I don't understand why people aren't more concerned with the fact that he's conflating being a magician (illusions) with pulling off medical feats? I think we should be raising the question of whether this stuff is real.
EDIT: Funny, I paused to make this comment immediately before his story about the doctor suggesting the illusion of not breathing.
I guess to be fair at the time of the article AIDA's record was only 9:08. But if the article is worth reading today it's worth comparing to today. The point really is that holding your breath for 8 minutes was/is not the achievement Blaine('s publicist) wanted it to be.
Starting off, I thought he sounded like he had just taken a bong hit while pinching a loaf. As he went on, I became more and more engaged. Each minute of the speech made me want to hear the next minute, and finally the conclusion. So you have to ask yourself, what makes a good speaker - having polished elocution or relating an engaging story?
