This is my first try at recording a tutorial. If it works out ok, there might be more to come.
This problem came up in the Illustrator World forums and I was beating myself over the head trying to figure out how to create an effect like this >Link

After many different suggestions that required a bit a manual labor, finally IW member Ray Mullin came up the most eloquent solution I just had to share it here.

This effect has so many possibilities in art design I’m having a lot of fun playing with it.

http://www.vectorgeek.com/artwork/video/Spiral-text-flash.html

Note: My Deviant tutorial on this effect can be found here >Link