Rock Center
I'm in a really NICE penthouse apt on the 46th floor overlooking the Big Apple - Sweet! I love my work!
Gonna go scope out NYC & walk over to NBC so I know where I'm going tomorrow. Might take the GPSr and try to do a little geocaching while I'm out on the town, and then grab a bite to eat.
Heading to the Big Apple
Hoping to meet up with a fellow sword swallower or two in NY tonight, then make an early appearance on the Today Show at Rockefeller Plaza tomorrow morning. Am scheduled to go on live around 8:30am CST, 9:30 EST. Then hoping my return flights get me home as scheduled tomorrow evening! - Going to have friends over tomorrow night to watch America's Got Talent on NBC at 8pm Central. Should be an interesting day!
Let me know if you see or tape either one - dansgottalent@gmail.com
Watch Dan LIVE on Today Show Tues morning!
Watched America's Got Talent
Fox News Update
You can see one of the segments here:
Science on the Cutting Edge
Swallowing the Science of the Sword
by Tim Anderson, Medical Migrant
The medical community is abuzz - there’s been a breakthrough.
You flip on the TV. Sure, you’ve seen them before, but there’s something about press conferences you find irresistible. The throng of eager reporters, the normally reclusive scientists clad in impeccably pressed, pure white lab coats, exhibiting an air of exuberance befitting their first public sighting in five years. You’re not sure what’s up, but you can tell it’s going to be big.
An intruder. A middle-aged man sporting a growth of whiskers smiles mischievously. He steps into the light, tosses back a cape, revealing a red and navy pirate outfit. Though flashy, the swashbuckler’s colorful costume stands out in stark contrast to the sterile scientific environment of black and white. He draws a 3-foot sword from his scabbard, tilts back his head, and plunges the length of the sword down his throat.
The scientists erupt in wild applause.
Science and swords may seem an odd pair. But, without the contribution of sword swallowers, we may not have some of today’s most critical diagnostic tools. Sword swallowers rigorously train themselves to ignore the body’s natural gag reflex, making them the perfect test subjects.
February 28, 2008 is International Sword Swallower’s Awareness Day. In their honor, and to gain insight into their medical contributions, let’s take a closer look at the development of the endoscope.
Today’s flexible endoscopes are widely used by physicians to visually inspect various internal aspects of the body, including the esophagus, the nasal passage, the colon (yikes!), and the respiratory tract. Man’s interest in getting a look inside the human body dates back centuries, and a prototype of an endoscope was discovered in the ruins of Pompeii.
But it was not until 1868 that a physician first peered through an endoscope directly into a human stomach. Eureka! Dr. Adolph Kussmaul, a renowned German physician, developed several innovative diagnostic procedures. But, when it came to fashioning a functioning endoscope, the challenge seemed beyond his reach.
He’d read of the development, by Antoine Jean Desormeaux in France, of a small tube to examine the urinary tract and bladder. He began work on a similar design for studying the stomach, but his progress soon faltered. Then, the hand of fate swept in. His assistant, while enjoying a pint at a local inn after a hard day’s work, was captivated by the evening’s performer – a sword swallower.
He gulped down his pint and raced back to tell Dr. Kussmaul what he’d witnessed.
Kussmaul quickly set about designing a prototype based on the sword swallower’s act. He meticulously sketched out the specifications - a rigid 18-inch stainless steel tube, one-half inch in diameter. He’d illuminate it with an external alcohol-turpentine lamp, like Desormeaux. He took the drawings to an instrument maker, a skilled craftsman, and the resulting endoscope was perfect.
Kussmaul’s device was revolutionary. Interest in peering into the very core of the human body spread quickly, and he was asked to demonstrate the endoscope in Freiburg at a meeting of the Society of Naturalists. But, how could he possibly do so? Where would he find someone capable of serving as a test subject? Yes, of course – he would take the sword swallower along.
This rudimentary beginning laid the foundation for the modern, flexible endoscope. Dr. Kussmaul and his sword-swallowing associate toured extensively, giving demonstrations at leading hospitals, and soon even Desormeaux was using an endoscope to examine esophageal disorders.
