how the mighty have fallen
greg
happened? I feel like the Omega man.
mojo
MikeDuell
>happened?
It was taken over by bitter no-talent, wannabe magicians who criticize everyone
who has either "made it big," or wants to learn. Take away the professionals
who Love the craft, and those learning who are excited by it, and you're left
with those who hate other people learning and enjoying magic and probably hate
themselves...
C-C-C-Cainman
"MikeDuell" <mike...@aol.comhbk> wrote in message
news:20021029141145...@mb-fr.aol.com...
If only someone could make you disappear...
Bob K
You're here- must be a self description.
Bob K (remove XXX to reply by email)
Mark the Balloon Guy
Stop me if you heard these before:
Wanna know how to get a Nun pregnant?
Dress her up as an Alter Boy.
Jesus stops a crowd ready to stone a woman to death and says:
"Let whomever is without sin cast the first stone"
A lady runs up with a boulder and crushes the woman.
Jesus: "Mom!!! .... I am working here"
Try the veal I am here all week.
Mark Byrne
AKA Mark the Balloon Guy
"Bad to the Balloon"
http://www.balloonguy.net
Danny Hustle
>> Try the veal I am here all week.
Don't forget to tip your waitress!
Mark the Balloon Guy
You people are beautiful I wish I could take you all home ..... but that
would really piss off my wife.
pathfind11
Hey Mark the Balloon Guy
What is the trick to quickly tie off
balloons.
I have over 1,000 to tie for an event
and have little luck in tying the suckers!
Path
<A
HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0970297556/crystaballpsychi">The
Complete Introduction to Coin Magic-DVD-Michael Ammar-5 STAR RATING- Click
here!</A>
Mark the Balloon Guy
>
> Hey Mark the Balloon Guy
> What is the trick to quickly tie off
> balloons.
> I have over 1,000 to tie for an event
> and have little luck in tying the suckers!
> Path
260 balloons or Rounds?
Quickest way is to hire 5 high school kids and they should knock it out in
1.5 -2 hours. If I was just blowing and tying balloons I could do about 500
in an hour, your mileage may vary.
With round balloons the key, if your not used to it, is to use baby powder
on your hands to keep from tearing up your cuticles.
With 260's burp the nozzle end before the tie, stretch it out twist two
fingers into the stretch and pull the nozzle thru. I know that probably did
help.
This is from balloonhq.com:
Tying Knots
* After inflating the balloon, you may want to "burp" it by letting some
air out of it before tying a knot. This softens the balloon a bit. An
important point to keep in mind is that burping the balloon will not make it
shorter if you've inflated it too much. It will only soften it.
* When I inflate 260's and 130's, I just make a little bubble about an
inch or so from the nozzle and release the air in that bubble so I'll have
lots of room to tie the balloon.
* David Hamilton was at the Iowa State Fair a couple years ago and used
all one-handed knots in his show, as well as a simple 3-twist one-handed
dog. After the show I asked about the knot and he showed me his method. Keep
a long nozzle when you inflate, and before releasing the end from your
mouth, wrap the nozzle around your index and middle fingers. Then roll the
end of the balloon with the wrapped nozzle off the end of your fingers with
your thumb, making a knot. It's the same principle as tying a knot in the
end of a thread when you sew on a button.
* Marvin showed me a trick that helps prevent raw fingers when doing lots
of tying. Start with the balloon a little further away from the tip of your
index finger than you normally do. Roll it towards the tip of your index
finger with your thumb, causing the nozzle to twist and become round like a
piece of rope. When you get to the "roll the end of the balloon with the
wrapped nozzle off the end of your fingers with your thumb," This already
round, twisted nozzle rolls down your finger... with the greatest of ease.
* And speaking of tying knots, you can do various slapstick bits related
to forgetting to tie the knot, tying the knot on the wrong end and tearing
the balloon in half and giving the halves to the kid (which then go zooming
off).
