Incredible Stacking Routine

Many of us have seen, and been awed by the nine cigar box stacking routine. Well, here is a stacking routine that goes way beyond that. Give it a try (if you've got 22 cigar boxes, or the equivalent thereof)!

JuggleWiki

Is everyone familiar with JuggleWiki?

I'm particularly fascinated by the pattern animations. I remember a site from few years ago with similar animations, but I believe JuggleWiki has a more comprehensive compendium. And there's all neatly arranged in siteswap notation for the juggling nerds.

Update on Tournament

I won I won I won I won!!!!!!!!!!!!! First place in four events in my age division, which consited of two people. But actually, combining my age division and the division above mine, I still would have taken first (that's five people total). I now have four shiny medals to hang....but where to hang them.............

"Sport Stacking" (Cup stacking) Tournament!!!!

I'm so excited. I have officially signed up to be in a tournament on November 22. Wish me luck!!

3-Ball Juggling Book for Sale!

Rummaging around in my back room the other day, I came across a supply of Beyond the Cascade: Step-by-Step Guides to 88 Classic 3-Ball Juggling Tricks that I had planned to provide to some juggling classes I was teaching. I have 20 pristine copies of the book. And would love to find new homes for them.

Dube sells this book for $12.95. I'm offering them for $5.00 apiece -- and will mail them at no additional charge if you can't make it to the gym.

Learning juggling tricks from a book is always a bit... well, a bit tricky -- but the drawings in this book are excellent and the verbal descriptions are quite clear. And the book includes juggling tricks that even Christian doesn't know. (Not many, to be sure, but at least a couple...)

If you're interested, please write a comment to this posting or send me an e-mail at GotaJugl@msn.com or call me at 610.436.5759. I will try to remember to bring several copies with me to upcoming practice sessions.

Sew Your Own

During last Saturday's practice session, several jugglers briefly pondered patterns not oft considered at they gym. Of course there was banter about siteswap , but we also talked about sewing patterns and templates used to fabricate one's own bean bag props. Turns out The Interned Juggling Database (IJDB) hosts a great page on stitching beanies. Scroll for downloadable templates in .pdf files.

Dodecahedrons, truncated tetrahedrons; the geometries are beautiful. Another quality of our passion convincing me of the logic of the pre- and non-digital.

See Ellen or Janelle to sample eponymous bean bags "Ellens" and "Janelles."

Octopus juggling

But can he do a shower?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1082084/Youve-heard-clown-fish--Now-meet-juggling-octopus-shoots-water-jets-switch-lights.html?ITO=1490

If anyone can find a video, please share.

Craig

Joggle and Joggle

We all know the verb "joggle" as the simultaneous action of juggling and jogging, but did you know "joggle" is also an architecture term? According to my Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture, a "joggle" is

a notch or projection in one piece of material which is fitted to a projection or notch in a second piece to prevent one piece from slipping on the other.

Hmm. Rest assured I will casually introduce "joggle" into a conversation with a coworker tomorrow. See the link for an illustration.

4 Ball Box

a few weeks ago we discussed the 4 ball box pattern. a true 4bb, with stacked throws, looks like this.

what we see vova doing here circa 3:40 is a pseudo 4bb because the vertical throws are fountain-like, rather than the true stacked pattern in the first video.

Juggling with Bill and Ellen

Almost precisely one year ago Bill and Ellen agreed to be in a film I made for my final project in a film class I took in fall 2007. Now that we have this awesome blog, there was some discussion over dinner yesterday about possibly posting the video on here. Well, your wish is my command. Enjoy!

Click this link to watch!

http://blip.tv/file/744644

My Oh My!

Wow! I am sure missing a lot with you Turk's Head Gang!!! If I was at school I would honestly go to the Faire with you Randy and I would be in costume as well!
Alas, I am here in sunny, hot, humid Florida working for the Mouse. It's not that bad. I do get to see the Indiana Jones Stunt Show at least 3 times a day. I also get to talk into a Microphone so all is well here!

This weekend there is a Theatre Open House in Downtown Orlando and my manager is running it. He has asked me if I would like to provide some entertainment! OF COURSE! Was my reply. Not only will I be juggling, but I will also be displaying my improv skills as well as performing a monologue and a scene. I am FLOORED to have this opportunity down here. Who knows, maybe something bigger will come out of it...

I am so glad to hear that the Turks Head Jugglers are growing in numbers!!! I hope to see all of you when I arrive home in January *If I can make it in one of the 6 days until I go back to school* and if not then, then whenever I am able to pop in and say hello. Who knew being a College Senior would mean I had to get a real job in that big scary real world...haha well I guess I sorta did, but working for Disney sure has opened many new doors for me!

Best Wishes to everyone!
~Lauren

P.S. Did you know you could post pictures?! Well here is one of me at work! Enjoy!

Disney Update!

I'm a horrible person! Horrible, horrible...
I had no time to come to the club before I left. There is no excuse besides lack of time between seeing people, working, and packing, and small vacations. But that doesn't mean I haven't been practicing because I have!!!

