Breaking News: 6 Year Old Boy Alone In Runaway Helium Balloon

[chefcraig]

Unreal. A small child stepped into a UFO shaped balloon, which somehow launched to heights of 7000 feet. Colorado Air traffic is being diverted around the craft.

You can view live footage of the story here: 6-Year-Old Alone in Helium Balloon Over Colorado - The Lede Blog - NYTimes.com (http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/6-year-old-alone-in-hot-air-balloon-over-colorado/?hp)

[BITEYOASS]

Of course if I was 6 years old, I would have done that intentionally and do a little reading about ballooning before attempting that feat. :D

[chefcraig]

Update: The balloon has landed and is empty. There is speculation he might have fallen out.

[FORD]

Or he was never in it in the first place, and this was all a plot to distract the whore media from the President's appearance in New Orleans.

If there was a kid in the balloon alone at any point though, his parents are fucking morons.

[Anonymous]

Well, either that or he got abducted by aliens.

Of course he fell out. The only mystery here is why wasn't that balloon better secured, especially with two young boys playing around it.

Everyone knows that small children are fuckin' unpredictable.

But in this case, it's QUITE predictable that they'd fuck around with the thing.

I would, and I'm 28. Imagine being 6.

Cheers! :bottle:

[kwame k]

Just read that and the "basket" was made out of plywood. Wow, just plain Wow!

[kwame k]

Well, either that or he got abducted by aliens.

Of course he fell out. The only mystery here is why wasn't that balloon better secured, especially with two young boys playing around it.

Everyone knows that small children are fuckin' unpredictable.

But in this case, it's QUITE predictable that they'd fuck around with the thing.

I would, and I'm 28. Imagine being 6.

Cheers! :bottle:

Yeah, no fucking shit! What were the parents thinking.

[ELVIS]

It's an Obahaahaahaahaahaahaahaama plot...

[Anonymous]

Yeah, no fucking shit! What were the parents thinking.

They weren't, apparently.

"Honey, I'll just tie this helium balloon, large enough to carry a person, to this little weed here, and be right inside for tea."

"Okay, baby. And what about the boys?"

"Send them outside to play."

"Won't they mess around with the balloon?"

"Never! Young children aren't interested in such things. Why, they can't even take their own heads out of a plastic bag, let alone fly a balloon. It's safe."

"Ah, ok. Go outside now, children."

A while later...

"Hey, waddayaknow... our youngest climbed inside the balloon. And look! Apparently the weed wasn't strong enough to hold it. Well, I'll be... who'd've imagined such a thing could happen?"

"Indeed, honey. And it wasn't anybody's fault, and I should know. I was here."

* * * * *

Hey, it's the ONLY possible explanation.

Cheers! :bottle:

[Little Texan]

I'll tell you what happened. The boy was fucking around with the balloon as any curious 6 year old boy would do, he untied the balloon, it took off, and he freaked out because the balloon took off. He knew he was in trouble, so he went and hid somewhere because he knew (in his mind) his parents were going to be super pissed about this. The boy was never on board to begin with.

[letsrock]

Parents will have some explaining to do.

[chefcraig]

I'll tell you what happened. The boy was fucking around with the balloon as any curious 6 year old boy would do, he untied the balloon, it took off, and he freaked out because the balloon took off. He knew he was in trouble, so he went and hid somewhere because he knew (in his mind) his parents were going to be super pissed about this. The boy was never on board to begin with.

I agree. I'm beginning to think it's all bullshit, because it would take a huge amount of helium to lift even a kid, and that craft looks waaay too small.

[Guitar Shark]

That was my initial thought too, but they are now saying that there was a plywood box attached to the bottom of the balloon that was not attached when it landed. That seems to suggest to me that it fell off, probably due to the weight of the kid (and perhaps him moving around frantically) during the flight.

I hope my initial thought is right though.

