Magician David Blaine is preparing to perform some sort of magic trick or feat of strength that I imagine would be kind of cool, if I were really into that sort of stuff. But it at least sounds like his heart's in the right place, because it's for charity. From Yahoo! News:
In his latest stunt, U.S. magician David Blaine will be shackled to a spinning gyroscope hanging some three stories above Times Square as he tries to escape before a three day deadline. The 33-year-old, whose previous stunts include 61 hours encased in a block of ice and one week buried in a coffin, will be hoisted 40 feet above the ground just off New York's Times Square on Tuesday. Blaine will be secured in a three-ringed gyroscope spinning continuously in all directions and retailer Target Corp. has challenged the magician to escape from his position by 5 a.m. Friday. "There will be no barriers to protect him from elements like wind, rain, snow or freezing temperatures," Target said. If he succeeds, Blaine will then accompany 100 families chosen by The Salvation Army on a shopping spree at Target. The department store said it will give each family a $500 giftcard if Blaine completes the challenge.I'm so glad he's not my boyfriend because I would find it exhausting, pretending to get really excited every time he decided to glue himself to a train or something like that. I'd be OK with him constantly pulling change out of my ears, but that's about it.
Written by Lisa Timmons
SeaNymphette
Lisa,
I am having trouble mustering anymore enthusiasm for his tricks as well, although I think he is sexy and I have no trouble getting excited about any other part of him. You said you didn't understand the trick. Here is why it is difficult about it. There are 3 rings spinning simultaneously in a gyroscope. Those 3 rings can spin separately in any of the directional angles of the 360 degree sphere, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. They will spin in different directions and probably at different speeds making any opening from which he can escape only momentary openings. I don't know if you ever saw the film "The Cube" or know the physics of a hypercube, but its sort of a similar principle. The configurations of the gyroscope keep changing, the way out keeps moving, making it nearly impossible to get out.
bloodstomper
Five hundred dollars!?!? Maybe that would be an unimaginably abundant, sparkling/twinkling Christmas miracle to someone in, say, Khazikiwikistan, but here in the USA, in NYC, five hundred dollars is two tears in a bucket. Would a five thousand dollar gift certificate for each family have killed those greedy corporate fatcat "magicians"? Yeah, probably. Thanks, Target. Thanks a lot.