Anyways, some of you have heard (and if not this is the perfect place to learn!) I am working in Disney World this fall! It is a very good thing for me and I am very excited! I still get to graduate college in May (that's how my dad is making sure I come home). Well I arrived in Disney Saturday night, I drove with my mom, and we went to Magic Kingdom on Sunday. It was a lot of fun before these past few days of moving in stress.

I am very content here. I have great roommates, 5 other girls all about my age, and I am working at a great location..Hollywood (MGM) Studios! I am very excited! I begin my orientation tomorrow, we get to learn all about the company, and then on Thursday I begin training at Icon Attractions! These attractions include: Great MOvie Ride, Indiana Jones, Muppett Vision, and Star Tours! I am pumped!

Also, I hope to audition to be a performer at the end of my program and maybe return in the summer. This would be great! I would love to perform down here, even though it gets hot and nasty outside!

Right now it is pouring due to Hurricane/Tropical Storm Fay and we are inside relaxing before a long day of training tomorrow *4 straight hours*
anyways I'm probably boring you...but I promise to keep in touch! Hope all is well with everyone!

I've Been Published

I sent a poem to someone a year or two ago, and now you can see my work in the book "More Than Little Professors". It's a collection of writing, quotes, art, and more by kids within the Autism Spectrum.



http://www.novelgames.com/flashgames/game.php?id=5

Click there for an online, typing style game of cup stacking.

Action News!?

ok so I was watching action news at noon today because it was not a good beach day here. I was watching the opening and I could have sworn I saw Randy juggling. Randy are you in the opening roll of Action News???? Serious I swore it was you...it went by so fast though, it could have been another juggler.

CLASSIFICATION
Lightning Bugs are the same as Fireflies. They are members of a particular family of the Beetle Order. The Firefly Family is technically known as the Lampyridae.
Lightning Bugs are beetles. They can't be "flies" as their name suggests because "flies" are members of the Fly Order. Glow-worms, which produce light similar to Lightning Bugs', also are beetles, but they belong to a different though closely related family, the Phengodidae. There are many Lightning Bug species.

I'm Alive...I Promise!

Hey Gang,

  So I was very active in the beginning of the summer and then I seemingly "disappeared". In all honesty it's because I haven't been feeling too well and I had to get tested for a whole bunch of stuff. All of which came back positive and it turns out I was just "running on empty". However, I am still trying to get my sleep schedule on track and what not so I have been going home straight from my internship and heading to bed early ( by early I mean 10pm at the very latest). Yay for Sleep! 

Bad news: I won't be back at all this week or next. Family vacation has taken me hostage...I'm not complaining. (yet).

Good News: I will be back before I go to Disney (which is only 38 days away!!!)!!!

I know you all wanted to hear what was on in my life, but I thought you should know that I love you all and I wasn't avoiding you. Life just ended up catching up to me.

I haven't been lazy from juggling. As you know, I have been working on my cigar boxes and they are starting to tune up nicely. With the help of my friend, a professional magician, I have been putting together a routine to a jazzed up version of "Everybody Wants To Be A Cat." It's still in the beginning stages but I already have costumes, an opening, and I'm working on NEW tricks!!! This is very exciting for me an challenging. If I have it together before heading off to Disney I'll show it to you guys. If I don't, I'll post it via video on the blog.

Much Love in Juggling!!!

Lauren

I finally made it

What a process! But at last, here I am registered for the blog. I've had less trouble obtaining larges sums of money in small unmarked bills that this, but that is another story for another day.

See you all when I see you!

jack

Passing Data Base

Here's a good passing link we should consider adding to the main link page of the THJ site:

http://www.passingdb.com/

Juggling Fire: some words of wisdom...

If you're thinking of juggling fire (or even if you're already doing so), you might want to check out the latest addition to the "Miscellaneous" Page. The new posting links to two excellent write-ups about how to minimize the dangers involved.

That Poem I Promised...

The following was written by Margaret Mitchell Miller. It was published in the winter, 1995 edition of Juggler's World:

THIS TRICK

To begin, I must warn you:
it is more than a gesture of skill
or chance. It requires a love of

threes. You will find it impossible
to do, at first. There is one
more ball than you can manage with

ease. Each hand desires but a single
thing -- another hand, say -- touched
to the small cupped

palm. But you know what you need
to complete this trick. Part of your task
is mastering the perfect rhythm of

threes. You must practice in a room so large
that nothing is easily broken. At your first toss
the balls will drop and roll just out of

reach. Resist the urge to give in
to the loss. Soon your legs and arms grow limber,
stronger, as you learn to retrieve them

all. Listen: the trick is in keeping
two balls in the air, you eye fixed on them
always. In the exchange you must free what you

hold: you live for the one that is
falling. It is what you hands desire most, you
know. With practice you learn to anticipate

the moment you must let go.

Juggling College Life

So I'm thinking that this blog is pretty cool. I'm happy to be a part of it! I'm a big fan of blogging when I can remember to keep up with it. I hope everyone continues to make good use of it.

What has everybody been up to?

I haven't seen most of you since Christmas time! I stopped by the club a few weekends ago but there were only 3 people there besides myself because of the holiday. I will definitely try to make it out to club again one of these days. I miss you all very much.

