For me, one of the most exciting things about blogging is the chance get to know people in other parts of the world. New online buddy and Javanese blogger Yella Ojrak graciously volunteered to do a cool job interview with indie rocker Kukuh Ariesmart Yuda of “HiMom!” in Surabayan-Javanese and translate it into English for the benefit of the My Cool Job readership. (Pssst! Check out Yella’s blog here to learn how to swear in Javanese!)

While the United States may be the birthplace of rock and roll, don’t kid yourself that Americans are the only folks who know how to rock it out! (I’ve already downloaded a few HiMom! tunes from here and added them to my iPod –I’m loving “Lick the TV”!)

As far as jobs go, being a rock musician anywhere automatically qualifies as “cool” — doing it in Surabaya where “rock musician” is not exactly an accepted occupation makes it even in tune with the true spirit of rock and roll — I’ll have to find out from Yella how to say “cool job” in Javanese!

No matter where in the world you may be, if you follow your passion and do what you truly love, then you have a cool job!

When people ask you “what do you do?’ how do you describe your job?

Since being a musician is not a job here in Indonesia, I can’t tell people that my job is making music and performing it, though actually, I want to tell them that this is the job that I truly love. Instead, I tell them that I work for Nokia.
* so you’re not proud (of being a musician)?
I’m proud. You know I am! But I just don’t really seek for people’s acknowlegement. Let my pride be just mine, yours, my friends, and my fans.
* Hey, you haven’t described your job! Let’s just pretend: I’m a new friend, whatever, and I ask you ‘what do you do’ what would you say?
I’d say I make music, I’m in a band called ‘HiMom!’, I publish my music, I go indie, and I go stages.

What are the things about your job that you love?
mmm… the vibe. Yes. You know. When the audience moves to your songs, and when they try to sing the songs with you.. Such thing really get into me, deeply. And that nourishes my passion for music, life, and everything else everyday.
* woah, that’s deep. I thought you just love the applause part! heheheh…
errrr… you’re wrong then! I appreciate applause, but that’s not what I seek, nor what I love most. You know, some applause is fake. Some people claps because others clap. I don’t need that.

What are the things about your job that you hate?
Rehearsals with the band. Yeah. Some of them are always hours late. I hate it. But I can’t complain. This is Indonesia, everybody comes late!

What education, training, vocation, or just plain luck would someone have to have in order to get a job like yours?
We need to have all of them, I can say. And that applies to any kind of job, not just musician. As for me, you know, I train myself everyday, anytime. I search for the chance to hit the stage. I don’t wait. Because… well, some people might born lucky, but I’m well-aware I wasn’t. So I work hard. I have struggled for years.

What is the funniest story you can think of that involves your professional training or your job?
heheheh…. you know. I planted my face on the stage floor after an electrical shock. For a moment I didn’t know what was going on. I thought my guitarist just kicked me in the ass or something like that. Then I knew there was something wrong with my microphone. There were hundreds of people, and they were all laughing. That was funny. It always makes me laugh, even now. I also thank God that it happened. Now people remember me!

Note from jimsmuse: Not to take away from the awesomeness that is “HiMom!”, but in doing research for this entry, I also ran across Indonesian hip hop artist Saykoji who knows how to kick it old school!

Do you dream of winning the World Series of Poker? Does “777″ make you think of a slot jackpot instead of a wide-body airplane? Do you never miss the yearly Superbowl betting pool at the office? Do you love movies like The Hustler and Rounders? Do you go to the racetrack fantasizing about a 99-1 long shot coming in on your $2.00 bet? Did you love the Croupier entry on this blog?

If the above sounds familiar, then a) we have a lot in common; and b) you’ve probably dreamed once or twice about giving it all up and becoming a professional gambler.

Today’s interview is with a “punter” from the UK, Matt of punt.com, a fascinating gambling blog that I’ve been enjoying a lot lately. While Matt primarily makes his income from online sports betting, his site is a great resource for learning more about the theory and psychology of all types of gambling.

