It is March 2013, and I return to Canada to perform for a fundraising show in Kindersley, Saskatchewan, about 2 hours outside Saskatoon. Kindersley has a population of just under 5,000 and is a mineral rich farming community, like so many others in this region.

Over the last 25 years of my career, I have performed for a lot of fairs and expositions, including the Calgary Stampede, Saskatoon Prairielands Exhibition, Medicine Hat Exhibition, Royal Manitoba Winter Exhibition in Brandon, private parties for the military, and others.

In December 2011, I did not apply for a tax exemption before doing a show for a military squadron. This was my mistake and I knew better. Regaredless, it cost me $225.00, which the government withheld from my check and submitted to Revenue Canada (the equivalent of the Internal Revenue Service in the USA). The only way I was going to get that money back was to file a Canadian tax return. I didn’t bother.

Before working in Canada, U.S. citizens must apply for tax exemption. If they do not, it is mandated that the Canadian host retain 15% of gross payment and send it to Revenue Canada. To apply for tax exemption, there are a number of steps to take. It is not complicated, but it must be done at least 3-4 weeks before the event date to give Revenue Canada sufficent time to respond.

December 2012

My father was George Sands. His mother called him Georgie. He called himself SandSational. I called him dad.

People ask me all the time, “What was it like growing up with a father who did magic?” and I can only reply, “That’s all I knew.” I didn’t realize that my life was exceptional. For a long time, I would say, “I wish he had been a doctor or a lawyer,” but I have changed that tune. I miss my father, for who he was.

2012 July 8 - I recently went camping along the coast of California at Phieffer Big Sur State Park to get out of the San Francisco Bay Area and breathe some smoke. The neighbors at our next door site were friendly enough when we arrived, but there seemed to be some differences in how we communed with nature. The first sign was their Coke Zero, the giant red bag of Fritos chips, and the two cushioned, raised chairs their designer Scotties (dogs) sat on. The clincher was when they used a remote control to close the door of their VW SUV from 60 feet away...

On March 19th, 2012 I flew to Long Beach on a whim, to visit the Magic Castle in Hollywood. I went there to visit a childhood friend of my father’s, George Schindler, and got to meet his wife, Nina, for the second time. George was performing in the Parlor at the Magic Castle and I had never seen him perform before. He arranged two guest passes for me, so I brought along hypnotist Marc Bachrach, whose home I stayed at while in the LA area. ...

2012 January 26. If you haven’t already seen it, you should check out this New York Times article, which I posted to Facebook today: In China, Human Costs Are Built Into an iPad .

Apple, along with most other computer companies, now assemble and manufacture everything in China because China can do it for less than $10 a unit. How do they do it? China operates sweat shops that keep workers at the factory for 12 hour shifts to meet the high demand Apple has for its products at the cheapest price. ...

2012 February 17 - I just completed a magic lecture tour across the Southern states, arranged by Scott Wells, Southern Lecture Tour Coordinator of Houston. I was in seven cities including St. Louis, Kansas City, New Orleans, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin. Two places I stayed at have been in the homes of magic collectors who have magic museums and collections second to none I have ever seen. ...

2012 February 17 - Let’s catch up. I had a busy holiday season, and a very busy January. On New Years I was in the middle of Nebraska for a fundraiser that brought in more than $8,500 for the local Catholic School. They charged $60 per ticket to see my show and have dinner. 145 adults came, in a town that only has 750 people. I felt like a rock star! I did a great show, too. What an amazing audience! After the show I went to the local saloon for New Years Eve, drank with the locals, and had a great time. I love that Midwest hospitality. Thank you Elgin, Nebraska! ...