Man Harrasses David Blaine

[thaiboxerken]

http://apnews1.iwon.com//article/20030926/D7TQ7U881.html

Looks like ol' Blaine is getting attention from someone. I wonder what the point of his 44 day trick is. Where does he excrete his human waste to? He doesn't get to eat but I'm sure he has to drink.

[Lemastre]

I imagine Blaine has well calculated how to survive in the box. I doubt that he figured on the animosity attending his stunt. The ridiculous displays by the public are symptoms of what some Brits see as the "yobbo-ism" taking over British culture. Rude behavior directed at someone doing something is usually an expression of dissatisfaction with one's own life of unaccomplishment. I'm not sure I'd expect to pay the police extra to protect me from the public's boorish behavior. It seems to me that's their basic job.

[Jon_in_london]

Originally posted by Lemastre
I imagine Blaine has well calculated how to survive in the box. I doubt that he figured on the animosity attending his stunt. The ridiculous displays by the public are symptoms of what some Brits see as the "yobbo-ism" taking over British culture. Rude behavior directed at someone doing something is usually an expression of dissatisfaction with one's own life of unaccomplishment. I'm not sure I'd expect to pay the police extra to protect me from the public's boorish behavior. It seems to me that's their basic job.

Au contraire, this is just an illustration of how we hate someone embarking on a campaign of shameless attention grabbing and self agrandisment.

Whats the point in this stunt? Only to draw attention to himself. If you want to put yourself on show like this before the good people of London, be prepared for the barrage of rotten tomotoes coming your way.

Its always been that way in this great and ancient city. And I hope it always will be.

More to the point: What does he do with all his crappy nappies (dypers? to you), what about the salt he loses? You can go without food for weeks, but without a salt supplement you will die fairly quickly. Its a con, Blaine and simple.

[Checkmite]

Originally posted by Jon_in_london

Its a con, Blaine and simple.

It's a magic trick. Think "David Copperfield making the Statue of Liberty disappear". Same deal, this one just takes a little longer.

[nightwind]

Blaine is an entertainer, stunts is what he does for a living. Just like Houdini, Copperfield, etc.

I see nothing wrong with it, it is their profession, and I really do not see how Blaine is infringing on anyone's rights.

As far as the bizarre reaction of some of the public, this is probably jealousy, attention getting, or just plain idiots. But I think this may work to his benefit by keeping him in the news, etc.

I am curious as to how he manages stuff though, and what physical effects it may have on him.

Go David!

[Cecil]

Originally posted by thaiboxerken
Where does he excrete his human waste to? He doesn't get to eat You answered your own question. :D

[thaiboxerken]

Originally posted by Joshua Korosi


It's a magic trick. Think "David Copperfield making the Statue of Liberty disappear". Same deal, this one just takes a little longer.

And it's not as entertaining.

[corplinx]

Am I the only person who thinks the trick is lame?

One of the things about these sorts of tricks that gets to me is the element of time. 44 days is just too long. If you want my attention, light the box on fire with him inside in a strait jacket.

There isn't much drama to this trick.

[Zep]

I agree - it's as "interesting" as sending him to jail for 44 days. What would be MORE interesting would be to leave him out there 3 months...

[Yahweh]

Originally posted by thaiboxerken
I wonder what the point of his 44 day trick is.[/B]
He's just doing his job. He's an entertainer/magician/janitor, remember.

[Ian Perez]

Originally posted by thaiboxerken


Looks like ol' Blaine is getting attention from someone. I wonder what the point of his 44 day trick is. Where does he excrete his human waste to? He doesn't get to eat but I'm sure he has to drink.

He has an outgoing tube in which he pisses into.

[Lemastre]

Originally posted by Jon_in_london


Au contraire, this is just an illustration of how we hate someone embarking on a campaign of shameless attention grabbing and self agrandisment.

Whats the point in this stunt? Only to draw attention to himself. If you want to put yourself on show like this before the good people of London, be prepared for the barrage of rotten tomotoes coming your way.

