I was working as magician on Star Dancer, a cruise ship in the Pacific. The audience was different each week, so I allowed myself to do the same tricks over and over again. There was only one problem: the captain's parrot saw the shows each week and began to understand how each and every one of my tricks worked. Once he understood, he started shouting in middle of the show:

"Look, it's not the same hat!"

"Look, he's hiding the flowers under the table."

"Hey, why are all the cards the ace of spades?"

Well, needless to say, I was furious but there was nothing I could do.
It was, after all, the captain's parrot.

One day the ship had an accident. It struck it's own anchor while under way.
The anchor ripped along the side and then when the crew tried to winch it
back the ship split down the center and sank.  There I was
on a piece of wood

in the middle of the sea

with, of all people and as fate would have it,

the parrot

who looked very old, and could have been the very same parrot
that I used to throw rocks at while a student at Redondo Union High School
or shoot my blanks at while skippering Jungle Cruise. We stared at each other with hatred
but niether of us uttered a word. This went on for a day and then another.
After the second bitter cold night and now exposed directly under the brutal sun
I was thankfull that I didn't nail him earlier. Just as comming to terms with being
freeze-dried parrot food or freeze-dried with a gut-full of parrot, I made my move.
As I lunged the parrot finally spoke:

      "OK, I give up. Where's the boat?

What makes a good pitch?  (i.e., where should/shouldn't I try to busk?) Good places to busk: In the middle of the street before a parade.  Bad places to busk: In the middle of the street any other time.

Bad situations to try and busk in. When 20 gang members rush the show, overwhelming the performer in order to steal something, or in a town with strong enforcement of anti-panhandling laws, like Hollywood.

The busker-audience relationship.

Busking legalities across the country.

Busking protocol

What tricks do buskers use?

Rules & Regulations in different cities

Festivals

Travelling Partners

The effect of busking on a relationship

Female buskers

Busking parents/Children of buskers

Busking seasons/Chistmas busking

Mainstream view of Buskers

Police and busking

Buskers organizing/march on Washington(!!!)

Jealousy of good buskers/territorial fears

Busker-Busker ethics & relationship

Appearance

Using volunteers

Using comedy

Generating ideas

Busking & selling something

Busking for kids

Busking at beaches

Busking outside sporting events

Music & sound

Grand finales

Renaissance fairs

"World Theater"  (east + west traditions)

Busking in a new town

Gypsy/Rom roots:  history & present day Gypsies

Busking resources

Books on Busking

Building a routine

Getting applause

--
&that's all he wrote.
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