[Ally_Kat]

I don't think he was ever on it, altho his brothers are claiming he climbed on board and neighbors are saying that a large object fell out of the balloon.

I hope this ends happy.

[Diamondjimi]

I smell cover up and/or distraction...

[chefcraig]

That was my initial thought too, but they are now saying that there was a plywood box attached to the bottom of the balloon that was not attached when it landed. That seems to suggest to me that it fell off, probably due to the weight of the kid (and perhaps him moving around frantically) during the flight.

I hope my initial thought is right though.

The thing is, it takes around 6 or 7 thousand helium filled balloons to lift an average person. (Thanks, Mythbusters (http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/photogalleries/balloon/balloon.html)) Even if the kid weighed 40 pounds, his weight plus the gondola itself would have prevented the thing from lifting off.

At least that is what I'm hoping for, at this point.

[Guitar Shark]

Apparently the boy has been found alive at the home...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I'll tell you what happened. The boy was fucking around with the balloon as any curious 6 year old boy would do, he untied the balloon, it took off, and he freaked out because the balloon took off. He knew he was in trouble, so he went and hid somewhere because he knew (in his mind) his parents were going to be super pissed about this. The boy was never on board to begin with.

Bingo !!!

He was hiding in an attic in the garage....

Great news, although he could get his Xbox taken away from him.... ;)

[chefcraig]

Yep. Boy said to have floated off in balloon found - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091015/ap_on_re_us/us_boy_in_balloon)

[Fairwrning]

Woulda made for a great home video if ya caught his reaction just before he ran.
Some really bad parenting indeed.

[VanHalener]

The little troublemakers should be punished!
Sit them down in the front row of a Chickenshit concert with backstage passes to hang out with Spammy for evening.
That'll teach 'em!

[FORD]

This is looking like a hoax to me. Someone told the kid to go hide out in the attic, and get the free publicity for the "experimental" balloon craft.

Apparently this guy was on Wife Swap and he chases tornados for fun, so draw your own conclusions......

[Guitar Shark]

Obviously the BCE is behind this.

[FORD]

Obviously the BCE is behind this.

Objection!

Assumes facts not in evidence, counselor.

(Newsmeat has nothing on this guy)

[Guitar Shark]

I was just assuming that's where you were going, based on your earlier post in this thread...


Or he was never in it in the first place, and this was all a plot to distract the whore media from the President's appearance in New Orleans.

[chefcraig]

This is looking like a hoax to me. Someone told the kid to go hide out in the attic, and get the free publicity for the "experimental" balloon craft.

Apparently this guy was on Wife Swap and he chases tornados for fun, so draw your own conclusions......

What's sort of odd about this is that the father called a tv station, rather than the police, after the balloon had lifted off. They then waited a half an hour to call the police. Huh? http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/smileys/free-confused-smileys-718.gif (http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/Free-Laughing-Smileys/)

[Nickdfresh]

Apparently the boy has been found alive at the home...

That's great news. But he's a little shit though! :pullinghair::mad:

[Baby's On Fire]

It would have been better if the kid was on it and fell out.

There'a already too many people om Earth, One less is a plus.

Of course, it would be even better if he was hugging Elvis when he fell out, though I suppose that would would be too much to hope for.

Maybe his parents are religious assholes....then they would be desrving too

[kwame k]

I'll tell you what happened. The boy was fucking around with the balloon as any curious 6 year old boy would do, he untied the balloon, it took off, and he freaked out because the balloon took off. He knew he was in trouble, so he went and hid somewhere because he knew (in his mind) his parents were going to be super pissed about this. The boy was never on board to begin with.


Fucking nailed it! :beers8:

[ZahZoo]

Probably as Lil Texan put it... this family is a bunch of nut cases...

The father of the 6-year-old Colorado boy who was thought to have been speeding through the sky for hours in a high-soaring homemade helium balloon is a self-described "storm chaser" who now finds himself at the center of another kind of squall.

