The curse of my journey has haunted me from the very beginning. It started as a simple desire to explore the world and see new places, but little did I know the challenges that awaited me. Each step I took, every path I chose, seemed to lead me deeper into a never-ending cycle of misfortune. It began with a series of unfortunate events on my very first trip. My flight got delayed, causing me to miss my connecting flight and spend hours in the airport. When I finally reached my destination, my luggage was lost, leaving me with nothing but the clothes on my back.

A well used Magic Fluke: First impressions

So- I found a Magic Fluke tenor on eBay for about $200 (w/shipping and a case) so I went for it. These things hardly ever show up for sale, and I was curious, so I bought it to see if these Flukes are really all that. I've had it for a week now and put about 10 hours into it (not counting the hour I spent out in the garage modifying the shape of the neck-stock. more on that later). The strings were super old and worn, so I put a new set of Aquila Nylguts, high g, and gave it a strum.

First, full disclosure: I played those Ovation bowl back plastic basses for a decade, and I may be more tolerant the plastic tone than most people. I came to really like the sound, and to play in a way that minimized it. So that is a part of my background preferences that are probably a bit different than your experiences and preferences.

First impressions? There really is something that is a bit magical about the tone this uke puts out. When gently strummed and played melodically, the way the sound of each string blends together is impressive: Rich and creamy. Round and deep. The body really projects with a big full sound. The strings and the instrument meld in a way that makes each chord appear full and complete. The strings all have equal volume, none standing out more strongly or seeming out of place. And the whole instrument seems to be in such great agreement with itself, having amazing intonation and a sense of overall harmony to it's sound. Playing it hard or aggressively really reveals the plastic-y sound, as I found out when I first started in on it. I play hard sometimes, and that's when the Fluke sounds most like one of those plastic fretboard numbers from the 1960's. I had to play more gently to really bring out those smooth and creamy tones that this uke delivers so beautifully.

That is, after mastering the tuning of this little beast, which is a challenge all it's own. Not being able to see the frets or fret markers on the fret "board" adds to the difficulty.

This Fluke has seen a LOT of playing time. It's serial number in around 25,000, and the Fluke website says that over 27,000 have been sold over the last 20 years or so, so I'm guessing this one is 2-3-4 years old?. It really shows it's age: The paint on the 5th and 7th fret markers is worn off. And the drop G metal wound string in the #4 position has worn deeply into the top three fret "bars" of the plastic fretboard. Probably about 20% down. It still plays well now, but that wound string really had its way with the first position frets. I'm guessing this was someone's daily driver and played regularly during those years.

These things are also known to play well up the neck, but this one is about 15 cents off at the double dots. Hmmm. This morning I figured up the issue: The top has a slight upward bulge below the bridge and a slight dip uphill towards the sound hole. I realized this when low raking light hit the face this morning. It's almost unnoticeable, but it's raising the strings ever so slightly. Oh well. I play up at the top of the neck most of the time so it doesn't affect my play much. But.

Tuning this beast takes a bit of getting used to. It has direct drive pegs in the unique slot head headstock of it's one piece "neck-stock". They are really hard to turn, even with the oversized paddles on the pegs. And they are just too close together: The #1 is hard to get at, and as you reach over to turn it the #2 key is right in the way. Tuning is tricky, and If I was going to order one today I would pay extra for the geared tuners for sure. I'm getting better at at, but tuning this uke would probably drive a beginner into fits of frustration. Once tuned, it stays tuned, but the constant re-tuning as I was breaking in the new strings was a lesson in patience.

I looked at other the reviews on the forum, and the major complaints seem to come in two categories: Hard to hold, and unfortunate choice of neck shape.

I don't get the hard to hold part, and I actually really like how I can drop a couple of fingers over the side while picking: It helps provide leverage during aggressive play. It's no more slippery than a glossy uke. I see you can order straps and friction tape to deal with holding it, but these seem unnecessary to me.

But the neck shape is a bit hard to deal with. so I dealt with it. The place where the headstock profile meets the neck is really uncomfortable. On mine, there WAS a really sharp ridge of wood on both sides, with a sharp and abrasive point sticking out of the downward side. This area really needs to be sanded and smoothed out, IMHO, and I was developing a blister at the base of my left pointer finger from the sharp point. It was really starting to bug my after a week of frequent playing. It's obvious to me, as a former woodworker myself, that this area had not been sanded at all: The chatter marks from the router table were untouched, the headstock corners were barely eased and quite square, and the entire area uncomfortable to the touch upon repeated contact.