Its always been that way in this great and ancient city. And I hope it always will be. Your response apparently lays out the manifesto of the yobbo-ism I allude to. I find that demonstrations against "shameless attention-grabbing" are usually more shameless and attention-grabbing than the original act itself. Of course, any society has folks who can manage no higher form of self-expression than flailing about and roaring incoherently. When I find this tendency among reasonably literate Englishmen, I try to cut them a little slack because I figure it stems from their frustration as victims of a failing public educational system and economy, which increasingly prepare people to do nothing useful and then offer them little more than nothing as occupations. We have the same problems in the U.S. But even when stressed, people need not waste time and energy trying to disturb others who aren't infringing on their space at all. A person of sophistication and point might note that Mr Blaine is in a box and then go on to more profitable or constructive activities than clambering up into a building and launching paint balls. I mean, I've always thought that part of living in a "great and ancient city" is learning to appreciate others and their eccentricities. You seem to be saying that London's greatness stems from having its citizens go about assaulting persons engaged in legal occupations. Next time I visit London, may I come to your place of work, assuming you have one, or accost you in the street and pelt you with odds and ends because it offends me to see someone earning a living? I hope not.

[Mike B.]

I suppose before the 44 days are up, something "dramatic" will happen.

I don't know, like the box breaking open and him falling into the Thames or some other trick...

[Zep]

...in which he will drown??? :eek:

[Cain]

Apparently Craig Kilborn had a few humorous jokes at the expense of Blaine in a monologue not long ago.

In “magic bust” news… In London, David Blaine has started his six weeks suspended over the Thames River in a glass box with only water… What an amazing trick – it makes my interest in magic disappear!

Blaine will spend 44 days inside the box. Then, for his next stunt, he’ll try to go a whole six months without being a publicity whore.

I have a great idea for a prank: when he comes out, let’s act really nonchalant and go, “We forgot you were in there, because Lance Burton was doing so much cool ‘real magic.’ Too bad you missed it.”

Experts say that if Blaine survives this stunt, we’ll just have to try something else.

[Iamme]

Hi corplinx. I don't think it is a trick. I think his objective is to create the mystique that he is not a normal human. Maybe not human at all. I mean...the guy levitated. The witnesses said, "....(stutter, stutter)...he ain....he ain't normal...this ain't right." He even got Deon sanders to run away, in disbelief to what Deon was seeing. Who can throw cards at a store front window and make someone elses chosen card be the only one to stick to the glass out of a deck of cards? Or, shuffle a deck out onto a table, cover it with a table cloth, and wildly stab through the table cloth and skewer the correct card, and ONLY that card?


(Stutter...stutter)He ain....he ain't normal. He's God in the flesh!

[Tricky]

For those who want to criticize Mr. Blaine, I remind you that Mr. Randi himself was prone to trying to break records.

[Tricky]

...and in case you wanted to see a younger version of Randi...

[thaiboxerken]

Hi corplinx. I don't think it is a trick. I think his objective is to create the mystique that he is not a normal human. Maybe not human at all.

Which is an illusion, a trick. He is still a human, and it's humanly possible to live for 44 days without food.

I mean...the guy levitated. The witnesses said, "....(stutter, stutter)...he ain....he ain't normal...this ain't right." He even got Deon sanders to run away, in disbelief to what Deon was seeing.

Which is an illusion, a trick. Is Deon Sanders and expert on such matters? LOL. Blain's levitation trick is just that, a trick.

Who can throw cards at a store front window and make someone elses chosen card be the only one to stick to the glass out of a deck of cards?

Magicians.


Or, shuffle a deck out onto a table, cover it with a table cloth, and wildly stab through the table cloth and skewer the correct card, and ONLY that card?

A magician.


(Stutter...stutter)He ain....he ain't normal. He's God in the flesh!

I truly hope you're just joking in your entire post. If you are sincere in the post , seek some therapy.

[thaiboxerken]

Originally posted by Tricky
For those who want to criticize Mr. Blaine, I remind you that Mr. Randi himself was prone to trying to break records.

