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- - David Blaine (https://thetfp.com/tfp/tilted-entertainment/104156-david-blaine.html)

Quote:

Blaine: 'Drowned' Alive

May 2, 2006 — Magician David Blaine has been buried alive for seven days, frozen for 61 hours, perched 90 feet up on a pole for 35 hours, and suspended for 44 days.

Now, he has been submerged in a human aquarium and plans to stay there for a week.

"My system is completely empty," he said before being submerged. "So that way in the sphere I don't have to use the bathroom. I have a catheter in case I have to do No. 1, but I don't intend on doing anything else."

To prepare for his weeklong stay in 2,000 gallons of 96-degree saltwater, Blaine underwent grueling training with the Navy SEALs and oxygen deprivation while diving with stingrays.

"What was amazing about the Navy SEALs — a lot of their training, although it is physical, is more about the mental and spiritual part," said Blaine, 33. "They talk about overriding the pain in your body by finding something to take you away from it."

Defying Death

If he survives his seven-day endurance test, Blaine will handcuff himself to 150 pounds of chain and then remove his breathing apparatus. He hopes to break the world record of almost nine minutes without breathing. The stunt will be broadcast on ABC on May 8.

"I'll have to escape from all these chains, and if not I will drown and the world will see something pretty insane," he said.

Blaine said he had lost 50 pounds while practicing holding his breath.

"I would wake up and hold my breath for 48 minutes out of the course of every hour," he said. "I'd breathe for a minute, hold my breath for five minutes immediately after, and then right after that, breathe a minute, hold for six minutes and keep going for all the way up to an hour. In that process, your CO2 levels become so high, your body has to work like a marathon runner to get rid of it."

The final escape will be the difficult part, and Blaine has been relaxing in his fish tank, which sits outside Lincoln Center in Manhattan, N.Y., where pedestrians can view him. Blaine, who is 6-foot-1, appears about 33 percent larger because of the way the spherical tank refracts the light.

"So far, not bad," Blaine said, about 20 hours into the stunt. "The only difficulty I have been having is that my hands are already mangled and my feet are pretty bad. It feels like pins and needles, and the flesh is starting to get little perforations. By the end of the week, your skin becomes kind of like paper. It becomes really fragile and delicate."

To soothe his hands, Blaine has put on some gloves with petroleum jellylike cream inside them.

Blaine, who is subsisting on a tube-fed liquid diet of Gatorade, Pedialyte and water, said he also had difficulty sleeping because of the water pressure, which makes his head throb.

Despite all the risks and hardships, Blaine said he was enjoying his stay.

"This one is the most fun of all of them," he said. "I almost feel guilty doing it. It feels so good to be in here."

How hard is it to stay underwater for 7 days with oxygen?

Does the water do something to your skin after so long?

Is he crazy? I think he can be crazy but entertaining for a little bit.

If I recall correctly being in water normally causes you to lose core body temperature which can lead to hypothermia

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

If I recall correctly being in water normally causes you to lose core body temperature which can lead to hypothermia

I'm sure the water must be heated, it has to be fairly cold in NYC most evenings still no?

I think that over time the water would essentially disolve your skin. Think about how your fingers and toes looked after a long hot soak in the bath. Once your protective oils are washed away your skin becomes pretty vulnerable, and water is the universal solvent.

David Blaine may be the most mentally hardcore person I know of. This dude is crazy. :)

hmmm... answers that...

Quote:

David Creates a Water-Sphere Lens:
Monday May 1st, 11 am (two hours before David would enter the tank) Just two hours before David would enter the tank, all was going smoothly until David's crew smelled a faint trace of smoke. Then they noticed that the metal in a certain section of the tank's platform was warped. Tom Bramlett, who designed the tank, guessed correctly what was going on. He placed a box of kitchen matches over the warped metal and it caught on fire. The "human aquarium" created for David was also a highly-functional water-sphere lens, much to everyone's surprise. Tom's crew coated the bottom of the sphere with reflective material to disable the sphere's ability to focus light. The same principle which allowed the sphere to burn the box of matches allows those with enough patience and skill to light fires on sunny days using a magnifying glass. David's sphere simply became a huge magnifying glass in the middle of the Plaza.