Next stop: My garage workbench! I aggressively sanded both sides with a thin sanding block wrapped in 80 grit, and than smoothed the area out with a course of finer sanding papers. (120g-180g-220g-320g-600g-1200g-2500g) I put a new radius on the headstock, smoothed out the transition to the neck, and improved the thing quite a bit. WAY better feel now, and the rubbing problem has been eliminated. (BTW: I sand on my ukes frequently. I know. And: 2500 grit leaves a polished finish, so I didn't need to do any refinishing an it looks just fine. Go to Tap Plastics or autobody painting supply stores to get these 1000+ grit papers)

Overall, I really do like this strange looking ukulele. Everyone at the school where I work was asking "What is that?", which is fun. And I like the fact I can keep it in my trunk with little fear of it coming unglued or something. And it does sound pretty good for a relatively inexpensive instrument. It won't displace my Pono or my Bruce Wei from their spots on my couch. but since it stands up, it has found a spot on the kitchen table where it awaits my arrival into that room!

I will not be leaving it in my backseat, though, because I fear someone will mistake it for a gun. The case looks a LOT like a gun case, actually. And I'd hate for someone to smash my window thinking that's what they were getting.

Some positives and some negatives. If you are thinking of getting one, I'd suggest the geared tuners for sure. And a case. The biggest downsides are the costs for all these additions. The tuners are $79 and the case an extra $32. I'd want the side markers too, now that I know the paint will soon wear off of the markers on the fretboard. $15 more. But here is something to think about: This uke, $295 list price, is now going to cost over $400 (with tax and S/H). That's more than I paid for my (used) Pono OR my (new) Bruce Wei.

Hard call to make for a uke that, though sounding quite nice, is going to wear out it's fretboard over time. Yes, you can get a hardwood fretboard with metal fret bars (for $89 more) but now it's a $500 ukulele. And if you add a pick-up and a strap, almost $700. and with a $20 dollar "players side port".

Hmmm. Weird, but Wonderful. Plastic and Pricy. Fun and interesting. Made in USA. Plays like a dream.

Western Animation / The Magic Fluke

The Magic Fluke is a 1949 animated short film (7 minutes) directed by John Hubley, produced by UPA.

It stars The Fox and the Crow in the next-to-last cartoon in the series, which began in 1941. In this one Fauntleroy Fox and Chester Crow are a jazz duo playing nightclubs, whose career is disrupted when Fox gets a lucrative job offer to conduct an orchestra. He dumps Crow without a moment's hesitation.

Chester falls into poverty and is wandering the streets one day when he sees his old partner's name on a theater marquee. He gets a ticket for the Fox's show and, completely by accident, ruins it.

When I finally reached my destination, my luggage was lost, leaving me with nothing but the clothes on my back. My hotel reservation got mixed up, forcing me to sleep on a lumpy couch in the lobby. And as if that was not enough, I fell ill and spent the majority of my trip bedridden.

Tropes:

• Bait-and-Switch: The opening shows Fauntleroy in black tie and tails about to conduct. Instead of a classical orchestra, however, he's conducting Chester - who is playing all the instruments - as he plays a hot swing number in a nightclub.
• Bland-Name Product: The Fox receives a telegram via Western Onion and conducts a concert at Corneggy Hall.
• But for Me, It Was Tuesday: When the Crow greets him in the line outside the concert hall the Fox doesn't even recognize him, merely signing an autograph on his hand.
• Cartoon Conductor: Rather than follow their sheet music, the orchestra wildly veers between different pieces as the Fox creates havoc with his baton. At one point the baton turns into a Yale pennant and the orchestra starts playing the Yale fight song.
• Foreshadowing: There are advertising posters for the Stage Magician on the streets in the early part of the cartoon, as the Crow is wandering around.
• Formula-Breaking Episode: While the Fox and Crow are usually adversarial, here they start out as best friends. Chester, who normally antagonizes Fauntleroy for fun, is here fiercely loyal to him, even though Fauntleroy ignores him for most of the cartoon.
• How Do I Shot Web?: The orchestra hall forgot to provide a baton for the Fox to use while conducting. The Crow, determined to help, steals one from. a stage magician. Chaos then ensues at the concert as the Fox starts accidentally performing magic tricks with his baton/wand.
• Jump Cut: From a shot of the audience sitting in their seats as the Fox and Crow play at the nightclub, to a shot of the audience up and dancing.
• Lions and Tigers and Humans. Oh, My!: The Fox and the Crow are the only Funny Animals on the cartoon. All other characters are human, except for a few rabbits the wand conjures up.
• Love Martyr: A non-sexual example of this, as the Crow seems to not understand how he was used and dumped by his old partner. When he gets a ticket for the Fox's concert he's thrilled, saying "It's good to see him again."
• Magicians Are Wizards: The baton that Chester "borrows" from the magician seems to be a working magic wand, as it does things such as summon rabbits out of thin air or make the musicians disappear.
• Narrator: Chester tells the story of how he was dumped by Fauntleroy and how he rode to the "rescue" at the orchestra's concert.
• Non-Mammalian Hair: The Crow's descent into tough times is illustrated by showing him to be unshaven, with a stubbly beard on his. beak.
• One-Man Band: After the Fox has accidentally made his entire orchestra disappear by waving the wand, the Crow comes to the rescue, playing the musical piece as a one-man band.
• Seven Minute Lull: When the orchestra is playing the Yale fight song, Fauntleroy is screaming at them to stop, but is drowned out by the music. The music stops just as Fauntleroy shouts "STOP THE MUSIC!" at the top of his lungs, covering his mouth in embarrassment right afterwards.
• Stage Magician: The Crow steals a stage magician's wand. After he does this the Lovely Assistant that the magician was levitating crashes to the ground.
• Standard Snippet: The piece Fauntleroy is conducting is that old cartoon standard, Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No, 2.
• Thick-Line Animation: UPA's signature style, which would become very popular in the 1950s.
• The Worst Seat in the House: Chester goes into Corneggy Hall to witness Fauntleroy's big debut, only his seat is so high up the stage is barely visible.

