The Escape Plans of Harry Houdini

Harry Houdini was one of the world's most famous magicians and escape artists. Publicity played as much of a role in his acts as magic. Whether he was performing tricks at the request of a newspaper or awing a captive audience, Houdini knew how to work (and escape from) a room. Below are some of the escape acts that brought him the most attention.

The London Daily Mirror Challenge

In 1909, the newspaper gave Houdini the challenge of escaping from a pair of special handcuffs that had taken a locksmith five years to create. The feat was scheduled to be performed on March 20th at the Hippodrome Theater in London. Four thousand spectators and one hundred journalists came out for the escape. Houdini's attempt lasted longer than an hour. At one point, he asked for the cuffs to be taken off so that he could take off his coat but the Mirror representative refused- stating it would allow Houdini to see how the cuffs unlocked. Houdini cut the cut from his body with a pen knife. Nearly an hour later, his wife Bess came on stage and gave him a kiss.

There are different schools of thought on how exactly he escaped- which he finally did at the one hour and ten minute mark. Bess may have slipped a key into his mouth with the kiss. A book by one of Houdini's fellow magicians claimed that it was in a glass of water she brought him when he asked for her help. Others suspect that it was all a publicity stunt on the part of the mirror and Houdini's struggling was just for show. Regardless of how he escaped, Houdini broke down in tears when he was finally free and stated it to be the most difficult escape he ever faced.

Water Filled Milk Can

The Milk Can Escape was an invention original to Houdini. He brought it out in 1908. He was handcuffed then sealed inside a large Milk Can that was filled with water. He performed his escape behind a curtain (so others couldn't learn his trick) and asked the audience to hold their breaths while he was in the can since he wouldn't be able to breathe in there. Later versions of the act included the can being placed inside a wooden chest. He was able to escape by pushing out rivets on the inside that had been filed down ahead of time. He pushed off the lid, climbed out and replaced the rivets and lid.

Suspended in a Straight jacket

Houdini's straight jacket escapes were very popular with the public of the time. He would be strapped in then hoisted up by his ankles from either a crane or a building. He escaped in full view of his audience below. He added a safety wire to his ankles later on after he was blown into the side of a building several times. The wire allowed him to be moved away from the side if impact seemed likely. He escaped from straight jackets by puffing up his chest and shoulders, pushing out his arms and dislocating his shoulders while it was being put on.

Numerology Card Trick Revealed

Mathematical Card Trick Revealed www.LearnMagicTricks.org

David Blaine Trick account - Shoelace magic

everything2u.info David Blaine Trick explanation - Shoelace magic david-blaine-tricks.blogspot.com

amazing abracadabra ambush revealed

a amzing magic trick revealed

Magic Tricks Revealed - The Powerful Psychic Projection

Image : http://www.flickr.com

This is a great up close magic trick that will quickly easily convince anybody that you have powerful psychic powers. It works great on both strangers as well as close friends, and you can do this at parties, bars or even people off the street if you are bold enough. The greatest part about this trick is that it is completely self working, meaning that you don't have to do any sleight of hand or anything. This works of sheer mathematical probability, so even a five year old could do this trick.

This the way the trick will seem to the soon to be mystified audience. You mention in passing that you've recently learned some black arts of psychic "pushing". You can place thoughts secretly in their mind. Of course, they don't believe you, and they ask for a demonstration, to which you happily oblige.

You pull out a regular deck of cards, and open up the cards so that only you can see the cards. You spend a considerable amount of psychic energy looking at the cards, and looking at your friend. Then you put the cards back into a regular stack, and tell the person to choose any two cards, without naming the suit. Like ten and three, or ace and six, for example.

Once they choose their two cards, you look through the deck, and show them that the two cards they chose are right next to each other. They will be amazed, and likely as you to do this trick again. You go through the motions of looking at the cards, and projecting the numbers into their heads. When they choose two more cards, they will again be right next to each other.

The reason this always works is due to sheer mathematical probability. Since they aren't naming the suit of the card, and only the number, there is about a ninety percent chance that any two cards they pick will be next to each other, since when they choose two cards, their actually choosing eight (two cards of four suits each). Just because of mathematical probability, any two cards they choose will really be eight cards, and the chance of being next to each other is about ninety percent.

Naturally, the more you talk a good game, the better. The more you pretend to project thoughts into their mind, and go through the motions of doing painful psychic projection the better. If you like, you can make a friendly bet with them before hand, that you can "force" their decision. Have fun with this.

criss angel fools the police

criss angel does to cops all over

How To Draw Animals

Image : http://www.flickr.com

It is next to impossible to find a rigid, straight line in the outline of any animal. Nature seldom uses a straight line.
And so hen drawing animals, neither should you.

Here are some tips for drawing realistic animals:

The Horse - The body and legs of the horse fit into a square, with the head and neck extending out of one corner. The legs start downward from the midpoint of the square. Divide the main square again into four equal smaller squares. The length of the head will be about three fourths of one these smaller squares. Get these proportions right and you're halfway done.

The Cow - A square that reaches from the ground to the top of the head will enclose the body and legs. Divide this square into four smaller squares. One of these smaller squares will completely enclose the head. Make the top of the head level with the top of the back.

Drawing animals is every bit as difficult as drawing the human figure, sometimes more so. Animals don't tend to sit posed for very long. An easier method is to use a picture to copy.

Shading - In shading your drawings used delicate curved lines that radiate outward rather than paralleling each other. Make sure shadows blend, not stop abruptly, producing a harsh edge.

Insects lend themselves to drawing models quite nicely, especially when dead. They tend to stay put in that state.

Combinations of angular and curved lines produce contrast, which strengthens any drawing. Draw a bird with gentle curved lines seated in a tree top with hard angular lines used for branches. The resulting contrast produces a more realistic drawing.