Searched but I didn't see a thread on this in any of the forums. Sounds like he's in pretty bad shape.

Who's watching this tonight?

_____________________________________


Magician Vows to Complete Aquarium Stunt

By TED SHAFFREY, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK - David Blaine says he's in "pretty bad shape" as he nears the end of his latest feat — a week in an aquarium — but vowed to go through with his finale of holding his breath underwater for nearly 9 minutes.

The 33-year-old magician, wearing a diving helmet that allows two-way communication, has been submerged in the 8-foot snow globe-like acrylic sphere since last Monday.

"Everything is still on as planned, and I'm going to give it my best shot," Blaine said Sunday from his perch on the plaza of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts as spectators gawked and waved at him.

Blaine's finale was to be aired live in a two-hour ABC special, "David Blaine: Drowned Alive," starting at 8 p.m. EDT Monday.

He told AP Television News he "will do his best" to complete the feat despite peeling skin, sharp pains in his joints and a severe earache.

The stunt artist planned to put on 150 pounds of chains and handcuffs, remove his oxygen tube and then escape while holding his breath longer than the record of 8 minutes, 58 seconds.

"If I don't get out of the chains and I black out in 9 minutes, which is about the length of time it would take these guys here (who) have been preparing a stretcher to pull my body out and do what they have to do, so I have to have faith that they know what they are doing," Blaine said.

He said he was suffering "sharp, shooting pains in every part of my body." Doctors have been monitoring his condition.

Blaine started training in December, with some help from Navy SEALS. He lost 50 pounds so his body would require less oxygen.

He has been fed and, uh, relieving himself by tubes.

Blaine's previous feats included balancing on a 22-inch circular platform atop a 100-foot pole for 35 hours; being buried alive in a see-through coffin for a week; and surviving inside a massive block of ice for 61 hours, all of which were performed in New York. In 2003, he fasted for 44 days in a suspended acrylic box over the Thames River in London.

Sounds stupid...but I know I will end up watching it anyway.

SSDD.

wont be watching tonight..."Prision Break" has 1st dibs

I'll bet he somehow survives.

So the illusion is tricking you into thinking that is interesting? I liked early David Blaine, but the buried alive and ice bit were more like stupid human tricks. No one is talking about those stunts anymore and Blaine's place in the magician world has been taken over by Criss Angel.

I would like to see them switch the tubes.

What a trooper! There's no way this "I'll do my best" routine is intended to drum up interest.

das

They are also along the line of things that Houdini typically did. Not tricks per se, but feats.

I guess we'll see if the public of today (by way of Nielsen ratings) finds it more fascinating or just plain stupid than those in the day of Houdini.

Laughed at a joke on SNL I think where they said something like "when he gets out of the ball of water, maybe he'll do a magic trick."

I wanna watch, but my DVR only has two tuners.

Suns vs. Clippers
The Apprentice
David Blaine: Drowned Alive
24

No way ta watch them all... maybe DVR 24 and Apprentice, and on another TV, PIP the Suns game while watching Blaine and go back and forth. Hmmm

The real trick is that ABC is milking this for 2 hours in primetime.

I dont know what is worse, his stunts or the people that bring these things ratings.

Haven't found him entertaining since his last appearance here

Actually his best trick was dating Josie Maran.

Just PIP the last 9 minutes! No need to tune into the full 2 hour event.

The title is stupid... doesn't the word 'drowned' imply that the person was initially alive in the process? I mean, a person can't drown if they are already dead. Otherwise you would be 'submerging a body'. It's not like 'burned alive', where you can actually be burned whether you are alive or dead.

I know. I was thinking the same thing. I saw a preview for this last night and they said something like, "If he fails, he could be drowned alive." Drowned alive?! I've never heard of being drowned when dead. But, I'm a copy editor, so it's my job to pick things like that apart. So annoying when people fail to understand the basic concepts of the English language.

Eh, I'd rather watch 24.

Didn't he or someone else try this long-term water thing a while back? As I recall, the water really changes due to the skin secretions into the water and the peeling skin flakes. The water was practically opaque from it all and looked plain disgusting. Are they filtering the water this time around or what?

Does anybody else remember this or am I going crazy?

The neurosurgeon supervising him just said he's essentially suffering from liver failure.

How are they making this a two hour special?? Oh, just repeat everything else!

Not to nit pick but how can you be burned "alive" if you were dead in a certain case? Wouldn't it be burned dead?

Everytime he does those huge exhales my room seems to smell like a gyro. Anyone else notice this? Now THAT's a trick!

someone call if he dies. Otherwise, no interest.

Criss is more entertaining, and I'm secure enough in my sexuality to say this, Criss is really hot.

"chain malfunction"