Cool Jobster Matt is here to give us a peek into a world that so many of us have thought about, but so few of us have actually entered: the world of the professional gambler.

When people ask you “what do you do?” how do you describe your job?

I say I am a ‘day trader’, just to make what I do seem an ounce more normal (and acceptable) than what I really do, which is I’m a professional gambler. For those people that are interested after that I usually fess up and describe more accurately what I do, which is bet on various sports while they are happening. This sounds risky and many people are probably thinking right now, this guy is a chancer! Well, I am, but I also really know what I’m doing (I hope) and that is I trade back and forth betting on both players (in the case of a tennis match) at various points in the match to trade a profit as the odds move. Confused yet ? That’s why I say I’m a ‘day trader’, because what I do is exactly the same as anyone trading the stock exchange… it’s just my market, is tennis matches instead of the Nasdaq. Believe me when I say it is all maths, probability, statistics and a numbers game, not at all betting and hoping to win. Some will be wondering how I can compare the stock exchange, I use a ‘betting exchange’, I exchange bets with other people on these exchanges, some of which handle more transactions than the stock markets.

What are the things about your job that you love?

I am my own boss, I work from home, I take time off when I feel like it and there is plenty of downtime to take holidays… I’m a master of my own destiny, I’m lucky to be in such a position.

What are the things about your job that you hate?

I might copy and paste in some of my answer to number 2 ! hehe I work alone, at home without much contact with other people. It’s a solitary job, sometimes you are working for hours on end and you lose money - you have to deal with this is a way that is professional and not in a way that 99.9% of people find natural, which is to try to get it back. Because I work at home, it’s difficult not to stay on the job 24/7, you have to manage yourself really well. I have to say, it’s quite boring in fact and maybe not as ‘cool’ as many would think.

What education, training, vocation or just plain luck would someone have to
have in order to get a job like yours?

You need good maths skills, you need knowledge of how to trade financial instruments and most importantly the psychology of doing so. You need some money to begin with that you don’t mind losing, and then you need focus, concentration and discipline.. very, very few people ever get to a point where they can do this professionally.

What is the funniest story you can think of that involves your professional
training or your job?

Hmmm, this is a tough one. Probably when I was still working in my old job, but trading at the same time, at work! Sometimes it was quiet, so my boss would allow me to trade and he would watch… I have him to thank for getting me involved in this, I was always better at it than him however. One morning I was trading and got incredibly lucky, in literally 2 minutes I made 2 months of my old salary while my boss was watching! He was quite sick at what I had just done, me - I was jumping around the shop we worked in scaring off the customers :)) Not long after that I gave up my job…

I want to also say that to anyone ever thinking about trying this job out, don’t! Seriously, it is incredibly difficult to accomplish psychologically without a lot of training… gambling is not something I recommend anyone to ever do, most people do not understand the maths of it or the risks beyond just the money they are putting on their first bet. Leave it to those that do it for a living and be happy in the fact that you can’t lose !

My good friend Rich Z, professionally known as Nixon Kutz, was kind enough to send me his interview about what it’s like to be a Roller Derby Referee just in time for Causal Friday. Woo hoo!

The sport of women’s roller derby has been around for almost 100 years with few changes to the “flat track” rules since the 1930s. One of the first promoters of roller derby was sportswriter Damon Runyon, who is best known for writing the short stories that were later adapted for the musical “Guys and Dolls” — and, of course, for inspiring the term “Runyonesque”.

Although the popularity of professional women’s roller derby has waxed and waned throughout the years, it has remained one of the few women’s contact sports (besides “jello wrestling”) that has entered the popular culture — iconic enough to even be featured on VH1’s Rock of Love 2 reality show last season.

But what it is like to officiate at a sports event that races around a track at 20 miles per hour and has a vibe somewhere between the X-Games and rubgy? Is it fun? Is it dangerous? Do the crowds really go wild when someone goes down? (Editor’s Note: Nixon Kutz asked me to tell you this in answer to these questions: “ Yes, it is dangerous, people do get hurt. Is it fun? Hell Yeah! The crowd doesn’t go wild when someone goes down, they go wild when they see a well placed, hard hitting block executed!”)