That was an illusion. I think David's Blain's 44 day stunt is not a trick. One involves deception, the other doesn't. There is no trickery needed in Blain's stunt.

[Tricky]

Originally posted by thaiboxerken
That was an illusion. I think David's Blain's 44 day stunt is not a trick. One involves deception, the other doesn't. There is no trickery needed in Blain's stunt.
No it was not an illusion. Randi showed that you could stay underwater for almost two hours with only the air in the coffin. No illusion whatsoever was involved (and you can see by the second photo that it was physically hard on Randi).

Similarly, Blain is trying to break an endurance record. I don't believe this is an illusion, but a calculated effort to control his body's functions. What with modern medicine and nutrition today, it is probably easier to beat these records, maybe by something akin to carb-loading before the attempt, but I believe Blaine is not performing an illusion either.

[Nyarlathotep]

Originally posted by corplinx
Am I the only person who thinks the trick is lame?

One of the things about these sorts of tricks that gets to me is the element of time. 44 days is just too long. If you want my attention, light the box on fire with him inside in a strait jacket.

There isn't much drama to this trick.

No you aren't the only one. I fail to see why anyone is interested at all.

[davefoc]

When Randi mentioned his coffin stunt in his column I became curious about how long humans can survive in small sealed spaces.

I did a litlle research about the issue on the web. The first problem to be an issue is not as one might think loss of oxygen. Rather it is the buildup of CO2.

Based on respiration rates from a web site I created a spread sheet to determine the CO2 concentration at the end of the stunt for Randi. I assumed a 150 pound Randi and an average sized coffin.

I came up with a figure of 7%. According to one site I found anything over 5% is uncomfortable. Anything over 10% is dangerous.

Link to Randi's column where he describes the stunt
http://www.randi.org/jr/122801.html

Perhaps my prejudices are showing here but I thought Randi's stunt was interesting, especially given its tie in to Houdini and it purpose of debunking claims of special powers to accomplish was a cool thing.

As I stated in the other thread on Blaine, I think his stunt is lame and far and away the best part of it is the Brits having fun at Blaine's expense.

[Iamme]

thaiboxerken---:wink:

[davefoc]

The coffin stunt calculations:
Based on facts described in 12/28/2001 column

Results
CO2 percentage at end of act (assume essentially no CO2 present to begin with)
7.00%

Inputs
Time in the coffin
104 minutes

Coffin volume (Given for Houdini coffin, Randi coffin assumed to be same size).
15 cubic feet 424.8 liters

Randi weight estimate
150 pounds 68.04 kilograms

Resting rate of CO2 generation per kilogram (assume all consumed O2 becomes CO2)
3.5 ml/kg/minute (source for 3.5 is http://www.solutionsinfitness.com/kcalexpenditure.htm)

Randi volume calculation (assumes Randi weighs about 60
pounds per cubic foot, a little less than water).
2.5 cubic feet 70.8 liters

Net coffin volume (total volume minus Randi volume)
12.5 cubic feet 354 liters

Total CO2 buildup per minute
0.23814 liters/minute

Total CO2 buildup at end of act
24.76656 liters

[corplinx]

randi's stunt had drama of several sorts

A. he was underwater with limited air, here the race against time drama is thick

B. he was sealed in a box, no light, sensory deprivation, this is dramatic, 2 hours with no light, sound, or ......air, the drama of claustrophobia by proxy for the fact that box is so small, cant move

Blaine's stunt just lacks mystique and showmanship.

[Zep]

Paintball practice, anyone???

[BillyTK]

