Good Luck, David Blaine

During supper tonight, the 'rents and I had our usual pleasant supper table conversations.  The topics usually are what happened at work and at The Compound during the day, along with our comments about the news stories that are on the channel 32 5:30 news, which we watch faithfully. After supper today, I was clearing the dishes and Mom asked if I was going anywhere tonight.  I quickly told her no, and explained that I was going to watch David Blaine attempt to hold his breath for 9 minutes inside the water-filled bubble.  Dad and she looked at me like I had a horn growing out of the top of my head like a unicorn. "Who's David Blaine?" they both asked.  I shook my head in disbelief.  How could they not know who David Blaine is? 

I simply explained that David Blaine is the guy that's been living in a water-filled bubble in the middle of New York City for the past week and that tonight as a finale to the stunt he was going to attempt to get hold his breath for a record-breaking 9 minutes while he tries to escape from chains.  At about 9:30 tonight, Blaine will come out of his aquarium, and will be locked up in chains and placed back in the bubble where he will attempt to break free of the chains while holding his breath for at least 9 minutes.  He might have to hold his breath a bit longer, but 9 minutes is what he needs to break the current world's record. 

Not everybody has been following David Blaine's stunt for the past week, including my parents. I was talking about him at work today, and discussed him with friends this weekend, and I'd say more than half the people I've talked to about Blaine didn't know who he was nor what he was doing.   Being the news monger that I am, I've followed Blaine's stunts for the past few years.  He's been frozen in a block of ice for almost 3 days,  stood on an 80-foot for a day and a half,  and had been buried in a plexiglass cofin for a week without any food or water.  Why, you ask?  Because he can.

I think the popularity of David Blaine is partially due to our obsession with reality TV.  But personally, I'm tired of watching B-list celebrities eating bugs or aspiring actors playing mind games with one another on a deserted island or inside a huge house with cameras in every room.  David Blaine is a bit different.  He refers to what he does as "performance art."  It makes sense to me. 

TWIT would like to wish David Blaine the best of luck tonight.  I'll have a full report tomorrow on tonight's attempt at breaking the world's record for holding your breath underwater.