Love him or hate him, one thing's for sure: street magician turned endurance stuntman David Blaine is endlessly fascinating.
For its series "What I've Learned," Esquire Magazine interviewed David Blaine about nuggets of wisdom he has learned over the years:
When I actually was buried alive, I learned that things aren't always as difficult as they seem to be.
Okay, start with a pretty new deck. Secretly lick your finger. Have someone pick up half the deck and look at the card he cut to. As he's looking at the card, say, "Okay, put that half back on top." Point to the bottom deck and touch the top card with your wet finger. That'll act as an adhesive. The two cards will stick together. So he can cut as many times as he wants. When you spread out the cards, look for the two that are stuck together. His card will be the one on top of the one you touched with your wet finger.
When I was with the Yanomamö Indians, I counted four hundred mosquito bites on one arm. That was unbearable.
One little thing goes wrong--like the guy who vacuumed the catheter tube when I was frozen in a block of ice--and then everything crumbles. You're having nightmares while your eyes are open. You don't know whether you're alive or dead.
If that's not all that impressive, then just stick around for his card tricks (including one where he tells you the secret): Link (warning: auto-starting sound) - Thanks Marty Beckerman!