Men of steel. In 1894, sword swallower Chevalier Cliquot swallowed 14 swords at one time, stunning the physicians at New York’s Metropolitan Throat Hospital so much, that one doctor impulsively rushed in and removed the swords at once, causing lacerations that left the performer incapacited for months. In the 1930s Delno Fritz made the ultimate sacrifice for science. He died of complications from testing a bronchialscope. During the testing a screw came loose and lodged in his lung, resulting in pneumonia and his untimely demise.
Today there are less than a few dozen surviving sword swallowers left actively performing worldwide. Gone are the days of the traveling sideshows where they plied their dangerous craft. Gone are the acts of daring that tantalize all, traumatize the young, and terrify the fainthearted. Gone are the magical days of covering one’s face, not daring to look, but being unable to turn away.
Or, are they?
February 28, 2008 is International Sword Swallower’s Awareness Day. Dan Meyer, Executive Director of the Sword Swallower's Association International (SSAI), said the day is being held in conjunction with February’s National Swallowing Awareness Month.
“We sword swallowers have been risking our lives to perform the ancient art of sword swallowing for over 4000 years, but many people don't believe it’s real, or they think that the art has died out," Meyer explained. "We have chosen this day to honor veteran sword swallowers, to raise awareness of the medical contributions that sword swallowers have made to the fields of medicine and science, and to correct misconceptions about the art by performing for medical facilities and the media around the world on this day. "
Meyer and his co-author Dr. Brian Witcombe are the recipients of the 2007 Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine. The Ig Nobel Prizes are presented each year at Harvard for discoveries that, “first make people laugh, and then make them think.” They won the award for their article, “Sword Swallowing and its side effects,” published in the British Medical Journal in 2006. The pair will participate in the 2008 British Ig Nobel Tour in March speaking and putting on demonstrations at medical and scientific events normally known to be quite scholarly, even dry or stuffy.
But at these events, though you might not see a flashy swashbuckler’s outfit, if you listen, you may hear the “schwing” of a sword being pulled from its scabbard… And if you look closely enough, you might recognize the mischievous smile with protruding hilt among the white labcoats…Science and swords… perhaps they are not such an odd pair after all…
To learn more about the art and science of sword swallowing, or to inquire about a demonstration on the 28th, visit the Sword Swallower's Association International website at http://www.swordswallow.org.
Happy Sword Swallower's Day!
Happy Sword Swallower's Day!
The Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI) has proclaimed February 28th annual "International Sword Swallower's Awareness Day" in conjunction with February as "National Swallowing Disorders Awareness Month".
If you've had an endoscope, fluoroscopy, or electrocardiogram, you can THANK A SWORD SWALLOWER, as sword swallowers were used by doctors to develop these tools.
If you ARE a sword swallower...
Heads back, hilts up... SWALLOW!
For more information:
Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI)
International Sword Swallowers Awareness Day
http://www.swordswallow.org/ssad.php
Sword Swallowers Association News
http://www.swordswallow.org/news.php
President Proclaims “Sword Swallower’s Day”
HARTSELLE, AL -- On Thursday, February 28, 2008, Sword Swallowers around the world will celebrate "International Sword Swallower's Awareness Day" by doing what they do best - Swallowing swords!
Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI) President Dan Meyer proclaimed February 28th, 2008 as "International Sword Swallower's Day" to raise awareness of sword swallowers around the world.
Sponsored by SSAI, “International Sword Swallower’s Awareness Day” has been set for February 28th in conjunction with February as “National Swallowing Disorders Month” to highlight the contributions sword swallowers have made over the years in the fields of medicine and science, to honor veteran sword swallowers, and to preserve and promote the ancient art form that is still being carried on by a few dozen surviving practitioners of the art.
This year, mayors, governors, and other governing bodies around the world are requested to issue proclamations declaring February 28, 2008 as "International Sword Swallower's Awareness Day", with SSAI encouraging sword swallowers around the world to participate in activities and demonstrations by swallowing swords for medical facilities and the media throughout the day.
“We sword swallowers have been risking our lives to perform the ancient art of sword swallowing for over 4000 years, but many people don't believe sword swallowing is real, or they think that the art has died out," Meyer explained. "We are using this day to honor veteran sword swallowers for their contributions to the art, to raise awareness of the medical contributions that sword swallowers have made in the fields of medicine and science, and to correct myths and misconceptions about the art by performing for medical facilities and the media on this day all around the world.”