Let’s find out about the wild world of roller derby from Nixon Kutz:

When people ask you “what do you do?” how do you describe your job?

Well one of the things I do, outside of my regular profession, is I am a women’s flat track roller derby referee. Actually, I am the head referee for the Morristown Madams. They are the flagship team for the Western Jersey Outlaw League. My duties are overseeing the other 6 referees necessary to a roller derby bout, interfacing with the statisticians and score board operator, along with also watching the action on the track. There are times when it feels like I am a cat herder.

What are the things about your job that you love?

I enjoy the fact that it is somewhere between an amateur sport and a professional sport. The true meaning of sports-person-ship is alive and well in this sport. These women go at it tooth-and-nail when they are on the track, but off the track there is a level of camaraderie not always witnessed in other sports. On top of the fact I am a third generation quad skater and love to skate.

What are the things about your job that you hate?

When I am officiating a bout it is hard not to root for the ladies when they make an awesome move or put a hard hit on the other team. It would not look good for me to be yelling ‘YEAH!” when I am doing my best to be an impartial judge.

What education, training, vocation or just plain luck would someone have to have in order to get a job like yours?

That is easy just show up and volunteer. I started about 1 year ago in April of ’07 and the next month I was chosen to be head referee. It basically involves reading and understanding the rules and how the game is played.

What is the funniest story you can think of that involves your professional training or your job?

It was when I was a guest referee for another New Jersey league’s bout. At the end of the bout I was off to the side talking with my girlfriend and this young woman, who had been a spectator, walked up and asked if it was ok for her boyfriend to take a picture of me and her. She said I was her favorite referee. I never really saw myself in that light; I always thought it was about the ladies on the track.

I’m still pumping out emails in order to find the next Cool Job for y’all…when the replies come in I’ll be good for weeks and in the meantime I’ll try to keep everyone mildly entertained.

Today, there is a mystery for us to solve! Put on your deerstalker, grab your meerschaum pipe and follow me!

I like that people are reading My Cool Job, and although I don’t care too much about the numbers (I’m much more flattered when people actually stop by to comment), I do look at the wordpress ’stats’ page every once in a while. Today, I noticed that there have been 6 visitors today to my little corner of the web that were referred by this address: http://blog.fc2.com/.

The address looks rather innocuous and boring, doesn’t it? i thought so too, until I started surfing the site in question only to discover unicorns, bunny rabbits, Ze Frank-ish ‘duckies’, lots of pictures of cute kids and strange food, and interesting tidbits like this: “‘ve D&G BODY ジオン d’erlanger 90’s L’Arc～en～Ciel L’ALSACIENNE color’s B’z GRILL’OR 浜崎あゆみ,talkin’ pop’nmusic color’s～“.

Small though my readership may be, I do know it includes people from literally all over the world, so I’m hoping that with the combined brainpower, language skills and sometimes weird but always entertaining imagination power of the Cool Jobsters we can figure this out together.

Here are some of my guesses as to what it all might mean:

1) I have a bi-lingual reader who likes My Cool Job but is too shy to email me and let me know;

2) This is a clever ploy by the skate punks who invaded my blog a few weeks ago to drive me insane with curiosity;

3) It’s all meaningless: just another computer-generated link to a blog that was created by a robot program;

4) Japanese actor, musician, fashion model and ultra-hottie Tadanobu Asano has received the psychic transmissions I’ve been sending every time I watch Last Life In the Universe, Zatoichi and Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl. The link in question is just his way of saying “Ohio!” to his biggest fan*;

5) OK…now it’s your turn. What does it all mean?

Best answer gets a prize!

*Note: For those of you not familiar with Tadanobu Asano (aka the “Johnny Depp of Japan”), this guess is about as likely as Brad Pitt stopping by your house for a cup of tea, but equally nice to imagine. Sigh.