Richard Heene, who operates a Web site called thepsyiencedetectives.com, has long collected data he hopes will prove his theory that rotating storms create their own magnetic fields. But as authorities seek another interview with Heene's family to clarify a statement by his son, Falcon, that Thursday's runaway balloon saga was done "for a show," the dad's colorful past -- including an appearance on ABC's "Wife Swap," a series of unusual inventions and a self-produced hip-hip video featuring his three sons -- is attracting national attention.

A Foxnews.com search of public records revealed that Heene, 48, and his wife, Mayumi, owe thousands of dollars in connection to a company called My You Me Productions. Prior to moving to Colorado, Heene and his wife were aspiring actors in Los Angeles who met at an acting school, a source told Foxnews.com.

The state of California filed a $5,812 tax lien against Heene in 1993, and records show a small-claims judgment of $5,000 was filed against him in Los Angeles County in 2006. County tax liens totaling roughly $2,000 were found in connection to the production company, which is now known as Alternate Reality Productions, according to productionhub.com.

Heene, of Fort Collins, Colo., reportedly began his amateur scientific research in 2002 with lab experiments and then moved on to dust devils in California before flying a plane around Hurricane Wilma's perimeter in 2005.

His neighbor, Bob Licko, said he frequently sees the father of three working in the garage on various scientific projects, including a "flying saucer" and a machine that "puts out more power than it uses." Licko said it's apparent Henne loves delving into scientific endeavors.

"He's a storm chaser," Licko told Foxnews.com. "But some of it is simply for his pure enjoyment."

Related StoriesBoy Believed to Have Been in Runaway Balloon Found
Licko said the Henne family is "a bit" unconventional, but he said he's never felt his three young sons -- Falcon, Ryo and Bradford -- were in any danger from their father's experiments.

"[Heene] runs a loose ship for the boys and lets them do their own thing," Licko said. "But regardless of the way he raises his boys, I think he's a very caring father. [He and his wife] care a great deal for their children."

In a July 2007 feature story in The Denver Post, a reporter followed the Heene family as it piled into a Toyota Sienna van while chasing a storm near the Wyoming-Colorado border in hopes of better predicting storms' movements. Heene said he became fascinated with the concept in 1979 when he was working as a contractor in Waco, Texas, and a tornado ripped off a nearby roof and dropped it 300 yards away. Miraculously, he said, no shingles on the roof were destroyed or even disturbed, leading him to believe that magnetism played a role in the occurrence.

Heene's business partner, Scott Stevens, said he was a radio show host when he met Heene, and he said he liked his hands-on approach to research. Stevens has a degree in broadcast meteorology; Heene has no professional science training.

While most storm chasers track a storm from behind, Heene and Stevens followed the July 2007 storm by trying to intercept it head-on.

"There's no other way," Stevens told the paper. "We have to get right under it to collect our data."

Earlier that month, on July 12, 2007, Mayumi Heene told the paper they had a close call while tracking a tornado in Buckeye, Colo., but the children were oblivious to the risks.

"I think they really are having fun," Mayumi Heene told the paper. "They get so much more that they can't get from any other entertainment."

Richard Heene added, "I think I have odd kids. They start screaming with excitement."

Heene's former business partner, Barbara Slusser-Adams, told Fox News that she split from Heene last fall in part because of the dangerous situations experienced by the young boys, particularly during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

"I had some problems with that," Slusser-Adams said of Heene's desire to take his boys toward the Texas coastline to track Gustav. "I did not feel I wanted to join them on that venture."

Slusser-Adams praised Heene's knowledge of storm chasing, but she noted that the pursuit centers around public exposure for Heene's entire family -- including Falcon, who was the subject of a multi-county search after the balloon came down without him in it. He later was found in the family's garage.

"He's grown up in this type of atmosphere where things are a show," Slusser-Adams said. "This business is about publicity, it truly is."