Since some sword swallowers perform charitable work for the medical community as a way of raising awareness for esophageal cancer, dysphagia, GERD, and other upper gastro-intestinal and swallowing disorders, the Sword Swallowers Association International adopted “Sword Swallower's Awareness Day” as a way of promoting the ancient art of sword swallowing by performing medical demonstrations at hospitals, medical centers, orphanages, and nursing homes for those who would have difficulty getting to theaters to see live performances.
“The sword swallowers who participate in these activities find them rewarding experiences,” explains Meyer. “On February 28th, many people will have the rare opportunity to see sword swallowing firsthand who would otherwise not have a chance to witness it."
The roots of sword swallowing date back over 4000 years, but the contributions sword swallowers have made to medical science have gone largely unrecognized over the past 140 years. In 1868, a sword swallower was enlisted by Dr. Adolf Kussmaul in Freiburg Germany to undergo the first rigid endoscopy, and in 1906 a sword swallower was used for the first esophageal electrocardiogram in Wales. Other sword swallowers have been prodded and examined by doctors and medical colleges over the years but without formal recognition.
A hundred years later in 2006, the British Medical Journal published the first international medical study "Sword Swallowing and its side effects" co-authored by Meyer and Dr. Brian Witcombe based on a year-long study of sword swallowers around the world. The article won its authors the 2007 Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine at Harvard University. The authors will appear on the 2008 UK Ig Nobel Tour in March at Oxford University, Imperial College, the BBC, and other venues in the UK in conjunction with National Science and Engineering Week, sponsored by the British Association for the Advancement of Science.
“Many of us have been sword swallowing for years, and we love what we do,” explains Meyer, a Ripley’s and multiple Guinness World Record holder. “Sword Swallowers Day is a great opportunity for us to show the medical community and the rest of the world what we do!”
Sword swallowers will be performing around the world on February 28th, with some setting individual and small group records. Immediately after International Sword Swallower's Awareness Day, sword swallowers will be asked to submit a report of their activities to the Sword Swallowers Association for review and consideration for a group record. "Usually most of us perform individually," Meyer says. "International Sword Swallower's Day gives us a chance to all work together to be part of something much bigger."
The art of sword swallowing began over 4000 years ago in India, and requires the practitioner to use mind-over-matter techniques to control the body and repress natural reflexes in order to insert solid steel blades from 15 to 25 inches down the esophagus and into the stomach. With the demise of the traveling circus sideshow over the past several decades, there are currently less than a few dozen full-time professional sword swallowers actively performing the ancient but deadly art of sword swallowing around the world today.
The Sword Swallowers Association International was founded in 2001 to preserve the ancient art of sword swallowing, and is comprised of sword swallowers from around the world, with a sister site with general information on sword swallowing for the common public at www.swordswallow.com. Contact us for additional information on “International Sword Swallowers Day” or to schedule a local sword swallower for medical demonstrations, interviews, and other events in your area for Sword Swallowers Day on February 28, 2008, or the Ig Nobel Tour of the UK March 6-15, 2008.
# # # END # # #
Media Contact:
Dan Meyer
President and Executive Director
Sword Swallowers Association Int'l
Dan@swordswallow.com
+1 (615) 969.2568 (GMT -6:00 Central Time)
www.swordswallow.org (SSAI)
www.swordswallow.com (General Info)
www.swordswallow.com/ssad.php (Sword Swallowers Day)
Huntsville Times Religion Section
Friday, January 11, 2008
By KAY CAMPBELL Huntsville Times Faith & Values Editor
Did you hear the one about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the preacher and the sword swallower?
No joke would be more unbelievable than the truth: A re-telling of the story of Rudolph inspired a sword swallower to unsheath his unusual ability for God's cause.
A few Christmases ago, Dan Meyer, 50, a blond guy with the buoyant energy of an oversized puppy, sat in church while the preacher in his Hartselle church encouraged people to see Rudolph's story as a parable. The reindeer with the nose he was ashamed of finally realized that his odd feature was his gift and his witness.
"You have to use what makes you unique," his pastor preacher said.
At that moment, Dan Meyer said, he knew he was going to quit his day job as a car salesman to be a full-time sword swallower - and develop a ministry with a memorable point to it.
