147.0 Is Ventriloquism Real?

"Is ventriloquism real?" is the number one search result for this video. Yes, ventriloquism is real.  This is the real me, talking in my throat without opening my mouth.  There are no camera tricks involved.  I do this by voluntarily moving the way back of my tongue, the muscle you swallow with. 

The sound comes out of my nose.  Because I am just using the back of my tongue, vowels are easy but the consonants that use your lips are very difficult, such as P.  Consonants that involve clicking the tongue are difficult, too, such as K.   I simulate the lip and clicking consonants by snorting out my nose.  Consonants that are really vowels when held a long time are easy, such as M.  I can just hum to make the M sound.

I figured out I had this ability by accident, when I was about 13.  I was singing along to a song on the radio when my stepsister Cindy said, "Hey, not everyone can sing in their throat like that.  You should practice it and do ventriloquism performances!"  I did practice, but I never performed with a dummy.  I perform this mostly as a trick to keep students entertained and out of trouble, when I substitute teach.

Not everyone who performs ventriloquism does it this way.  I have noticed that an awful lot of the guys who perform with dummies talk out of the sides of their mouths.  In an article in "Teen" Magazine circa 1977, I read that approximately 1 in 100 people are born with the ability to do real ventriloquism the way I do.

I lost .4 pounds yesterday.  For exercise I walked both dogs 1.3 miles.  Here is what I ate:

Small Bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
El Monterey bean and cheese burrito with salsa
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
Whole can of Amy's organic minestrone soup
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
Handful of corn tortilla crumbs