Talk:Chan Canasta

Tag removal
This page was tagged in Nov 2017 for notability, poor references and WP:COI. I've addressed the first two by adding inline citations to two national UK newspapers, a few other refs, clearing out some over-detailed waffle and added a few 'citation needed' tags inline, myself. However, I'm unable to see why a COI tag was placed on this page (apart from a couple of uncited paragraphs added in 2014), so have asked for clarification on this. I propose to come back and remove the COI tag in a few weeks time if the tagging IP editor is unable to furnish an explain. (Sorry - that sounds far more accusative than it's meant to be - it's an honest question). Obviously, any other editor who has concerns at past COI is free to express them, here too (with diffs if poss, please). Regards from the UK, Nick Moyes (talk) 01:49, 13 November 2017 (UTC)
 * I've removed the tag. Thincat (talk) 09:39, 3 June 2018 (UTC)

Book trick
My memory of his 'signature' book trick is somewhat different. He would be alone with a freestanding bookcase perhaps six feet wide and 5 shelves high full of variously sized books of different thicknesses. A member of the audience would be invited to come up and select a book, open it at random and select a word noting the shelf, position on shelf, page, line and position on line and then replacing the book. Then with them both facing each other stage left and right, calling out those details and Chan Canasta would after a very short pause for thought announce the word; ostensibly having memorized 500,000 words.

Now, remember that he was originally a stage magician - I am afraid 'magic' tricks are invariably puerile once explained. A simple method is to have a duplicate bookcase in the wings and an assistant find the word as the details are called out, and chalk the word on a blackboard invisible to the audience and behind the volunteer but in full view of Chan Canasta over their shoulder. Then again perhaps every book was the same, composed of the same block of 2? pages repeated, and he really had remembered 200 words?

86.187.169.96 (talk) 21:44, 5 January 2019 (UTC)

All the same it was very impressive!