The May 21, 2009 on-line edition of the journal Advance for LPNs features Cynthia Blank Reid captivating review of the ultimately unsuccessful trauma treatment administered Harry Houdini.

Ms. Reid approaches the Houdini case not as a magic historian or Houdini enthusiast.  Her expertise is in medical miracles.  She works as a trauma clinical nurse specialist in Philadelphia and her perspective is illuminating.

There scattered reports earlier this year that Summit Entertainment purchased the film rights to William Kalush and Larry Sloman’s biography, The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America’s First Superhero, to make “an action thriller featuring a character who is part Indiana Jones and part Sherlock Holmes.”

Entertainment web site IGN opined Summit’s decision to stray from the bio-pic format was to build a franchise on Houdini’s fame; not necessarily his life.

Yesterday was Ed Alonzo Day at the Magic Double-Wide we call home here in Mystic Hollow, Michigan.

We were cruising the web and getting up to date on all things magic when we read Inside Magic Favorite, Ed Alonzo will create the magic for Michael Jackson’s 50-date run in London.

One of our heroes, United States Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo said, Life in all its fullness must provide the answer to the riddle.  Welch v. Helvering, 290 U.S. 111 (1933).

The Welch case considered whether a taxpayer could deduct as an expense debts he paid on behalf of his bankrupt former employer.  Mr. Welch claimed by paying the debts, he would improve his reputation among his customers.

Reputation is important to individual magicians and to our art as a whole.  Events on Britains Got Talent caused magicians and lay commentators concern about our crafts reputation.

Richard Abowitz has a remarkable take on the Criss Angel - Perez Hilton skirmish in the Los Angeles Times.  We use Mr. Abowitz’ column to revisit the whole frakis and consider Norm Clarke’s perspective.

Criss Angel’s $100 million magic show has been running, or according to critics, stumbling at the Luxor Hotel and Casino for the past few months.

The USA Today features a new Penn and Teller routine involving the ubiquitous airport metal detector to their stage at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Vegas.

Penn tells the reporter,  “What really bothers us about the TSA is not the men and women employed there. We’re just against the idea of people allowing themselves to give up freedoms when confronted with fear.”