Slusser-Adams noted that Falcon is only 6 years old, and he has already appeared on two episodes of "Wife Swap," which promoted the Heenes as a storm-chasing clan determined to find extraterrestrials and build a "research-gathering flying saucer" to send into the center of a storm.

Karin Martel, of Trumbull, Conn., entered the Heene household as the new "wife" on the television show last October.

Martel, a Spanish teacher, told the Connecticut Post she tried to bring order to the rambunctious Heene household. She said the boys slept in their clothes so they could leap out of bed in an instant if a storm approached. Mayumi Heene would alert the boys with a megaphone, she said.

Perhaps ironically, Martel's husband, Jay, said he appeared on the show to teach parents about child safety.

"We wanted to enlighten as many people as possible and potentially save lives," he told the paper.

Storm-Chasing Father of 'Balloon Boy' at Center of New Storm - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,567640,00.html)

[ELVIS]

It would have been better if the kid was on it and fell out.

There'a already too many people om Earth, One less is a plus.

Of course, it would be even better if he was hugging Elvis when he fell out, though I suppose that would would be too much to hope for.

Maybe his parents are religious assholes....then they would be desrving too

Hey, your mom said mmmmummmmmhmmmmmm last night...

[chefcraig]

For those who'd like to own a piece of history...

SAVE BALLOON BOY T-shirt > SAVE BALLOON BOY > teetastic! (http://www.cafepress.com/teetastic.412255623)

http://img238.imageshack.us/img238/3222/412286503v3480x480front.jpg (http://img238.imageshack.us/i/412286503v3480x480front.jpg/)

[Nickdfresh]

I think this whole thing was a hoax by these fucking inbred attention whores...

[ELVIS]

Inbred ??

[chefcraig]

If there is any doubt at this point that this was a hoax, here's a clip of the "accidental" launch. Notice how the husband reacts. Interesting isn't it, considering his son is supposedly aboard the craft?

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[kwame k]

He has a lot of esplain' to do, Lucy!

[Nickdfresh]

Inbred ??

No offense...

And I hope the piece of shit father goes to jail...he should also be charged the cost entailed during the chase...

[Diamondjimi]

And I hope the piece of shit father goes to jail...he should also be charged the cost entailed during the chase...

No shit. Someone should this attention whore the bill. This is some pathetic shit...

[Guitar Shark]

If there is any doubt at this point that this was a hoax, here's a clip of the "accidental" launch. Notice how the husband reacts. Interesting isn't it, considering his son is supposedly aboard the craft?


I thought his story was that he didn't know his son was supposedly aboard until after it was already in the air.

Not that it matters - I am thinking this was all a hoax, too.

Watching that launch, it's pretty obvious now that there was no way that thing could have ever carried the weight of a boy. Are you telling me these parents wouldn't have known that? Please.

[chefcraig]

I thought his story was that he didn't know his son was supposedly aboard until after it was already in the air.

Not that it matters - I am thinking this was all a hoax, too.

Watching that launch, it's pretty obvious now that there was no way that thing could have ever carried the weight of a boy. Are you telling me these parents wouldn't have known that? Please.

I'm so confused by the father's statements now that I don't know what to believe. But let's put it this way...

If you (as a parent) discovered that your son had just floated off in a balloon, would you:

A. Jump in the family car and start chasing after the damned thing, while your spouse phoned authorities.

Or

B. Watch it float away, call a tv station, then wait around for a half hour to dial 911.

[Guitar Shark]

You're preaching to the choir here, my friend.

[Little Texan]

I think this whole thing was a hoax by these fucking inbred attention whores...

I think you're right, Nick. The cat was out of the bag when the boy said something about his parents telling him it was for a show.

[kwame k]

Exactly, this dude should be getting a huge bill and jail time! To use your kid like that for shameless self-promotion deserves, at the very least, a public bitch slapping.

[Little Texan]

The fact that the father called the tv station first instead of 911 says A LOT.

