I'm sorry if I sound lame, but I think it's so cool that David Copperfield is performing tonight at the State Theatre. He's the kind of show that people used to pay big bucks to see.

Sure, he's old hat now on the magic scene compared to Danny Gans and the like but he's still the master of illusion to me. I remember watching him do his crazy disappearing acts on TV with the Statue Of Liberty and stuff, and walking through the Great Wall Of China.

WOW! I've heard good things about his live shows and you can score tickets for less than $30. If nothing else, it would be a kick to revert back to my childhood, buy into it and be amazed for a while. Besides, old David may not come around this way again.

I wonder if he's going to do the flying bit - I love that shit. (hee hee)

- Judianne

Don't know if anyone reads Lehigh Valley Magazine (since you're too busy reading Merge and MergeDigital) but they are having a Single In The Valley thing. They've listed some of the most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes in the area and are hosting a Valentine's weekend bash at Looper's Grill & Bar to bring the whole thing to fruition.

Now, I'll be the first to say that the Valley isn't much of a singles scene. So, this struck me as the perfect opportunity for those of us who didn't get married right out of high school to mingle a bit. It should be upscale and there's no speed dating games involved so it might be worth a try. Feb. 12. I think there are tickets involved but not for very much. It's an option for Valentine's Day.

I swung into the Funhouse last night to catch The Bushmans Blend (and $4 pitchers).  The place was empty - a few regulars and fans of Bushmans Blend, but that's about it.  That's not to say it was a bad time. Between songs I talked to the super-friendly bar staff and the patrons scattered at the bar.  The music was solid, as expected.  It seemed like a bit of a squeeze for The Bushmans Blend to get their three percussionists and various guitar and amp stuff into the "stage" corner, but they managed.  Their style is a nice mix of reggae, funk and drum circle/tribal music.  On a few songs, they use an interesting effect that makes you think of steel drums.  It sounded like some combination of auto-wah and an envelope filter - no matter what it actually was, the sound was really cool.

On an unrelated note, I learned an amazing new trick.  I'm surprised I never thought of it before or saw anyone else do it, but it was mind-blowing to me (hey, it was also late).  I was pretty much minding my own business, when I watched the guy next to me order a glass of ice from the bartender.  I was surprised, because he was drinking from a pitcher of beer.  Long story short, he put the glass in the pitcher to keep the beer cold.

I'd give credit where it's due, but I didn't catch the guy's name.  He said it was a trick he'd learned from his brother and one he's seen other people used since.  "It's always nice when your last beer is colder than your first," he explained. It works best in groups, he said, since it takes approximately 1.5 beers to accomodate for the glass's displacement.  Mmm..  Beer physics.

I gave it a shot, and sure enough it worked quite well, although I can envision a table full of drunks reaching for a pitcher and spilling the glass and ice everywhere.  Still, he was right - my last beer was colder than the first.  Can't wait to use this one in the summer.

    -Tucker