Yes, Cool Jobsters, I did give it my best shot today to find someone to tell us about his or her cool job, but alas my email box remains empty as of this moment. Rather than allow you to think I have neglected my corner of the blogosphere, and rather than tell another story about a cool job I’ve had (I’m saving those up for when I really need them!) I’m going to give you a list of the cool jobs that I’d most like to feature here in the near future.

Here they are in no particular order:

1. Sommelier

2. Taxidermist

3. Trauma surgeon

4. Celebrity Impersonator (I’d prefer Elvis, but I could live with Marilyn)

5. High School Chemistry Teacher

6. Rock musician

7. Farmer

8. Private Detective

9. Choreographer

10. Luthier

These are all cool jobs that interest me, and most of them are jobs that I’ve been attempting to feature on the site — but for whatever reason I’ve been unable to make it happen. If you have one of these jobs, or know someone who does, or even know a friend of a friend of a guy who you think might have mentioned that he knows someone who has one of these occupations, please drop me a line at jimsmuse@comcast.net!

I do promise you something fun tomorrow, even if I have to run myself over and then interview the paramedics on the way to the hospital. How’s that for devotion?

If you’re old enough to remember when Ray Bans and Reeboks were the hot fashion accessories, ties were thin, parachute pants were obligatory, and Square Pegs was the best show on television — then you probably remember the music trend called “Ska”.

A blend of Jamaican rhythms, screaming horns and punk attitude, Ska was cooler than pop, more sophisticated than punk, and rocked out large without the need for big hair.   (Note:  Yes, kids, that is a “chunky and spunky” Sarah Jessica Parker in the lower right of the photo!)

I’ve been missing bands like The Toasters, Madness and Fishbone for years and feared that the Ska trend had run its course.

So what does all this have to do with Casual Friday on My Cool Job?  Well, it turns out that Ska is apparently alive and well in Las Cruces, New Mexico and being performed on a regular basis by The Casual Fridays.

I’ve just spent a delightful 20 minutes listening to the music on their MySpace page, and if you miss the Ska days like I do, then I highly recommend that you give them a listen!

And if you’re too young to remember Ska the first time around:

a) You’re in for a treat, because it’s infectiously fun music; and

b) I’m jealous!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Today’s entry is at the request of My Cool Job fan Angela B, who told me she has always been interested in volcanoes and wanted to find out more about what it’s like to be a Geologist — a profession I previously knew little about. But no longer.

A few clicks on the web later, I arrived at Cool Jobster Jessica Ball’s very entertaining blog Magma Cum Laude. As the title implies, it’s a blog written by someone who loves “hot rocks” and has a great sense of humor.

According to my research, the word “geology” was first used to describe “the study of solid matter that constitutes the earth” in 1779, but the actual “matter” that geologists study is far older than that — millions of years older, in fact.

So how did the Painted Desert get “painted”? How did Mt. Everest get so high? Where does the magma that spews out of an erupting volcano come from? These are just a few of the types of questions that you can search for answers to when your “cool job” is Geologist!

The ‘interview’ below is one of the best-written and most engaging entries so far, and I’m thoroughly pleased to introduce Geologist Jessica Ball and her “cool job” to you!

When people ask you “what do you do?” how do you describe your job?

Geologists are like detectives, only most of the events we investigate happened thousands, millions, or even billions of years ago. We like to pick apart puzzles and answer questions, and we’re always developing new tools with which to do so. Occasionally we get to experience geology “happening”, like when a volcano erupts, an earthquake or a landslide occurs, a tsunami or a hurricane strikes, or glaciers melt and ice caps break up because of global warming. But we’re constantly asking questions about the world around us, and trying to find the best ways to explain what we see.

What are the things about your job that you love?

I love that geologists have the opportunity to spend so much time outside, or “in the field”. We visit some pretty amazing and beautiful places, and it’s even more fun to go somewhere when you’re able to figure out a little bit of how it came to be the way it is. I love going somewhere I’ve never been, looking at the geology around me and being able to read in rocks and sand and landscapes what could have happened there millions of years ago. It’s like the Earth is a book, and geology teaches you the language it’s written in.