[kwame k]

That and conveniently had a video camera going.

[Little Texan]

Oops, double post.

[ZahZoo]

You're preaching to the choir here, my friend.

Thankfully he wasn't singing!!

[FORD]

The fact that the father called the tv station first instead of 911 says A LOT.

not to mention their interviews on both the NBC and ABC morning shows this monring, where dipshit dad keeps the interview going while his kid is literally getting sick - actually puking on camera in one of the interviews. Reportedly they kept the kids up all night with media interviews.

These bastards are shameless. I heard child protective services are being called in to investigate, and I can't blame them

[letsrock]

Wonder what he will do on April fools day?

[kwame k]

not to mention their interviews on both the NBC and ABC morning shows this monring, where dipshit dad keeps the interview going while his kid is literally getting sick - actually puking on camera in one of the interviews. Reportedly they kept the kids up all night with media interviews.

These bastards are shameless. I heard child protective services are being called in to investigate, and I can't blame them


You have got to be kidding me! Puking on camera and staying up all night doing interviews? This guy's up near Denver somewhere and I'm only an hour or so away.......first ever Roth Army Bitch Slap Award, I'll be happy to deliver it in person.

[letsrock]

Wonder what the Kid is going top dress for Halloween?
Hot Air Balloon?

[letsrock]

Look here he is.

[FORD]

You have got to be kidding me! Puking on camera and staying up all night doing interviews? This guy's up near Denver somewhere and I'm only an hour or so away.......first ever Roth Army Bitch Slap Award, I'll be happy to deliver it in person.

Watch Rachel Maddow's show tonight, she'll probably cover it. Or a rerun of the Ed Schultz show, because he had the clip (can't find it on YouTube yet)

[kwame k]

Watch Rachel Maddow's show tonight, she'll probably cover it. Or a rerun of the Ed Schultz show, because he had the clip (can't find it on YouTube yet)

Cool, will do!

[twonabomber]

not to mention their interviews on both the NBC and ABC morning shows this monring, where dipshit dad keeps the interview going while his kid is literally getting sick - actually puking on camera in one of the interviews. Reportedly they kept the kids up all night with media interviews.

These bastards are shameless. I heard child protective services are being called in to investigate, and I can't blame them

the kid puked on the Today show. they went to commercial and came back to finish the interview with just the father.

later they blamed the illness on asthma. i didn't know asthma made one vomit.

[Nitro Express]

It looked like a giant thing of Jiffy Pop popcorn.

[letsrock]

Thats true. I did look like Jiffy.

[Little Texan]

I thought it looked like a giant, elongated chef's hat!

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/12/1210_dreamjobs/image/2-chef.jpg http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/oct2009/7/8/hot-air-balloon-denver-colorado-pic-ap-3069131.jpg

[Little Texan]

It's now official, the whole thing was a big publicity stunt...

I know you're all as shocked as I am. :rolleyes:

Link (http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/18/colorado.balloon.investigation/index.html)

Authorities: 'Balloon boy' incident was a hoax

* Story Highlights
* NEW: Attorney says Heene will turn himself in if there's "reason to arrest him"
* Sheriff suspected lie after Falcon's comment on 'Larry King Live' Thursday
* Sheriff : Authorities misled media on their suspicions to maintain Heenes' "trust"
* 6-year-old, feared to be in runaway balloon Thursday, was later found at home

(CNN) -- Three days after the world watched a giant balloon fly through the air as a tearful family expressed fears that their 6-year-old boy could be inside, authorities announced what millions already suspected: The whole thing was staged.

The "Aha!" moment that led authorities to realize what had happened was an interview with the family Thursday night on CNN's "Larry King Live," Sheriff Jim Alderden of Larimer County said Sunday. In the interview with Wolf Blitzer, filling in for King, the Heenes asked their son why he had not come out from hiding when they called his name.

"You guys said we did this for the show," the boy responded.