* Pearlized and metallic balloons are more difficult to tie than standard
balloons and are rougher on the skin (which is probably why you had sore
fingers your first job out).
* I tape up my fingers with Sport tape to prevent excessive skin wear and
tear (ouch). It's great to protect the cuticles!
* I keep first aid tape in the tool box for my son who has this problem
with fingers hurting.
* To avoid or reduce finger pain and speed up the tying, practice tying
balloons by wrapping them around your finger nail area and not up at the
knuckle.
* I suggest clear tape wrapped around the areas where you are most likely
to hurt your fingers (before you start tying, of course). It helps a little.
* Are your fingers getting raw and blistered from tying or are the joints
in your fingers getting stiff? A solution for raw fingers is to take medical
or duct tape and tape up your tying fingers before you start a big project.
You need tape that is sticky enough to stay on your fingers, but not too
sticky that it rips off your skin when removing.
* For sore, stiff fingers, you may want to purchase the first QBN video
where they present a good technique for tying (too difficult for me to
explain, probably easier to watch it). Start learning the professional
techniques now, especially before you start training a crew (i.e. family
members). If they learn it the right way the first time, you will be very
thankful as it's much easier than trying to break old habits. Tying balloons
into duplets gets much easier with a little practice.
* Also your fingers will build up strength through repetition (that
doesn't mean they won't still stiffen up they day after a HUGE job).
* I have just become aware of a balloon knotting device. I don't know how
old it is, but it is made by H & M Enterprises in Cookeville, Tn (615)
526-1129. It is a hard plastic device that slips over the fingers with an
extension coming out of the palm of your hand. I bought some last week and
my crew absolutely loves them. I first saw this device at IBAC 12. It was
demonstrated at one of the booths at the Trade show across the street.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to figure out how to use this when I want
to tie a ribbon into the knot of the balloon so I can "slide and size" the
ribbon length. Otherwise, it's a great hand saver, but not as quick as the
"over the thumb" method for me.
* At a ballon show in London I saw a firm, ZIBI I think, selling gizmos
to help tie balloons so I got one to try out. It's basically a grooved,
tapered stick with a split in the end, and it takes a bit of getting used
too. I personally don't think I'll use it often, but there are times where
my tying fingers get sore where it would be useful. It may be useful for
anyone who finds tying a problem.
* Marvin Hardy taught me how to make my own "knot tying gadget." You take
a short length of pvc pipe. Starting at one end, cut off a 4" long,
wedge-shaped piece of the top half of the pipe. Discard the 4" piece. Taper
the cut edge to form a "scoop" and sand the edges. To use this tool to tie
knots in balloons, hold the pipe section as a handle and wrap the inflated
balloon nozzle around the tapered end. Tuck in the rolled lip, then slide
the balloon off the pipe - voila, you have a knotted balloon. It even works
on 3 footers. If you feed arch line through the pvc pipe you can tie the
balloons for a string of pearl arch right on the line using this gadget. It
works great!
* West Winds http://westwinds.com sells two different products:
* "SNAPPY KNOTZ" a new hand held balloon tying tool for small decorating
jobs or for sale to retail customers using balloons, and
* "Snappi Seal," an automatic latex balloon sealing machine which seals
latex balloons in 1.5 seconds using special tape.
* You can also check out these tools and supplies to tie balloons:
* http://www.knotaballoon.com/
* http://americancustom.com/knotty/knotty.htm
Knotty - Balloon Tying Aid
Address: 1210 North Willow Ave
Cookeville, TN, 38501
Phone: (615) 520-8610
Email: a...@multipro.com
* http://www.balloonhouse.com/device.html
* Finally, here's a self-sealing balloon that doesn't need tying:
* http://www.neosoft.com/~gayla/selfseal.html
TYING
* West Winds has a new "automatic latex balloon sealing machine" which
seals latex balloons in 1.5 seconds! No leakage. The system also has the
ability to attach ribbon the same time the balloon is being sealed. Unit
attaches to a helium cylinder and seals the balloon with a strong adhesive
strip. Doesn't distract from the balloon! Suggested retail price is $159.50.