What are the things about your job that you hate?

Sometimes fieldwork can be uncomfortable, painful, and exhausting. Many places geologists study aren’t easily accessible by cars, and sometimes we do a lot of hiking through pretty rugged terrain. Rocks are often best exposed in hot, arid places, and working in the desert can be dangerous if you’re not prepared for it. You can easily become dehydrated or injured, and most of the time you’re not close to a city or town where you can get help. Likewise, if you do field work in cold places or during the winter, you have to be careful not to get hypothermia or frostbite. A lot of geologists enjoy challenging themselves with harsh conditions, though, and I appreciate the chance to test my abilities as long as I can be reasonably sure that I’m not in danger of being seriously hurt.

Sometimes you don’t get to do fieldwork, though, and working in the laboratory can get boring. Chemical and age analyses are a lot of work, and often involve number-crunching, where you spend a long time making sense of numerical data.

What education, training, vocation or just plain luck would someone have to have in order to get a job like yours?

First of all, take as many science and math classes as you can. Geology, although many people don’t realize it, incorporates aspects of all the so-called “hard” sciences - chemistry, physics, biology. We use all of them in geology! Computer skills are also very useful; new technologies are always being developed that are useful to geologists, and being able to adapt them as needed lets you get your work done faster and more efficiently. Most important of all, however, are writing skills. Geologists write constantly. We write grant proposals to get money for research, we write papers for journals and conferences, we communicate with each other when we need information about what we’re studying, and and almost every geologist will contribute to a textbook, field guide, lesson plan or book reviews in the course of their career. If a geologist doesn’t publish their work, people will never be able to benefit from it, and the geologist may have problems keeping themselves employed. A field notebook is the geologist’s most important tool, and if they don’t already have good writing skills, their work will suffer.

Many geologists are very passionate about their jobs, but it took a lot of work for them to get there.

What is the funniest story you can think of that involves your professional training or your job?

I have lots of stories from various field trips, but my favorite is from a field camp.

The last undergrad field trip I took was to Big Bend, Texas. I was a TA, which meant that I was one of the people responsible for driving the vans (the 12-passenger kind). It was the end of the day, we’d finished dinner and we were heading to a hot spring along the Rio Grande for a nice soak. The hot spring was at the end of a very long, narrow, rocky dirt road. At one point, the road was so narrow that there was barely a foot of room on either side of the van, with a dropoff on one side and a cliff on the other. Naturally, I was driving at only a few mph, not wanting to run off the road into the gully.

Suddenly there was a huge jolt and a grinding noise. I braked quickly, terrified I’d blown a tire, and panicking over how we were going to change it with no room on the road. The other TA got out to check the wheels, and told me that I’d just run over a large rock and that it was stuck behind one of the (mercifully still inflated) tires, but nothing else was wrong. It was a very large rock - close to a hundred pounds - but he managed to move it out of the way, and we continued on to the hot spring, albeit a great deal slower than before.

Two days later, we were having some trouble closing the passenger door on the van. We’d just finished driving out to the hot spring again, and some of the students were looking at the van to find out why. One called me over and pointed to the underside of the passenger step. “I think that’s the problem,” he said, laughing.

Turns out we hadn’t gotten away with as little damage as we’d thought - the rock had not only gotten stuck behind the wheel, it had bent up the entire passenger step and punched a hole in part of the undercarriage. And we hadn’t noticed it for two days. For geologists, being that unobservant is pretty bad. I was, naturally, mortified, especially since it was a rental van, but the rental company didn’t try to hunt me down, and the school’s insurance paid for repairs. I still hold the record in the department for the most damage done to a field trip vehicle, though. The moral? Even for a geologist, rocks are not always your friends.

Well, perhaps I am exaggerating just a bit.

But if you’d like to know why I call myself ‘jimsmuse’, what my favorite word is, or how I find contributors for My Cool Job then please be sure to read all about it here: Interview: My Cool Job.