On Sunday, Alderden called the incident a "hoax," adding that investigators believe the evidence indicates that "it was a publicity stunt" by the family in hopes of "better marketing themselves for a reality television show at some point in the future."

The parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene, met in a Hollywood acting school and "put on a very good show for us," Alderden said. Authorities know there was "a conspiracy" between them, he added.

He said charges are expected to be filed in the case.

The couple's attorney told CNN affiliate KMGH that he hasn't seen any evidence beyond "speculation," but the Heenes would turn themselves in if charges are filed.

"All I'm saying if you've got some reason to arrest him, let me know, he'll turn himself in," said Denver attorney David Lane referring to Richard Heene. "If you got the goods, just tell me."

The sheriff said investigators also want to interview 25-year-old researcher Robert Thomas who worked with Richard Heene for about two months this past spring. Thomas was paid by Gawker.com -- a popular gossip site -- to write about his experience with Heene for a story published on Saturday. VideoWatch Alderden tell how police recognized "hoax" &#187;

In an interview arranged with the help of Gawker, Thomas told CNN Sunday that as a student at Colorado State University with an interest in electromagnetic studies, he sought out Heene for a job as a possible research assistant. He said he ended up as his "stenographer," taking down Heene's ideas and proposals for reality-show pitches.

Thomas said that at one point they were talking about the Roswell UFO incident of the late 1940s, when Heene said it would be easy to cook up "a media stunt that would be equally profound as Roswell, and we could do so with nothing more than a weather balloon and some controversy."

Thomas said he wrote up the balloon idea, which he says did not involve any kids going missing, as a potential reality show episode. "I didn't know that he was going to do something like this," Thomas told CNN Sunday.

Thomas said he eventually quit working with Heene in May.

The sheriff's announcement included an admission that authorities misled the media on Friday when they said they still believed it was not a hoax. After Falcon's remark on CNN Thursday night, "it became very clear to us at that point that they were lying," Alderden said.

The "nonverbal responses" and "verbal cues" from the children at that moment made it clear, Alderden said.

But in order to get to the truth, "it was very important during this time that they maintained their trust with us." So investigators misled the media while they carried out their "game plan" of gathering the truth. VideoWatch body language expert analyze Heene interview &#187;

That plan included pursuing separate interviews with the Heene parents and polygraph tests, partly by arguing that it could help end the media frenzy surrounding them, Alderden said. He added that by law he could not say whether those tests were taken.

The Heenes have repeatedly denied any hoax. In an interview Friday with CNN's "American Morning," Richard Heene said Falcon's remark was a reference to the media that had assembled in front of the family's home.

Charges have not been filed, but authorities expect to recommend felony charges including conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and attempting to influence a public servant, Alderden said. They also plan to recommend a charge of filing a false police report, which is a misdemeanor.

He also said it is unlikely that someone convicted of these charges would face jail time. Explainer: How 'balloon boy' drama began &#187;

One of the key questions that remain unanswered, Alderden said, is: Where was Falcon as police searched for him? On Friday, Alderden said it had been determined that the boy was hiding in an attic in the garage, and had fallen asleep. Now, authorities are unsure. Alderden said the boy may not have even been in the home.

"The biggest error we made is when we searched the house very clearly we didn't search the house as thoroughly as we should," he said. Authorities had assumed a 6-year-old boy could not have reached that attic, he said, so they took the Heenes at their word that he had hidden there the whole time.

The Heenes have previously appeared on the ABC program "Wife Swap." Richard Heene chases storms and brings the family along.

After the Hollywood gossip Web site TMZ.com reported that the Heenes had been "pitching a reality show about the wacky family," one of the networks mentioned -- TLC, which produces the show "Jon and Kate plus 8" -- told CNN that "they approached us months ago, and we passed."

Heene has been described as a meteorologist, but his education ended at the high school level, Alderden said.