For a simple description of how to make a water-sphere lens:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/...here_lens.html

For a more scientific explanation:
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/refrn/U14L5a.html

He's a weird, weird man and one of these days, what he attempts is gonna kill him. With a crowd to watch it happen.

I hate to break it to you, but all of Blaine's so called endurance tricks are just that, tricks. He doesn't actually do any of the things he appears to be doing. Do other magicions actually saw women in half or float in mid air? Nope.

David Blaine had a TV special on once where he was doing street magic, and that was awesome. Mostly card tricks, but really unbeleiveable ones. He mentioned that he "doesn't want to be the guy who comes up with the next stunt." (sic) Then the next thing he does are these lame "endurance" stunts. I think the dude is a complete tool. He should have stuck to traditional magic, he's good at that.

I agree. Since when is a publicity stunt a good thing?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mister Coaster

No one is saying we believe people saw people in half, then magically put them together. We are saying the crazy ass dude is underwater right now, and it takes a hardcore person to do that. Don't hate. If you think that somehow he isn't actually underwater right now then I'd love for you to back it up with something...

He's actually doing this about 200 yards outside of the building I live in. I haven't gone down to see it yet though. I could go take pictures if you guys want. And the lows are in the 50's and 40's this week. Personally, I think the guy is a PITA - but then again, he's in my front yard.

I'm going to check it out, I'll be in the area anyways. I remember him also living in a block of ice for a couple of days too. Then some special "secrets revealed" show on tv revealed how he did it. Probably the same thing here too. Just curious how he'd hold his breath that long.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ubertuber

I'd love to see some pictures. :cool:

ALL magic tricks (on stage or otherwise) like this are accomplished by some crazy ass, elaborately constructed props, and a little misdirection. Like imouseone mentions, the ice block thing was just a prop, and he was trading off with some other stand in when the people were not actually watching.

How is this water tank one being done? I don't know. But I'd be willing to bet that he's NOT in fact underwater for the 7 days. If he's able to break the record for holding his breath when its all said and done, then props to him, thats an actual record.

I'm not intentionally hating on him either. I think he is easily the best slight-of-hand magicion I have ever seen. (based on his Street Magic special) I just don't see how staying underwater for a week counts as "magic." Unless, of course, the joke is on the public by the fact that he's not actually doing it.

Just my 2¢.

The article clearly states the water is heated to 96 degrees.

Quote:

To prepare for his weeklong stay in 2,000 gallons of 96-degree saltwater, Blaine underwent grueling training with the Navy SEALs and oxygen deprivation while diving with stingrays.

Quote:

Originally Posted by noahfor

I agree. Since when is a publicity stunt a good thing?

Umm, I'm gonna go ahead and say... Since about 1980 when the public started to be come freaking obsessed with every little thing celebrities do, say, and eat.

So, it's a good thing for Blaine but a PITA for the rest of us.

Penn and Teller showed how he can "Teleport" the card that someone picks out of a deck. It was funny to see.

I think this guy is a blow-hard. And I find his sleepy gaze fucking annoying.

Oh, BTW, the Guinness Book stopped allowing breath-holding attempts years and years ago. They found it too dangerous.

As far as holding his breath for a long time, that would be kind of impressive. As a magician attempting it, I call bullshit from the start. Alas, that is the environment he finds himself in.

When did staying underwater qualify as "magic"? It seems better suited to "Jackass" than a magic show.

He needs to make with bunnies and top hats and sawed-in-half ladies and less with the underwater bullshit. Nice endurance feat, but I don't find it exactly "magical".

Futher to what BigBen said, I understand that the breath holding record is 8'58 for someone breathing regular air before their dive. But those who have gulped pure O^2 before the dive routinely can achive 12-15 minutes.

What do you think is going to be in Davy's tank?

This whole thing is a big publicity stunt. He's halfway through his week, and they've been blasting loud music for the last couple of hours. It's quite obnoxious if leaving isn't an option. I'll try to go down there and get pictures tonight. Maybe I can get him sleeping or something.

I haven't see him say this endurance feat is magic. Just you people.

Toaster, he's a magician by trade, not an endurance athlete or specialist. I just expect a magician to do magic. I don't know any other magicians that do this kind of stuff, but maybe Blaine's "transcended" magic.

