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Substitute Teacher Fired For Toothpick Magic Trick

LilSugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:00:55 -0700

As parents we have to pick our battles and I'll just go ahead and say that this one the powers that be at Rushe Middle School in Land 'O Lakes, FL waged is ridiculous. Substitute teacher Jim Piculas was fired for performing a simple 30-second toothpick magic trick once students finished their work. He was cited with wizardry. Am I the only one with fond memories of playing "Red Light, Green Light!" or "Heads Up, Seven Up!" under a substitute teacher's supervision in grammar school?

Song of the Day: Bruce Springsteen, "Radio Nowhere"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 14:28:36 -0700

Though I have fond memories of listening to Bruce Springsteen as a kid, it's only relatively recently that I've fully come to understand the brilliance of albums like Born to Run and Nebraska. So for me, the return of Springsteen and his E Street Band is perfectly timed.

On Oct. 2, Bruce and the band - including Max Weinberg, lately of "Conan O'Brien" fame - will release its first album in five years, dubbed Magic. Proving that he's hip to the modern era, Springsteen is offering the first single, "Radio Nowhere," as a free download on iTunes for one week. From the sound of this song, we can look forward to plenty of Springsteen's trademark R&B-tinged swagger, even if the production is a bit cheesy. So listen the free song and tell me what you think.

Do Tell: How Would You Respond to a Guy With Magic Tricks?

TresSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0700

I'm going to try not being a mean girl, because I think the following story is all kinds of adorable. But let's just say it's hard not to affectionately tease the guy who runs a class for seducing women - with magic tricks!

27-year-old McDerick Ho co-owns Secret Skills, a magic school in Singapore. The course he teaches? "The Art of Seduction Magic," a two-hour class for $150 during which Ho will teach men ten magic tricks that are supposed to help them break the ice with women they're interested in.

For example, he teaches techniques that allow a man to hug a girl while performing a particular magic trick, all while speaking lines from a script Ho provides that's so top secret he won't even put it on his website.

Although some men are skeptical about magic tricks as aphrodisiac, others say anything that can get a man's confidence up to speak to a woman is a good thing. You hear about rapists spiking women's drinks with roofies or others who are just disrespectful, so it's hard not to see this approach as innocent and adorable - if waaay dorky.

How would you react if a guy came up to you at a bar and asked, "Can I interest you in some magic tricks?

Source

Top Chef Producers to Create NBC Restaurateur Show

YumSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:10:49 -0800

From Magical Elves, the producers of Bravo's Top Chef, Top Chef Masters, and the soon-to-air Top Chef: Just Desserts, comes yet another reality TV show, tentatively titled United Plates of America.

Unlike its sister productions, United Plates will air on NBC. The premise: aspiring restaurateurs compete in a number of challenges involving the restaurant's concept, cuisine, management, and marketability. The judges' panel will include wealthy investors in the culinary and business world.The prize is being called "among the biggest in reality show history" - the winner will receive a restaurant chain that opens in four locations across the US - funded by the investors themselves. "It's a culinary competition that anybody can take part in," said executive producer Dan Cutforth. "All you need is a great idea for a restaurant."

Finally, a different foodie reality TV concept. This show could be wildly captivating and educational, because the average American viewer doesn't have an inkling of knowledge about the operations behind a restaurant. I would definitely tune in to check out the show. What about you?

The Magic of the Magic Circle: Pilates Prop Explained

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 03:00:00 -0700

When you hear the words magic circle do you think fairies and goddesses? Well I am here to expand your horizons - the magic circle is also a great Pilates prop.

This versatile prop is also known as an: exercise circle, magic ring, or fitness circle. And as all those names accurately describe, it is a circle about 12 inches in diameter made of flexible metal or rubber with pads on either sides of the circle. You can squeeze it and it will bounce back into a circle. That's the magic.

The magic circle provides some moderate resistance for strength training as well as feedback as to where the body is in space. I like to use the magic circle to strengthen the inner thighs. Place the ring between your knees or ankles in a variety of exercises and positions and squeeze.

It is versatile and can be used to work just about anything and since it is so small you can store it just about anywhere. It is great for a home gym.

Want to see some magic circle exercises? Then read more

View 6 Photos ›

Buy an Ultra Fit Magic Circle from Ellie Herman Studios online store for $35. It comes with a 15 minute instructional DVD too.

City Dwellers Rejoice: Taxi Magic iPhone App

GeekSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:00:03 -0800

My favorite thing about living in a city: not having to have a car. My least favorite thing about living in a city: not having a ride home and struggling to get a cab.

