# There is juggling..then there is this.. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 23, 2006, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512 "2006-03-23T00:01:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![One\_amoung\_many](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cab0a1/32.png) [@One\_amoung\_many](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_amoung_many)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/1 "2006-03-23T00:01:28Z")
[http://www.gkko.com/videos/2414/amazing-juggling-act](http://www.gkko.com/videos/2414/amazing-juggling-act) Simply amazing. I’m very impressed. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/2 "2006-03-23T00:15:33Z")
Okay, that is just insane. And cool. Call it…insanely cool. 🙂 At the beginning of last school year, we had a motivational speaker come rally the teachers and staff in a sort of whoo hoo! let’s do this teaching thing! presentation. He was a one-armed juggler who was quite skilled (and studied), and his theme was basically overcoming obstacles to do not just what others can do, but _better_ and beyond anyone’s expectations. Great message…until he committed suicide a few months later. ☹ We also learned in the article about his death that he’d lost his arm in a previous suicide attempt when he’d stepped in front of a train. Kind of takes the gloss off his message. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/3 "2006-03-23T00:58:07Z")
> [@Ruffian](#): > > Okay, that is just insane. And cool. Call it…insanely cool. 🙂 > > At the beginning of last school year, we had a motivational speaker come rally the teachers and staff in a sort of whoo hoo! let’s do this teaching thing! presentation. He was a one-armed juggler who was quite skilled (and studied), and his theme was basically overcoming obstacles to do not just what others can do, but _better_ and beyond anyone’s expectations. > > Great message…until he committed suicide a few months later. ☹ We also learned in the article about his death that he’d lost his arm in a previous suicide attempt when he’d stepped in front of a train. Kind of takes the gloss off his message. Ruff…what a buzz kill…whats your point? **One amoung many** sweet…thanks! tsfr ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/4 "2006-03-23T01:06:37Z")
That is impressive. I may actually go so far as to say it’s 1mpressive. ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/5 "2006-03-23T02:14:44Z")
Very cool. Thanks for showing us this. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/6 "2006-03-23T02:25:53Z")
The guy looks like Henry Winkler with a Ted Danson hairdo. Great act! ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/7 "2006-03-23T02:50:01Z")
Holy BLAP! Coolest juggling act ever. What really made it work was the way he got into the music and the performance, especially his facial expressions. The juggling stopped being a neat trick and started being a representation of the music - now _that’s_ cool. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/8 "2006-03-23T03:21:42Z")
I have seen some very cool juggling in the past, and I’ve seen cool juggling set to music. But, until now, I’ve never seen someone with such good timing and showmanship that it looks like they are actually conducting the music. That was just awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/9 "2006-03-23T03:27:46Z")
That was the neatest juggling I’ve ever seen. The dude was _into_ it. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/10 "2006-03-23T03:35:02Z")
Ho Lee Shit! ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/11 "2006-03-23T03:35:21Z")
That was impressive. Have any of you seen Cirque du Soleil’s _Dralion_? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/12 "2006-03-23T03:36:32Z")
> [@Spatial Rift 47](#): > > Holy BLAP! Coolest juggling act ever. What really made it work was the way he got into the music and the performance, especially his facial expressions. The juggling stopped being a neat trick and started being a representation of the music - now _that’s_ cool. Great choreography. I had to watch it twice, because I simply didn’t believe it the first time. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/13 "2006-03-23T03:49:12Z")
This guy makes the guy who juggles on the giant keyboard look like crap. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/14 "2006-03-23T03:52:38Z")
Diss Chris Bliss: [http://www.jasongarfield.com/pennradio.html](http://www.jasongarfield.com/pennradio.html) Jason Garfield (one of the best jugglers in the world) rants about the popularity of the Chris Bliss video. Then parodies it. Except, with 5 balls. (Read his rant, and read the text on the page that the video is actually hosted on, too, but definitely watch the video!) ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/15 "2006-03-23T03:56:44Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > That was impressive. Have any of you seen Cirque du Soleil’s _Dralion_? Mmmmm… [Viktor Kee](http://viktorkee.com/)_insert Homer Simpsonesque drooling here_ Sorry, I’m a juggling nerd & groupie. I can’t help it. Hell I even met [my boyfriend](http://gallery.opalcat.com/albums/Juggling/groundhog_festival_me_and_dan_7_club_passing.mpg) at a juggling convention. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/16 "2006-03-23T04:08:11Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > Diss Chris Bliss: [http://www.jasongarfield.com/pennradio.html](http://www.jasongarfield.com/pennradio.html) > Jason Garfield (one of the best jugglers in the world) rants about the popularity of the Chris Bliss video. Then parodies it. Except, with 5 balls. > > (Read his rant, and read the text on the page that the video is actually hosted on, too, but definitely watch the video!) That is truly awesome juggling, but I don’t think he got into the music as much as Bliss. ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/17 "2006-03-23T04:10:55Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > Diss Chris Bliss: [http://www.jasongarfield.com/pennradio.html](http://www.jasongarfield.com/pennradio.html) > Jason Garfield (one of the best jugglers in the world) rants about the popularity of the Chris Bliss video. Then parodies it. Except, with 5 balls. > > (Read his rant, and read the text on the page that the video is actually hosted on, too, but definitely watch the video!) Cute. I definitely see Garfield’s point, but as **DanBlather** said, Garfield lacks Bliss’s showmanship. This is particularly evident in this case because Garfield made it clear he was mocking Bliss, as though the entire act was somehow beneath him - yes, even his 5-ball version - and so he fails to present the coherence of narrative that Bliss does so well. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/18 "2006-03-23T04:12:48Z")
Jason Garfield pretty much does think that it is beneath him. He is all about technical juggling and thinks that showmanship is for weenies. At least that is the impression I’ve gotten of him. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/19 "2006-03-23T04:40:30Z")
It’s amazing how Garfield can show contempt and technique at the same time. TubaDiva Juggling: Gravity’s way of making you bend over. A lot. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512/20 "2006-03-23T05:08:09Z")
I think Jason’s critique is spot on. The most impressive thing about Bliss is that he goes on for a long time without dropping. The patterns are simple and boring and although it was well choreographed to the music, it didn’t hold my interest. I think most of the power of the act came from the great music. That said, Jason’s act, while technically far superior, lacks the polish of Chris’ act. Presumably because he hasn’t worked on it as long. But it’s clear he’s a much better juggler. (It was also a bit cheap that he used the audio track from Bliss’ act that included applause for Bliss, not him.) And I pit the both of their video directors for using too many tight shots that didn’t show the full trajectories of the balls. Particularly the Bliss video. Very annoying. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-juggling-then-there-is-this/349512.md?page=2)