Whatever. I don't care much either way, and I still think he's a douchebag. But that's just the opinion of a fat, lonely internet troll/virgin who still lives in his mom's basement and collects Star Wars cards professionally. Except that I'm not. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Jazz

The two current popularized street performers, David Blaine and Cris Angel both follow Houdini closely. I haven't met Blaine before but I used to see Cris all the time at Tannen's in NYC and the LIRR, he lived near me when I lived in Hicksville. Both do tradtional magic and also escape artist feats.

Below is a snippet of Houdini's history

Quote:

1899-1907: Vaudeville and Fame The year 1899 was a watershed in Houdini's life. The great impresario Martin Beck advised the struggling performer to shed traditional magic and to concentrate upon escapes. Beck then booked Houdini on vaudeville's Orpheum Circuit. The dime museum days were over; <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3g03277+3c12436))">the King of Handcuffs</A> came to the fore. <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3d02100+3c12422+3c12415))">The Houdinis were on the brink of prosperity.</A> In 1900, Houdini <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3g03276+hs009))">left for Europe, emerging as a star</A> and carefully promoting his persona through <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3g03275+3g03286))">letterhead</A>, <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3c12442))">photographs</A>, and <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3c12430+3c12407))">early film</A>. <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3c12439))">His brother Theodore Hardeen</A> joined him abroad. <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3g03287))">A vibrant poster from the Berlin Wintergarten</A> documents the international context within which a triumphant Houdini now performed. 
In 1904, Houdini bought a brownstone home in the German section of Harlem, New York. In 1905, <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3c12419))">he returned to America, flourishing his chains</A>. His brother <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3c12440))">Hardeen continued to perform.</A> When, on January 7, 1906, Houdini escaped from the Washington, D.C. jail cell of Charles Guiteau--the assassin of President Garfield--the magician's <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(hs012+3b06615+3c12382+3c12412+3c12429+3b26687))">reputation as both a jail breaker and handcuff king</A> was assured. Now an established performer, he could <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3c12388))">reflect in depth upon the history of magic</A> and undertake <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(hs004+hs050))">his own publications</A>. The happiness of this period is manifest in <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3c12416+3c12427))">family photographs.</A> 
1908-1918: The World Stage In 1908, Houdini published <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3b26689))">The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin, a sweeping history of the art of magic.</A> It included references to spiritualism that he subsequently developed in <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3c12378+3c12384+3c12397))">A Magician Among the Spirits.</A> Houdini began the year <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3b26684))">in Indianapolis.</A> On January 27, 1908, he introduced <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3c12435))">the milk can escape</A> in St. Louis. Then, later in the year, he took it on tour in Europe, where he appeared, in Germany, as <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3g03293))">the star of Circus Busch.</A> From March 30 to April 4 of 1908, Houdini performed at Hammerstein's Theatre in New York in <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3g03289+3g03283))">the famous Weed Tire Grip Chain Escape.</A> Later in April he made <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3a27316+3a27318+3a27313+3a27317))">one of his stunning manacled jumps</A> from Boston's Harvard Bridge. 
In 1910, positioning himself as a pioneer aviator, Houdini was proclaimed <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3c12401+3c12402+3c12403+3b13889+3c12414+3c12426+3c12410+hs008))">the first person to sustain flight over Australia.</A> In 1913, he introduced <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3c12434+3g03290+hs013))">his celebrated Upside-Down Water Torture Cell,</A> and soon undertook <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3b13881+3c12418+3b13907+3b26690+3d02099))">upside-down straitjacket escapes.</A> Photographs now captured the image of <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3b26675+3c12433+3b13903+3c12406+3c12393+3b26676+3c12400+3d02074+3b2668+3b26685+3c12420+3b26683+3b26678))">a hero on the world stage who had also become a mature statesman of magic.</A> In 1913, however, even the magician's <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(hs006+hs007))">letterhead</A> reflected his intense grief at his mother's death. <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3b26680+3b26682+3b26679))">The Weiss gravesite</A> gained new importance for him, as did <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3c12385))">the family that remained.</A> 
In 1914, the Houdinis <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3f04893+3f04892+3f04894+3c12437+3b13894+3c12376))">met Theodore Roosevelt when they sailed aboard the Hamburg-American Line</A> from Europe to New York. It was another year of <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(hs010+3b13908))">great escapes.</A> The year 1915 brought <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3b13880+hs014))">classic magic,</A> <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3b26677))">reunions,</A> and <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(hs016))">participation in the community of magic,</A> <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(hs017+hs011+3c12411))">preoccupations that shaped 1916 and 1917</A> also. In 1918, Houdini performed <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@FIELD(NUMBER(3c12421+3b13882+hs046))">his largest stage illusion, vanishing Jenny the elephant</A> at New York's Hippodrome . Always ready to enhance a sensation, he claimed that she weighed ten thousand pounds.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Jazz