The free iPhone app Taxi Magic was made for me - and anyone else who ever needs to use taxis. The radical "magic" booking is one-click taxi ordering and is supported in 25 major cities. For cities that aren't on the list, Taxi Magic can still hook you up with the numbers.

Even if you don't take cabs a lot, at some point you may be traveling and need transportation, and guess who's gonna be your best friend when you're shivering on a lonely street corner, miles from your hotel?

Ecotot: Magic Nuudles

LilSugar — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:00:00 -0700

There's no doubt about the fact that lil ones like to build. Give them blocks, pillows or even sugar packets at a restaurant and within minutes they have created a castle, a skyscraper or the biggest monster they've ever seen. Encourage their building obsession with Magic Nuudles ($5), a bag of biodegradable Styrofoam-looking pieces that can be stuck together to build towers or create art projects. Made from cornstarch, the pieces simply need to be wet with a damp washcloth and then pressed together. They can stick to paper, glass, wood, or each other allowing your tot to be as creative with their use. When you are done playing, just place them in the sink, run some water, and watch them wash away. Great for a rainy day, Magic Nuudles make a great activity for playdates.

Cut and Paste For the iPhone: So Close Yet So Far Away

GeekSugar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:45:30 -0700

It's not perfect, but it does work and when I say work, I mean it cuts and it pastes - done and done. MagicPad, a new app that's currently waiting approval on Apple’s App Store is the closest thing I've seen that actually brings cut and paste functionality to the iPhone. And when I say functionality, I mean being able to drag sections of text in one application. That's right, you can copy and paste between notes with MagicPad, but you can't copy text from one application to another. Hello? What about copying links and putting them in an email? It shouldn't be long now, fingers crossed!

First Look - MagicPad from Apple iPhone Apps on Vimeo.

Delilicious: Dinners That Magically Appear

babysugar — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 06:00:49 -0800

When a first–time mom comes home from the hospital with her new babe, relatives and friends may bring a few dinners here and there, but eventually the new mama has to fend for her family. So having tasty food delivered to her doorstep is a great gift.

Give the parents a break by setting them up with dinners from Magic Kitchen. They are a nationwide service that delivers delish dishes like chicken kiev to any address in the United States.

Keeping those with food allergies and other restrictions in mind, the menu has something for everyone. To learn more about the prices and see a sample menu, read more.

If you order a week's worth of two serving dinners, it will cost you about $153 plus S&H. If you'd rather let the wee one's parents choose the menu, you can send them a gift certificate in any amount and they can choose the cuisine.

A sample seven day menu includes delectable items like these listed below:

Day one: Chicken Breast Teriyaki, Saffron Rice & Fresh Cut Corn Medley
Day two: Apple-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin, Asparagus with Lemon Sauce, & Double Fudge Brownie
Day three: BBQ Baby Back Ribs, Magic Mashed Potatoes & Apple & Sage Stuffing
Day four: Cheese Tortellini with Mediterranean Sauce & Panna Cotta - Our Signature Dessert
Day five: Sliced Beef Tri-tip au Jus, Broccoli & Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce, & Magic Mashed Potatoes
Day six: Pesto Lasagna with Red & White Sauce, “Bada-Bing” Cherry Bread Pudding
Day seven: Verdura Gourmet Artisan Flatbread with Kalamata Olives , “Pucker Up” Lemon Loaf

This sweet treat isn't limited to baby mamas, if you have a friend with a birthday or know someone who has fallen ill, it's a great thing to gift them too.

Fragrance Review: Guerlain's L'instant Magic

BellaSugar — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:00:05 -0800

Last weekend I had to kill some time at the airport, so I spent almost an hour checking out holiday gift sets and fragrances at the duty-free beauty shop. L’instant Magic by Guerlain isn't totally brand new-it launched in September-but as soon as I smelled it, I was really taken in by its pleasant and warm subtlety.

It's something that I immediately thought would be a great gift for a young woman as well as someone older who is looking for a lighter woody and floral scent.

Apparently it's been getting confused a lot for its predecessor, L'Instant fragrance. This version is much softer than the strong and spicy original. Also, the bottles are slightly different - the L'instant Magic base and top are tinted black, while the original bottle is all pink.

L'instant Magic is made from bergamot, rose, freesia, sandalwood, cedar almond accord and musk. It's available in a 1.7 oz EDP for $74, a 2.7 oz EDP for $100, a .25 oz perfume for $115 and in a scented body lotion for $50.