It has been a crazy year at Temple. I think you will be excited to know that I did it! I'm not talking about having a successful freshman year (even though I did...), I'm talking about how I started a juggling club at Temple University! Right now it remains "unofficial" but I have gained enough interest that the TUJC is off to a strong start. The first semester of our meetings has consisted of about 10 people juggling together twice a week. The club contains a lot of beginners and other jugglers that have been waiting for a club like this to come along so they could practice. It has been a great experience. A lot more people have expressed interest on the Facebook group and in person when they pass by the club. So maybe we will obtain even more interest in the Fall.

Since everyone is home for the summer, including myself, we will resume our club meetings twice a week during the Fall semester.

It has been a pleasure founding the TUJC. If anyone from Turks ever wants to stop by the club sometime please let me know when it gets closer to the fall and I'll have a better idea of what the TUJC's schedule looks like.

For right now, I can't wait to get back to West Chester and see everyone. I'll keep you posted...

Oh yeah... for those of you who use Facebook there is a Temple University Juggling Club group. Just search for "Temple University Juggling Club" and join!

Alright. Happy summer everybody!
~Bianca

Clubbing without a helmet

Ok now I know what you all are thinking. Lauren is 21 now and she probably got herself into some trouble and that is why she titled the blog as such. 

I am here to state that I have yet to be in trouble or to a real club.

I am simply talking about juggling clubs. When I first started my lovely purple clubs, I used to hit myself in the head a lot. When I practiced at home I would put my read sparring helmet from Tae Kwon Do on to ease the pain a bit. I'm glad to say, as I'm sure some have noticed, that my club juggling is slightly better. 

I have been working on new tricks with my clubs so that when I get to Disney in the fall, ask me about it I LOVE talking about it!, I will have tricks up my sleeve that might get me into those famous parades or even a little Main Street Show. While I know that I am far from it, I know that with a lot of practice and determination I can get to where I want to be. This of course means dealing with some pain.... I am proud to say that after two hours of club practice...I am getting slightly even more better, however I have lots of bruises on my forearms from it. 

Is forearm bruising normal in club juggling when you are tossing them about?

Also, a random fact that you didn't know about your lovely Lauren. She already has a blog. I muse about lots of things and would love to share it with you. Here's the link.  Go there! I talk about a lot of different things and once I am in Disney I will be Vlogging! what is a Vlog you might ask...well...It's a Video Blog. There are a few examples already on my blog. 

That's all for me I suppose. Oh and I love blogging...so unless life catches up with me, I promise to blog a lot!

Nice article about Vova Galchenko

Adam Luther forwarded this NY Times article about the young man perhaps destined to become the greatest juggler of the next decade or so.

Thought you'd like to read it!

(Thanks Adam!)

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/sports/playmagazine/601juggler.html?8dpc

What should I blog here?

Great question!!

Answer: all sorts of stuff.

Here's some suggestions:

1. SCHEDULE CHANGES: This is where we will post the information that an upcoming practice session has to be cancelled. In addition, we'll post whether we're at the gym or at the Courthouse, if there's a unicycling or boomerang session coming up -- stuff like that. So watch this space!!
2. ADVICE ON TRICKS: Working on 3 balls? 4 balls? 5 balls? Transition to rings or clubs? Learning to pass? Contact juggling? Unicycling? Cup stacking? Whatever it is, if you're getting stuck, ask for a little help from your friends!!
3. WHERE TO BUY: Thinking of investing in new props -- and not sure which would be best for you? From a set of 3 balls to a giraffe unicycle, somebody around here has some good advice for you!
4. UPCOMING SHOWS: Don't you hate it when you find out that a superb juggling act came to town and performed... last night? So if you know of an upcoming juggling/magic/mime/comedy act that you think others would enjoy, for goodness' sakes, tell the world about it here!!
5. SHOW REPORT: The other end of Item #4. If you went to that show yesterday and you really liked it -- or really hated it -- share your opinion with the rest of us.
6. BUYING OR SELLING: Anyone who has been juggling for more than 3 years or so has a couple of perfectly good props tucked away in the closet that he/she probably will never use again. So let's create our own little eBay right here!!
7. RESTAURANT REVIEWS/MOVIE REVIEWS: Hey, life is not all cascades and passing patterns. Let us know about what's happening with you between THJ practice sessions!
8. AWAY ON VACATION -- OR JUST RETURNED: See Item #7.
9. JOKES: So these 3 jugglers walk into a bar. The first one is a bounce juggler, and he orders a...
10. SOMETHING INSPIRATIONAL: There's a wonderful poem about 3-ball juggling (honest!) in an old issue of Jugglers World. If and when I find it, I'll blog it for you. Go thou and do likewise.
11. PROP REVIEWS: Hey, I just got a new set of (your prop name here) and I think they are (your opinion here), because (your reasons here).
12. STAY IN TOUCH: Off at school? Long trip somewhere exciting... or not...? Let us know how you're doing!!

The above ideas are only suggestions. I hope the blog will take on a life of its own and that we will find wonderful new things to do with it!!

So... what's on your mind?