Just a few weeks after Congress got all hot and bothered by an expensive government conference that featured clowns, a mind reader and magician, another federal agency is now advertising for a magician to be a motivational speaker at a June gathering just outside Washington, D.C.

The group requesting the magician is NOAA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, is the umbrella organization in the Commerce Department that includes the National Weather Service.

Their 'help wanted' ad on a special federal government web site asks for someone to use "magic tricks, brain teasers, word games, humor, and teambuilding exercises, designed to demonstrate how to stimulate creativity, encourage active participation and practice needed skills and competencies."

The magician would have to be available for "one or more days" of this leadership conference, which is schedule for June 12-14 in Silver Spring, Maryland, where the offices of NOAA are located, just outside of Washington, D.C.

The ad is officially titled, "Conference Speaker on Magic of Change."

Earlier this year, another NOAA ad showed the agency looking for someone to do a similar motivational speech to a group of about 45 people - but instead of a magician, it was someone with mountain climbing experience.

The ad asked for someone who could create and "present a unique model of translating mountaineering tools, techniques and experiences into a method of teaching leadership."

This story crops up at an interesting time, because next week, the House is set to consider the spending bill that governs NOAA.

Here is the ad for the magician:

Just a few weeks after Congress got all hot and bothered by an expensive government conference that featured clowns, a mind reader and magician, another federal agency is now advertising for a magician to be a motivational speaker at a June gathering just outside Washington, D.C. The group requesting the ...