The Magic Fluke

The Fox and Crow have a band-act in a nightclub, but the Fox walks out on his partner when he gets the position of a symphony-orchestra conductor. The Fox becomes while his old partner is on skid row, cold and hungry. One night, the Crow appears backstage at the concert Hall and hands a magician's wand to the Fox as he goes onstage. Using the wand as a baton, everything that can go wrong goes wrong for the snooty maestro.

Cast

Director Director

Writer Writer

Studio

Country

Language

Genres

Releases by Date

Theatrical

24 Mar 1949

Releases by Country

USA

24 Mar 1949

• Theatrical

Thinking it was just bad luck, I brushed off these incidents and continued my travels. However, the curse seemed determined to follow me. On my next journey, I booked a tour to visit a remote and beautiful island. But when I arrived, a typhoon hit, causing all activities to be canceled. I was left stranded, with no way to escape the island until the storm passed. The curse further extended its reach when I decided to venture into the mountains. I was excited to hike and explore nature, but instead, I got lost for days. The trail markers were unclear, and I found myself wandering in circles. Exhausted, dehydrated, and terrified, I eventually stumbled upon a group of hikers who guided me back to civilization. It seemed that no matter where I went or what I did, the curse of my journey would always find a way to sabotage my plans. Flights would get canceled, roads would be blocked, and accommodations would mysteriously overbook. It felt as though the universe was conspiring against me. Despite the hardships, there have been moments of beauty and joy amidst the chaos. I have witnessed breathtaking sunsets, tasted mouthwatering cuisine, and met incredible people along the way. These experiences have reminded me that the curse is not all-encompassing; there is still light to be found. My journey has taught me resilience and the ability to adapt to unpredictable situations. It has made me appreciate the small victories and cherish the moments of tranquility amidst the storms. I have learned to embrace the unexpected and find beauty in the chaos. While the curse of my journey may continue to linger, I refuse to let it define my experiences. I will press on, venturing into the unknown with an open heart and a hopeful spirit. For it is in the face of adversity that true growth and transformation occur..

Reviews for "Escaping the Curse: My Journey Through the Wilderness of Misfortune"

- Sarah - 2/5 stars - I was really disappointed with this book. The plot felt very disjointed and confusing, with too many subplots that never really went anywhere. The characters were also very one-dimensional and lacked any depth or development. Overall, it just felt like a messy and poorly executed story.

- Mark - 1/5 stars - I couldn't even finish this book. The writing style was incredibly dull and uninspiring. The author seemed to have no control over the pacing, as the story dragged on without any real sense of direction. I found myself completely uninterested in the characters and their supposed plight. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

- Emily - 2/5 stars - I had high hopes for "Curse of my journey," but it fell flat for me. The world-building was minimal, leaving me with many unanswered questions about the setting and how everything worked. The romance in the book felt forced and unnatural, with no real chemistry between the characters. I struggled to stay engaged with the story and ultimately felt unsatisfied by the ending.

- Michael - 3/5 stars - While "Curse of my journey" had an interesting premise, the execution left much to be desired. The pacing was slow, and the story lacked any real excitement or suspense. The main character's journey felt repetitive and drawn out, making it difficult to stay invested in the outcome. The writing itself was also mediocre, with clunky dialogue and awkward sentence structure. It had potential, but it just didn't deliver for me.

The Curse that Defined My Journey: A Tale of Resilience and Redemption