Originally posted by Lemastre
Your response apparently lays out the manifesto of the yobbo-ism I allude to. I find that demonstrations against "shameless attention-grabbing" are usually more shameless and attention-grabbing than the original act itself. Of course, any society has folks who can manage no higher form of self-expression than flailing about and roaring incoherently. When I find this tendency among reasonably literate Englishmen, I try to cut them a little slack because I figure it stems from their frustration as victims of a failing public educational system and economy, which increasingly prepare people to do nothing useful and then offer them little more than nothing as occupations. We have the same problems in the U.S. But even when stressed, people need not waste time and energy trying to disturb others who aren't infringing on their space at all. A person of sophistication and point might note that Mr Blaine is in a box and then go on to more profitable or constructive activities than clambering up into a building and launching paint balls. I mean, I've always thought that part of living in a "great and ancient city" is learning to appreciate others and their eccentricities. You seem to be saying that London's greatness stems from having its citizens go about assaulting persons engaged in legal occupations. Next time I visit London, may I come to your place of work, assuming you have one, or accost you in the street and pelt you with odds and ends because it offends me to see someone earning a living? I hope not.
Very eloquent analysis, but I suspect you fail to acknowledge the fundamental cultural difference between the US and the UK, and particular the moré of apathy to those with an exaggerated sense of self-importance.

[Jon_in_london]

Originally posted by Lemastre
You seem to be saying that London's greatness stems from having its citizens go about assaulting persons engaged in legal occupations. Next time I visit London, may I come to your place of work, assuming you have one, or accost you in the street and pelt you with odds and ends because it offends me to see someone earning a living? I hope not.

If that 'legal occupation' is shameless self promotion and attention grabbing be prepared for rotten tomatoes.

If he was doing this to raise money for a charity, or even to raise awareness of third-world hunger... well that would be something else. But it isnt and so its not. So there.

I hope the self-opinionated toss-pot never comes back.

[LW]

Originally posted by davefoc

Total CO2 buildup at end of act
24.76656 liters

Given the number of estimates in the assumptions, it might be better to give that as "somewhere around 25 litres".

[Lemastre]

Originally posted by Jon_in_london


If that 'legal occupation' is shameless self promotion and attention grabbing be prepared for rotten tomatoes.

If he was doing this to raise money for a charity, or even to raise awareness of third-world hunger... well that would be something else. But it isnt and so its not. So there.

I hope the self-opinionated toss-pot never comes back. It's hard to say how much shamelessness is present in any promotion. Does the law specify that any yobbo with a spare tomato may decide when it's present and launch accordingly? If so, the nature of political campaigning needs to change, which might be a good idea at that.

Mr Blaine is one in a long line of illusionists and public performers, such as Harry Houdini, who depend on public attention to their physical ordeals to sustain themselves. Most of us are too worldly nowadays to get much entertainment out of these things. But apparently, someone is paying Mr B for the current stunt. When it is done, he will come up with another performance and find someone to support that one as well. Thus, he sustains himself from year to year. Most of us depend on an employer to devise the mundane stunts we have to perform. Nowadays, we're finding that someone in India or Taiwan is probably as good at it as we are and a whole lot cheaper.

If you find that contemplating third-world hunger while viewing Mr Blaine will make his ordeal more socially acceptable, you are free to do so. Rather than wasting tomatoes by tossing them at him, you could donate them to a charity or eat them yourself. If Mr Blaine is a "tosspot," the time spent in his box will give him ample opportunity to dry out, so it ain't all bad.

[davefoc]

LW said:
Given the number of estimates in the assumptions, it might be better to give that as "somewhere around 25 litres
You are of course right. I should have corrected that before I posted it. As you might guess I just cut and pasted from a spread sheet that hadn't been formatted to remove insignificant digits

[E.J.Armstrong]

originally posted by Lemastre
It's hard to say how much shamelessness is present in any promotion. Does the law specify that any yobbo with a spare tomato may decide when it's present and launch accordingly? If so, the nature of political campaigning needs to change, which might be a good idea at that.

If the yobbos engaged in illegal activities they would be arrested, however its not yet illegal in the UK for beefburger carrying model helicopters to buzz boxes with starving magicians in them. It would be bizarre if Blaines advisors had not told him about the British public's appetite for gentle subversion of the pompous. This along with our gutter press also helps keep the politicos on their toes over here as opposed to the USA. The occasional splat of an overripe tomato may also help provide the minor interest required to retain Blaine's sanity and to maintain the press's interest in his remarkable, if tedious, feat of endurance.

Assuming that mutually legal activities are being engaged in - which one has priority? Those who present the target or those who aim at it?