Check out the product on our website http://westwinds.com . IT'S A REAL TIME
SAVER. IMAGINE BEING ABLE TO SEAL OVER 2000 BALLOONS IN AN HOUR! E-mail
west...@apk.net or call us for more information 1-800-783-8590. Distributor
inquiries welcome.
* Do you use discs, clips or hand tie the balloons?
* We have found it fastest to hand tie them, but it could be because
that's what we're used to.
* Hand tying has always been fastest with me too, do what works for you.
* My husband and I found that hand tying is absolutely the fastest and
safest way to insure a good seal with our balloons. We don't do a lot of
delivery, but I hand tie and lay the ribbon over the knot so that it slides
freely and then tie a little extra knot so that it won't slip while outside.
* I learned about making your own "knot tying gadget" from Marvin Hardy.
You take a length of one inch - schedule 40 pvc pipe and cut the top half of
about 4" off one end of the pipe. Then you taper the bottom half off to form
a sort of scoop and sand the edges. You wrap the inflated balloon around the
tapered end, tuck in the tail, then slide it off the pipe and you have a
tied 16" balloon. It also works on 3 footers. If you feed arch line through
the pvc pipe you can also tie the balloons for a string of pearl arch right
on the line using this gadget. It works great!
* You might also consider using the plastic discs that are about the size
of a quarter. I have not used them in several years, but they were always
good for staff members who just could not "stretch" the necks of the 16"
balloons. I know Conwin carried them, so check your distributors. Remember
these are about the size of a quarter and have a hole in the center. You do
not want the ones that are the same size, but have a slit from the edge to
the center.
* There is a WONDERFUL device called "knot-a-balloon" sold by Flowers,
Inc Balloons I used it to do a 300 balloon drop for the 4th of July, and
believe me, I am buying one for every assistant!!!!!!!!!!
* I have tried the "Knot-A-Balloon". Dolly has them on hand specifically
for the staff who find it tough to tie 16" latex and also when knotting
thousands for a balloon drop. You can become very quick with them after a
little practice. No sore or bleeding fingers. A great tool to have for those
balloons that strip the cuticles. Made by : H & M Enterprises - Tennessee
(615) 526-1129
* I have tried a "Knot-a-Balloon" and I loved it!! I used it on my first
large decorating gig, and have purchased one for anyone that helps me ever
since.
* I found one thing that made a huge difference in preventing sore
fingers. Leave more slack while tying the knot. I was stretching a tiny
portion of balloon around my fingers to make the knot. My fingers got sore
real quick. If I tie a looser knot, and use more balloon while doing it, my
fingers NEVER hurt. You can always roll the knot down towards the nozzle, if
needed.
* How much you inflate the balloon is critical. Leave about a half-inch
of balloon uninflated for each twist you'll have to make. If you end up
without enough air in the balloon, you can make adjustments by reducing the
size of some segments. If the balloon is too full of air, your creation may
pop before you finish it. Always hold the balloon about one inch from the
lip end as you inflate it; this will make it easier to tie.
* Wrap N Tie - the sore finger solution!! If you have not ordered or you
need more information on our solution to tying latex balloons, e-mail us at
Ballo...@aol.com
Tinuecon
Mark the Balloon Guy
BLOW ME!!!!
Get it I am a Balloon Guy!!!!
Maybe you should check out Jim Sisti"s Talk about magic where he discusses
the magical appeal of balloons vs jackasses flipping cards ("jackasses" my
words not Jim's).
OR maybe you should contribute more to this newsgroup rather than policing
it with asinine comment of what should be, etiquette and how to run a
newsgroup.
Funny how we ever got along without you before.
And HOW THE F**K do you know who visits here!!!