Alderden also said authorities are concerned about the safety of the three children, ages 6, 8, and 10. In fact, authorities spoke with Mayumi Heene "at length about domestic violence" and the children's safety, Alderden said. "But we didn't have enough that would allow us or Child Protection Services to physically take the kids from that environment."

A 911 call was made from the home earlier this year that led authorities to a "suspicious circumstance" that Alderden said may have involved "domestic violence, perhaps against the wife."

Lane, the Heenes' attorney, told KMGH that he has "no reason to believe they're anything but loving parents."

In an interview Friday with CNN's "American Morning," the Heene parents -- looking exhausted -- expressed relief that their son was alive. "I'm feeling very, very grateful that Falcon is among us," Richard Heene said.

Mayumi Heene said that the family was sitting in their living room, distraught and terrified for missing Falcon, when he walked into the room.

"[It] felt like from nowhere. When I first saw him, I couldn't even believe it. I couldn't comprehend right away," she said, adding that the next moment she was "just jumping, calling his name." She began to "scream and cry, and I just enjoyed that moment."

[chefcraig]

Yup, the other shoe is beginning to drop.

"The most serious charges are felonies and carry a maximum sentence of six years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Alderden said they would be seeking restitution for the costs, though he didn't have an estimate."

Colo. sheriff says boy-in-balloon hoax may have more conspirators; man who sold story sought -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-balloon-boy,0,3840671.story)

[Coyote]

His punishment should be a vasectomy...




















































with a sledgehammer.

[Nitro Express]

I thought it looked like a giant, elongated chef's hat!

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/12/1210_dreamjobs/image/2-chef.jpg http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/oct2009/7/8/hot-air-balloon-denver-colorado-pic-ap-3069131.jpg

Goliath was having a BBQ in his backyard and his hat blew off his head.

[lesfunk]

to punish the parents they should put their little boy in the balloon and Launch it up FOR REAL!

[Diamondjimi]

Pure selfish attention whoring, nothing more...

[Susie Q]

I honestly think that the parents should be heavily fined AND do some sort of community service. They also need to pay back every single professional person's pay for the day that had to help in chasing the balloon, etc. (ie. Police, National Guard, TV Station employee's, etc). Finally, CPS should be involved to make sure the parents are sound enough to raise their kids.

[FORD]

I honestly think that the parents should be heavily fined AND do some sort of community service. They also need to pay back every single professional person's pay for the day that had to help in chasing the balloon, etc. (ie. Police, National Guard, TV Station employee's, etc). Finally, CPS should be involved to make sure the parents are sound enough to raise their kids.

I agree with all of that except for paying the TV stations. The media whores took the bait of this horseshit and gave it the typical sensationalist tabloid spin. The Heene's should be fully prosecuted AND forced to pay the police and National Guard for their time and expense, but let the media whores eat their own costs for their part in this fiasco.

[Nitro Express]

to punish the parents they should put their little boy in the balloon and Launch it up FOR REAL!

I would just send the family on a humanitarian mission to Afganistan to sell the Taliban on western lifestyles and women's rights.

[Anonymous]

Well, apparently, the excuse from the parents is that they did this to make enough money to build a good ol' fashioned bunker in order to survive the end of the world, which appears to be sometime in 2012.

Read it on the newspaper this morning.

Cheers! :bottle:

[FORD]

Here's the 911 call from the shitbag father himself. How the FUCK could anybody not know this piece of shit was lying?

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[lesfunk]

How the FUCK could anybody not know this piece of shit was lying?

the same can be said of our president (s) both past and most importantly, present

[Kristy]

Exactly, this dude should be getting a huge bill and jail time! To use your kid like that for shameless self-promotion deserves, at the very least, a public bitch slapping.

Now that charges are pending, I'm sure he'll get his 15 minutes of fame.

[Jesus Christ]

Now that charges are pending, I'm sure he'll get his 15 minutes of fame.

And his eternity in a much warmer climate. :(

[Seshmeister]

I hear the mother has admitted it was a hoax.