I am certainly not in the same stratospheric “Internet Celebrity” league as the Numa Numa Guy, Randy Constan aka Peter Pan, or Seth Godin — but I think the ball must be rolling now that I’ve been interviewed for Sky Fishing by My Cool Job contributor and commenter Prairieflounder (you can see his MCJ entry here).

PF has also recently become the Pied Piper of Steampunk live action roleplay (and general exploding mayhem) by founding the Steampunk Action Shooting Society. Please be sure to address me at the Victorian Era Monster Shoot as Dr. Mabel Prescott: and do be polite, as it is entirely possible I may have hidden a derringer under my petticoats.

I think libraries are awesome. Whether it is the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, or my local smalltown library that has about half the amount of books that I do (not including the ones I keep forgetting to return), there is something about the library atmosphere that I love. I know I can learn about books that I might like to read on Amazon, but there is something much more satisfying about finding the Dewey Decimal system number for a subject I’m interested in, then diving into the stacks to see what’s available. (My favorites? 133.4, 646.7, and 530 — I head for those first in any library I enter. How much more of a library-geek could I possibly be?)

While librarians may have the stereotype of being stuffy and sometimes stern in “shushing” everyone who talks, this bad rap is nothing compared to historical library-tyrant Ptolemy III of Egypt who reigned from 246 BC to 222 BC. Ptolemy was the ruler who founded the Great Library of Alexandria, which some scholars have estimated contained almost a million documents — a pretty impressive feat considering that the printing press and the HP Laserjet had yet to be invented. So how exactly did Ptolemy amass this amazing collection? Simple! He decreed that any document, scroll or book in any written language would be confiscated from any traveler entering the port or city of Alexandria and copied for the library. No exceptions, and yes, it included what we might consider to be some rather privacy-invading search activity. It was kind of like the Patriot Act, Egyptian-style.

But let us return to the present day, where a library does not usually strip-search you looking for scrolls when you enter, and where the possibilities of information retrieval and entertainment can seem limitless. The slightly mysterious but very cool S. Le of “I feel unusual…” liked My Cool Job enough to take the time to fill us in on what a cool thing it is to get to spend every workday in the “stacks”.

Thanks to you, fellow blogger, and I do promise to finally get my overdue books back soon!

When people ask you “what do you do?” how do you describe your job?

I work at a Public Library. My main jobs are working at the Adult Dept. Circulation desk and heading up the Interlibrary Loan Dept. I also do some computer tech type jobs, maintain the shelves of new fiction, new non-fiction, mysteries, westerns, science fiction, and regular fiction room. Obviously we are a medium sized, small city library. We all have multiple jobs!

What are the things about your job that you love?

I love the library itself because it is very old. It was a high school in the 1950’s. It is fun to see all of the new books before they reach public display. It’s sort of like working in a candy store for the book lover. I usually enjoy assisting the public or “patrons” as they are known in the library world. Finding obscure books for people is always fun and a big part of the Interlibrary Loan department. There is a lot of paper work, but I enjoy that as well. I am rather anal!

What are the things about your job that you hate?

The absolute worst thing about my job is finding porn on our public use computers. We have rules that patrons sign stating they will not look at porn but they think we are idiots and won’t check. It is also difficult working with the public who may be obnoxious, smarmy, scary, or smelly.

What education, training, vocation or just plain luck would someone have to have in order to get a job like yours?

Since I am only a Library Assistant instead of a “real” librarian, really only a high school diploma or GED is required. My current position was attained quickly though because of previous experience in the business world. I had held management positions and piloted a new programme for schools in a four county area. It may also help that I live in a small city instead of a large one where there is a broader employee base.

What is the funniest story you can think of that involves your professional training or your job?

You know, I can’t quite think of anything very funny. My job is fun but a certain decorum is maintained in the library setting. Most everything I can think of is more funny-sad instead of hilarious. Sorry!

There is something about the world of magic that brings out the childlike wonder in everyone, even a cynic like me. Whether it’s seeing a helicopter disappear onstage (which I did last year in Vegas, and yes, it was pretty awesome) or having someone pull a quarter from my ear, I can’t get enough of it.