Raging against the machine,
Mark Byrne
AKA Mark the Balloon Guy
"Bad to the Balloon"
http://www.balloonguy.net
PS try using a spellcheck once in a while. BALLOON has two O's.
Bob K
>This should be done private email as many non ballon guys visit this newsgroup.
Cards tricks should also be done by private email as many non card
guys visit this group. Mentalism and mental magic should be done by
private email as many non mentalism guys visit this group.
An optional alternative for all those guys to not read posts they're
not interested in.
Tinuecon
and more importantly - search for a sense of humor. Path was asking how to tie
ballOOns and I thought it would be funny to ask that the secret not
be...................... Oh never mine, if I have to walk you through it - not
worth it.
Dave Hitt
<fla....@verizon.netjunk> wrote:
>Remove junk to reply
>
>> This should be done private email as many non ballon guys visit this
>> newsgroup.
>>
>>> Hey Mark the Balloon Guy
>>> What is the trick to quickly tie off
>>> balloons.
>>> I have over 1,000 to tie for an event
>>> and have little luck in tying the suckers!
>>> Path
>>
>>
>
>BLOW ME!!!!
Yeah, blow him. Damn netcop, with nothing to contribute to the
thread...
Dave Hitt
----
Hollywood wants to examine your hard drive.
http://www.davehitt.com/oct02/vigilantes.html
Tinuecon
obvious.Sorry
Houdini 26
Kevin Connolly
>Subject: Re: how the mighty have fallen
>From: tinu...@aol.com (Tinuecon)
>Date: 11/1/2002 4:43 PM Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <20021101164347...@mb-mw.aol.com>
Houdini 26
Kevin Connolly
>Subject: Re: how the mighty have fallen
>From: Bob K xxxbk...@netzero.net
>Date: 11/1/2002 5:49 PM Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <a616sug282gg1rpuq...@4ax.com>
Bob K
>Lighten up Bob - it was a joke. Didn't think I needed a smiley face for the
>obvious.Sorry
Oh well, it just didn't come across. But that's okay- I'm not fond of
smiley faces and almost never use them.
Bob K
>I wouldn't think a mentalist would need email.
Perhaps a good mentalist, but how many of them are are there?
Houdini 26
Kevin "Corinda" Connolly
>Subject: Re: how the mighty have fallen
>From: Bob K xxxbk...@netzero.net
>Date: 11/1/2002 7:22 PM Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <4l66suk5ijlofobta...@4ax.com>
John L
"Houdini 26" <houd...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20021101194135...@mb-ci.aol.com...
> Wait! The number of good mentalist is (drum roll).....48.
I knew you were going to say that.
John
Mark the Balloon Guy
Tinuecon,
With all the threads about top posting and other bull shit, your post just
rubbed me the wrong way. Sorry, It came across not as humor but as saying
there is no room to talk about alternative forms of entertainment. ie
balloons. I get the joke now. A smiley would have helped.
Boy, I can get nasty when I am pissed. Now off with all of you, there is
nothing to see. Move about freely.
Ray Haddad
houd...@aol.com (Houdini 26) instead replied:
>I wouldn't think a mentalist would need email.
We don't.
Ray Haddad
"John L" <j_w_l...@hotmail.com> instead replied:
I made him say it. Then, I made you say this.
<taking bow and accepting applause>
Tinuecon
counciling ) you did hit me with both barrels. No Problem - :-)
ed rhodes
> this ng used to rock, new post every few min. now its d e a d....what
> happened? I feel like the Omega man.
It swings, back and forth. Besides, nobody's started a good flame war
with Ray for awhile.
ed rhodes
> Wait! The number of good mentalist is (drum roll).....48.
>
> Kevin "Corinda" Connolly
No! The answer is 42! The answer is ALWAYS 42.
(Unless you're a Weird Al Yankovich fan, then it's 27)
Ray Haddad
edrh...@hotmail.com (ed rhodes) instead replied:
Some folk have tried recently. I'm just too crusty for them.
Ray