"Believe it or not, this is my calling," Meyer said, pulling a 30-inch steel sword out of the leather scabbard for a recent demonstration. "I can reach the goth kids, the bikers - I can catch their attention, and I can turn their attention to the Lord."
Meyer puts the tip of the sword into his mouth, tilts his head back, flings his arms wide, and lets the inch-thick blade slide down his throat. Then he bows from the waist, his eyes twinkling above the hilt projecting from his mouth like the last bits of a frog disappearing into a python's jaws.
Goth or not, nobody could turn attention from that spectacle.
Meyer stands and flicks the sword from his mouth with his fingertips, so that it shoots into the air above his head. He catches it with a flourish - he's also a juggler and fire-eater. And he can stick an ice pick into his nose all the way up to really, really disgusting.
"Does it gross you out?" he asks, grinning. "Good - it's supposed to. Not only do I like to comfort the afflicted, but I also like to afflict the comfortable. Of course, I get negative reactions from the adults on that one. But the kids love it!"
His message, he said, is to remind kids how fearfully and wonderfully they are made. That the hobbies other kids might think are weird or gross could become their way to witness for God in the world.
And that they should never, ever try sword swallowing at home.
"I put my life on the line to do this," he said. "But I tell them there is a way they can become a spiritual sword swallower. In Hebrews 4:12, it says, "The Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, able to pierce the division of the soul and spirit ... able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
Then, in the show he takes to church youth groups, camps and Upward awards banquets, he pulls out the sword he calls his Pride. It's the first sword he managed to allow into his gullet after a couple years of practice and lots of gagging.
Swallowing their pride and learning to be humble, Meyer tells the kids, is even tougher than swallowing a sword.
Though swallowing a sword is no piece of cake.
Meyer was inspired by the sword swallowers he saw in his early 20s when he was a Lutheran missionary in India. About 10 years ago, he determined to learn to swallow swords when a veteran performer told him there were only about a dozen left in the entire world.
It took Meyer a couple years of daily practice to overcome the natural revulsion of the throat. He learned to slide the blade behind his voice box, to nudge his heart aside where it presses on the esophagus, to insert the steel blade all the way to the sphincter guarding the stomach, and into the stomach itself.
His posture must be perfect, he says. His body totally relaxed.
"If you look closely, you can see the blade beats with my heart," Meyer said. "I'm a living sheath - I put the Word of God in my body every day."
After practicing daily for about three years to hone his act - at night he brushes his teeth and swallows a sword before he goes to bed - Meyer took his show on the road.
He organized the Sword Swallowers Association International and organized the group gulps that got him into the Guinness Book of World Records - twice. Also a musician, he's toured with the Brooks and Dunn's Neon Circus act that opened for country artists Brooks and Dunn.
In May, soon after he quit the car dealership, he swallowed a sword in the shark tank for Ripley's Believe It or Not in Myrtle Beach, S.C. In October, the article he co-wrote with British physician Brian Whitcombe, "Sword Swallowing and its Side Effects," published last year in the British Medical Journal, was awarded the 2007 Ig Nobel Prize in medicine at Harvard.
Meyer knows personally about the side effects of introducing inflexible steel into the throat. A trick he did a few years ago, when he was swallowing five swords at once, ended when his belly retched. The resulting cut put him in bed for months.
In the Middle Ages, it wasn't the danger of sword swallowing, but its unbelievable nature that got sword swallowers persecuted by the church during a crackdown on devilish pursuits. "It's ironic that sword swallowers who risked their lives to swallow swords were put to death because of it!" Meyer said. Church officials were sure anyone who could take steel into their bodies and live to tell about it must be in league with the powers of darkness.
That accusation was not unlike what Jesus himself faced, Meyer said.
"A lot of people thought he was just a magician, a charlatan, but he was real," Meyer said. "And people were so impacted by what they saw 2,000 years later we're still talking about it.
"If you want to impact people's lives, you have to be real."
Sword of Truth
Dan Meyer will bring his, um, penetrating witness to Friendship United Methodist
Church on Lucas Ferry Road in Athens Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m.
His web sites include clips of his performances: www.swordswallow.com, www.cuttingedgeinnertainment.com.
Dan can be reached at dan@swordswallow.com and 256-341-8969.
Dan's Mailing List and Show Schedule