Today’s contributor Wayne Kawamoto is one of those people who makes his living by keeping folks asking, “How did he do that?” He is not only a professional magician who performs regularly in all types of venues, he’s also an author and teacher of magic, which makes the job that much more cool, in my opinion. I’m glad that there is someone willing to teach the next generation how to keep magic alive for everyone.

One of the reasons I admire magicians so much is not only their ability to entertain, but the years of dedication it takes to perfect their craft (i still have trouble shuffling cards, let alone making them do anything else!) But if you have the dexterity and the devotion, and happen to be someone who likes to astound and amaze and entertain, then magic just might be the cool job for you!

So what tricks does Wayne have up his sleeve? Let’s find out!

When people ask you “what do you do?” how do you describe your job?

I am a full time, professional magician and implicit in this statement is that I’m an entertainer. I perform at restaurants and bars and company and family events, anything from on a formal stage to a backyard.

I’m also a writer. My new beginner’s magic book, Picture Yourself As a Magician is now available through Amazon and will be in Barnes & Noble and Borders bookstores.

I also teach magic through my video podcast. I’m also the editorial guide for Magic.About.com where I write about magic.

What are the things about your job that you love?

I get to make a connection with a variety of people that I would normally not have anything in common with. And I get to entertain them and leave them laughing and feeling good.

I once entertained the Los Angeles Dodgers and in any other situation, I would have just been another fan. But I was able to show them tricks and connect with the players and their families. And this same connection goes for CEOs, celebrities, kids, teens, senior citizens and more. You can see the variety of crowds that I entertain in my video at my website.

I also get to play a part at important events in peoples lives: weddings, proms, grad nights, anniversaries, reunions, retirements, bar mitzvahs, college graduations and more. It’s a privilege that I always keep in mind and it pushes me to always perform at my best.

What are the things about your job that you hate?

There’s nothing about the job that I actually hate. Sometimes, there are long days. This past Saturday, I was either performing or driving for a solid twelve hours. Three stand-up shows in the afternoon, a walk-around gig at a restaurant for a couple of hours in the early evening, and the day was capped with a multi-hour walk-around gig at a high school prom.

Perhaps the only downside is the negative image that the general public has of magicians. There are lots of purely awful magicians and costumed characters who give magic a horrible reputation. I can just picture all those “entertainers” in their cheap wizard and clown suits, and it seems as if almost everyone has been subjected to one.

Because of this negative image, and it is justified based on the volume of awful performers out there, I encounter crowds who may not want to see magic. But if they give me a reluctant “go ahead,” I can often leave them with a new, favorable impression. I often hear initially skeptical people say “that was actually a lot of fun,” which is music to my ears and makes me feel that I’ve left a favorable impression for the art of magic.

What education, training, vocation or just plain luck would someone have to have in order to get a job like yours?

The main prerequisite is that one has to be a people person and have a genuine desire to entertain so others can have fun. There are many people who are intrigued by magic but lack this skill, and no matter how good they become technically, they’ll never become great entertainers.

Magic also takes a lot of training and practice to learn the real skills of sleight of hand and working with audiences. It’s not a matter of simply purchasing a few tricks from a magic shop.

I couldn’t make a living if I simply relied on trick items. I have to use skill to entertain sophisticated audiences. And it’s only after performing lots of lots of shows that one earns an instinct about the skill of entertaining and being good at it.

What is the funniest story you can think of that involves your professional training or your job?

Early on when I was developing my strait jacket escape I actually got stuck in it on stage. It wasn’t funny at the time, but I can look back and laugh about it now. Sometimes, as an entertainer, you have to try new things, and if you’re always playing it safe, you’re not necessarily getting anywhere or growing.

Because I had the worst thing happen with the escape, I couldn’t get out, it’s made it easier to go out there and perform under almost any condition. And I did go back and perform the strait jacket escape a week later and have continued to perform the routine.