk to Eddie Sutton about it — he may not remember talking to me, but that's something I'll always remember, getting to ask him about it. ... It's definitely a touchy subject, but it's something I've always been interested in knowing about." The moments following the crash were hectic for Halligan, who recalls meeting with members of his emergency staff for over five hours after making phone calls to family's of those involved in the crash. "We had a group of individuals who we would call together whenever there was a significant event occurring on the campus and that involved all the people you would anticipate," Halligan said. "So we all assembled and we met until about 3 a.m. ... We decided when the memorial would take place and where it would be because we knew there were going to be funerals and we wanted to get ahead of that so people could schedule their funerals around our memorial service for the university." But quite possibly the longest lasting tribute OSU set up for the family members was a free scholarship to all the children associated with those who had been lost in the plane crash.

Magic Tricks

Magic Tricks For Kids

Most kids are fascinated with magic tricks. Finding good magic trick kits for kids is pretty easy because most of the big discount stores carry them in the toy aisle. You can also find plenty of magic trick kits for kids online. But your child can also perform magic tricks by using items found around the house. These magic tricks are very easy to perform and can be set up at a moment's notice.
The first magic trick we will discuss is the empty matchbox trick. You need two matchboxes. one of them should be empty. Get a rubber band and attach the matchbox with the matches in it to the upper arm underneath a shirt sleeve. Now hold the empty matchbox in the same hand and shake it. Ask your friends to guess how many matches are in the matchbox and then when it is opened, the matchbox is empty. The matches that they hear rattling are the ones taped to your upper arm.
Another fairly easy magic trick for a child to perform is the disappearing coin trick. You will need a glass, two sheets of the same colored paper, a coin and a handkerchief. You place the glass upside down on one sheet of the colored paper. You then place a coin beside the glass. Put the handkerchief over the upturned glass and move it, glass and all, over the coin. Say the magic word and remove the handkerchief and presto the coin has disappeared!. The trick to this is to carefully cut a circle from the same colored paper the exact size of the rim of the glass. Tape this paper to the rim and when you move the glass over the coin the colored paper will conceal the coin.
Another good trick is the wine into water trick. For this you will need water, red food coloring and bleaching powder. This should only be performed with adult supervision! Pour some water into a glass and add red food coloring to make the water turn red like wine. Another glass will contain your "magic" powder. Now pour the red liquid into the other glass and it becomes clear water again!
A very easy trick is the rubber pencil trick. Hold the pencil loosely at the tip. Now shake your hand up and down. This will create the illusion of your pencil turning to rubber.
If your child wishes to become a magician or wants to perform magic tricks at his next party, let him practice some of these. Kids and magic tricks go together like peanut butter and jelly!