Name: Tom Cutts.

Also Answers To: "The Napa Valley Magician."

Occupation / Title: Magician, Magazine Publisher, Enlightened Hedonist, Oenologist, Guitarist, Fencer, Bay Area Tour Guide, Wit, Chef, Half Of The Cutts Rowland Improvised Close-up Magic Show.

Brief Summary: First of all, he's a magician and a guitar player, which is obviously the best combination in the world. Secondly, he's a unreformable enlightened hedonist just like myself, and hence shares my profound interest in all the finest things that this life has to offer: the best restaurants, best wines, most intelligent and likeable female company, best places to go, best music, blah blah blah. Hanging out with Tom is so much fun I'm surprised it isn't illegal. It helps that he has a very finely-honed sense of humour, and when he wants to can be very silly in a surprisingly British sort of way.

World Records Held:
Best-stocked Wine Cellar Of Anyone I Know
Best Possible Tour Guide: San Francisco, Oakland and Bay Area
Founder/Editor Best Independent Magic Publication: AM/PM
Best Guide To Napa Valley, Delights Thereof
Best Radar, Quality Female Company (2 mile radius)
First Person To Do Card Tricks Inside Alcatraz Jail Cell

Other Notable Achievements & Honours: As mentioned above, Tom has the honour of being one half (taller and better at sleights) of the Cutts Rowland Improvised Close-up Magic Show. This is one of the best close-up magic shows most laymen will ever see. You can't plan to see it - there are no show times announced or tickets sold. It's a show that only happens spontaneously when Tom and I are having a good time somewhere, and we meet people that we like (often female people, as it happens), and we figure hey, let's give 'em a show. [Note that I only say it's one of the best close-up shows etcetera. It's not the best. It's not as if we're Shoot Ogawa and Armando Lucero. We know our limitations and we bear them with dignity.]

Best Party Trick: (1) There's a great magic trick called The Shape Of Astonishment (note for magigeeks: Harris, Art of Astonishment vol. III). I've never seen anyone except Tom actually perform this trick, and he does it superbly. It's a trick that calls for some 'aluminum' foil, and we've discovered a weird fact: every restaurant kitchen in the world, if you ask them nicely for a small piece of aluminum foil, will readily hand over a sheet the size of a tent. (2) In restaurants with a decent wine list, Tom usually elects to have a chat with the Sommelier about what they've got to offer. This is more entertaining that it sounds, because if the Sommelier doesn't know his stuff Tom will proceed to subtly torment and torture him, and do so with great relish. He generally stops once they've broken down in tears. Yeah, it's a cruel sport and I shouldn't enjoy watching it, but I do.

Special Powers: Possesses the 100% Depenedability Gene. This is the rarest of human genetic traits.

Known Weaknesses: Not many, although for a briefly deranged period he did follow that awful 'goatee beard' trend. He's recovered now.

Catchphrase: "...and so I bought two cases of it."