Acidus Globus

THE BLURB:
From the innovative mind that brought you ACIDUS NOVUS, the
classic billet peek that is used by working professionals
the world over, comes ACIDUS GLOBUS. And, like its legendary
predecessor, ACIDUS GLOBUS is simplicity itself.

Why is ACIDUS GLOBUS considered to be the "Holy Grail" of
billet peeks? Because it's a full billet peek, with no
restrictions on where the writing is placed on the billet,
that's why!

Here are some of the features of this breakthrough billet
method:

• Easy to do

• Natural movements

• No palming

• No switching

• No tearing

• No dummy billets

This is what professional mentalists and readers have been
waiting for -- a totally natural billet technique that can
be used for stage or close-up, impromptu or prepared.

"Why should I write in the center of the little piece of
paper?"

That question will never come up again. No longer will you
have to make sure your audience members write in the center
of a billet, or in any particular corner, either. They can
literally write their thought anywhere on the billet, fold
it up, hand it to you and in a moment, you know exactly
what's on their mind!

Notice that I said, "they can write their thought anywhere
on the billet". That's right, not only can they write
anywhere on the billet, they can write as much as they want,
too, so you're not limited to a single word or phrase,
either, making ACIDUS GLOBUS perfect for both public Q&A
presentations and private readings, too.

Granted, you will no longer have to draw circles, crystal
balls or TV screens on your billets to make sure the thought
is properly positioned ... but I'm sure you'll get used to
the complete freedom created by ACIDUS GLOBUS.

THOUGHT READING WITH BILLETS, Volume Two: Acidus Globus
comes on a professionally authored and mastered DVD, and
contains:

• Complete step-by-step instructions for one- and two-
handed peeks

• Four of Millard's routines using ACIDUS GLOBUS

• Five versions of ACIDUS GLOBUS, including Millard's top
two favorites

• Two subtle methods to mark the billets

• Millard's Favorite Billet Switch

• What to do when "things go wrong"

• Plus much, much more ...

Not only does Millard teach you the ins and outs of ACIDUS
GLOBUS (plus all of the things mentioned above), he takes
the time to share with you his thoughts on ...

• The history of billet work

• The best strategies for answering questions

• The Professional Reader's Ultimate Out

• The best way to present a blindfold act

• The real secrets to successful billet work

• How to engage your audience and sitters

• And, well ... much, much more!

If you're familiar with Millard's other offerings to the
mentalism community, you know that his clear and concise
thinking can make the difference between a compelling
presentation and something that's just a minor parlor trick.

Please understand that it wasn't easy convincing Millard to
give up his full billet peek after over a decade of private
use. I consider myself to be a fairly persuasive person, and
it took quite a bit of work on my part to bring this project
together. The good news is that once Millard agreed to
reveal ACIDUS GLOBUS, he became very enthusiastic about
sharing his knowledge and held absolutely nothing back.

MY COMMENTS:
Blame it on Loren Tindall. He's the one that convinced Millard to release his pet peek -- a full billet peek no less! -- that he's been using and refining for about ten years. Is it any good? Yep. Is it easy to do? It's a tad more difficult than Acidus Novus, which required folding and a squeeze. This requires a little bit more. I should mention that I was not really impressed with how it looks when using a business card. The folds are pretty strange. But when applied to the more square shape, it's very natural looking and incredibly deceptive. Is it any better than Acidus Novus? This is a valid question, but not necessarily a fair one. It's like comparing apples and oranges. They're both excellent. They both have their uses. And they are different.

I should also mention a bit about the angles. I know that many complain about certain billet techniques not being angle proof. This is silly. At some point with a billet, a move is made and, during that move, it's not completely angle proof. By the very definition of what a billet peek is, it can't be. The catch is to perform the move so that it's not suspect or that it's hidden by some larger move or deception. In this case, Millard has come up with some handling that makes it as close to angle proof as you can possibly get it. There is a trade-off, of course. The less you need it to be angle-proof means the less time you have to do the move and obtain thoughts. If you don't have to worry about that, then the move doesn't have to be lightning quick. You'll have plenty of time to obtain thoughts. Of course, this is also true of many other peeks.

What you get is a DVD that's just shy of three hours in length. It features Millard Longman being interviewed by Loren Tillman as he explains everything you ever wanted to know about Acidus Globus. I've listed the table of contents of the three different DVD menu sections below. I think that the list pretty much covers the subject of what you get. As to how it compares with Richard Busch's full billet peek and others that I have encountered, it's difficulty to say as they all have their advantages and disadvantages. Acidus Globus is certainly well-tested and is a worker. Whether or not it fits one's style is something only the individual performer can determine. However, I don't feel that there is any debate that, as with Acidus Novus, this is a utility move that is worth every penny of the asking price and is invaluable to the working mentalist.

Pre-Interview:
Introduction
Drawing Dup/Reading Demo
Billet History
Thoughts on Readings
Acidus Globus Method
General Billet Handling Advice
Engage the Audience
Moving Naturally
Non-Verbal Communication
Psychometry

Detailed Instruction:
Favorite Billet Material and Size
Favorite Billet Landscape Fold
Favorite Portrait Fold
Second Fav. Billet
Source for Half-Size Index Cards
Third Fav. Billet
Least Fav. Billet
My Favorite Billet Switch

Post Interview:
Thoughts on the Q&A Act
Answering Questions
The Ultimate Out
Thoghts on the Blindfold Act
Acidus Globus With Blindfold
Thoughts on Two Person Act
Wrap Up