While Dave is on vacation, here's something to ponder:
Did you ever wonder how Houdini really got out of that crate underwater?
Houdini called this trick "My Challenge to Death". In case your not familiar with this: Houdini would sit, handcuffed inside of a crate and lowered down into the water's bottom. Then, after a minute,the crate was hoisted up out of the water with Houdini sitting atop of the crate uncuffed. His secret:
First, the handcuffs were fake, easily opened by a secret spring.
Second, he took with him a carefully concealed pair of nail cutters. As soon as the crate was underwater he would cut enough nails to push aside the lid. Once outside of the crate, he simply pushed the lid back in place.
About his death defying act, Houdini had said:
"It is necessary to preserve absolute serenity of spirit. I have to work with great delicacy and lightening speed. If I grow panicky I am lost."
And that's how the Great Houdini did it!
Houdini was a big inspiration to me as a youngster. In the elementary grades my heroes were Houdini, Blackstone, and even Marshall Brodien.
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