Wow, no need to get offended. I was merely pointing out that he isn't doing anything magical here, nor does he seem to be claiming to be. Calm down... then read Cynthetiq's post. :)

wow...you guys are pretty tough on the guy....cripes...I think this is pretty interesting.

One thing that baffles me though, if you've ever heard of the decomposition bodies achieve while in lakes, or rivers.....it is very quick and pretty messy. Basically the body turns to mush in a matter of days. I can't see how he can live in this environment for a week.....especially being salt water....they must be pumping other stuff in there....some type of oil or something....

I see no parallel between Blaine's stunts and Houdini's escapes. Maybe Blaine thinks his stuff is a modern spin on Houdini's style of performances, but I disagree.

BTW, I said it before, I'll say it agian, HE'S NOT ACTUALLY UNDERWATER FOR A WEEK.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toaster126

Wow, no need to get offended. I was merely pointing out that he isn't doing anything magical here, nor does he seem to be claiming to be. Calm down... then read Cynthetiq's post. :)

No problem, I was never offended. Just making a point. I've never thought this was particularly "magical", but I find it interesting that he seems to have abandoned magic altogether.

There's nothing special about being underwater for a week - your fingers getting all wrinkly is because the skin expands (it takes on a certain - but limited amount of water). You wont turn to mush. Bodies in lakes etc decompose, the same way they do outside, they're just wetter.

Blaine is just doing another one of his 'boring-athons' where he gets to do nothing for a whole week and for some insane reason, people actually give a shit - now that IS magic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mister Coaster

BTW, I said it before, I'll say it agian, HE'S NOT ACTUALLY UNDERWATER FOR A WEEK.

Well that's the way it's being promoted... is he coming out of the tank every night? What are you saying?

I would compare what Blaine is doing to what Monks and Shaman do to impress the unwashed masses. Endurance can be considered a form of magic; if by magic you mean using supernatural forces to overcome physical limitations. Walking on fire, standing on a column for a long time, etc. these are all classic examples of things that Monks and Shaman do to "prove" that they are magic.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think Blaine is using "magic" to stay underwater for a week. That would mean I'd have to believe in the supernatural ... which I don't.

What we are calling magic these days (card tricks, sawing a person in half) is really better defined as "illusion" -- ie. not magic at all.

I'm saying that the tank itself is an elaborately constructed fake. Do I know exactly what the sectet is? No. But that's my guess. The tank is somehow designed to have a hollow section in it that allows him to be in an air pocket.

Just to be clear, he's not holding his breath as part of the stunt. He has a scuba hose supplying him with air.

I find this sort of endurance spectacle tedious. Now, if he had a couple of piranhas in there with him...

Dang, look at him now...

<img src="http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/a/abesap2.jpg">
/ remains unimpressed...

I know he's wearing special gloves/booties but he'll need to take VERY good care of his hands if he hopes to extract himself from the chains after a week. That trench foot/hand will make it very difficult to manipulate his escape.

"Amazing! He's been without oxygen for over two hours now! He still in a calm-relaxed state and we're expecting him to restart his escape attempt any moment...!"

I lost respect for David Blaine after I figured out that his "street magic" levitation tricks were completely and utterly fake. He taped the responses from the lame-o "2 inches off the ground" trick that you do with your heels and put them in with his fake levitation (he used wires to levitate him off the ground). Cut and paste video editing. Lame. His card tricks are very impressive though.

I'm more than willing to suspend my disbelief for this.

Even if it's fake, it's no worse than religion.

Anything that is able to spark peaceful wonderment is a good thing in my books.

Oh, Cello, you can't drop the R-bomb and then walk away without a more detailed post. :)

Spoiler: He lasted 7 minutes and 8 seconds. The guy monitoring his situation sent the divers in when he started shaking and losing air bubbles

Lame. Spoiler: he was supposed to die

Also,
Spoiler: Al Capone's Vault was empty.