This whole story is such a pile of nothing caused by the internet 24 hour media age.

When news first broke I saw this thread and googled it and there were literally 100s of posts, blogs and threads all within an hour or so giving detailed opinions on parenting, balloon maintenance, flight paths and so on all before anyone knew what the fuck they were talking about.

20 years ago this nonsense probably wouldn't have even made the local news.

[kwame k]

Now that charges are pending, I'm sure he'll get his 15 minutes of fame.

Without a doubt......they're already getting their "fame". I just hope the cost of that fame, outweighs the benefit of said fame.

[Anonymous]

I hear the mother has admitted it was a hoax.

This whole story is such a pile of nothing caused by the internet 24 hour media age.

When news first broke I saw this thread and googled it and there were literally 100s of posts, blogs and threads all within an hour or so giving detailed opinions on parenting, balloon maintenance, flight paths and so on all before anyone knew what the fuck they were talking about.

20 years ago this nonsense probably wouldn't have even made the local news.

The problem is exactly the speed of "information", Sesh... news travel so fast, everyone knows about it before anyone ever knowing what it is exactly.

And don't forget that in those hundreds posts and threads, you gotta count ours as well.

And you're right, it wouldn't have been news 20 years ago, but solely for the fact that this was discovered as an hoax faster than it could reach the local news 20 years ago.

Cheers! :bottle:

[Anonymous]

Bump, for we must remember never to forget...

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/6113/neverforgets.jpg

Cheers! :bottle:

[Coyote]

Bump, for we must remember never to forget...

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/6113/neverforgets.jpg

Cheers! :bottle:


Didn't you mean "for we must never remember to forget", Imapus?

[Anonymous]

Whay would I mean that? But you're right, there's a typo. I meant we must never forget to remember what we should never remember to forget to remember.

That was just a reminder.

Cheers! :bottle:

[Coyote]

Whay would I mean that? But you're right, there's a typo. I meant we must never forget to remember what we should never remember to forget to remember.

That was just a reminder.

Cheers! :bottle:

Of what?

Maybe I should see a doctor...
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[chefcraig]

Balloon boy parents get jail time, tough probation
By P. SOLOMON BANDA, Associated Press Writer
18 mins ago

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The parents who carried out the balloon boy hoax were sentenced to jail Wednesday and given strict probation conditions that forbid them from earning any money from the spectacle for four years.

Richard Heene was sentenced to 90 days in jail, including 60 days of work release that will let him pursue his job as a construction contractor while serving his time. His wife, Mayumi, was sentenced to 20 days in jail.

Richard Heene choked back tears as he said he was sorry, especially to the rescue workers who chased down false reports that his 6-year-old son had floated away in a balloon on Oct. 15. It was a stunt designed to generate attention for a reality TV show.

"I do want to reiterate that I'm very, very sorry. And I want to apologize to all the rescue workers out there, and the people that got involved in the community. That's it," said Richard Heene, whose wife did not speak at the hearing.

Larimer County District Judge Stephen Schapanski then ordered Heene to begin a 30-day jail term on Jan. 11, delaying the start of the sentence for two weeks so he can spend the holidays with his family. Schapanski allowed Heene to serve the remaining 60 days of his jail term under work release, meaning he can work during the day but spend his nights in jail.

The Heenes' probation will be revoked if they are found to be profiting from any book, TV, movie or other deals related to the stunt.

"This, in simple terms, was an elaborate hoax that was devised by Mr. and Mrs. Heene," the judge said.

The Heenes pleaded guilty to charges that they carried out the balloon hoax, with deals that called for up to 90 days in jail for the husband and 60 days for his wife.

Schapanski ordered Mayumi Heene to serve 20 days in jail after her husband completes his sentence. Her time served is flexible — she can report to jail on 10 weekends, for example — so the children are cared for, the judge said.

Prosecutors asked for the maximum sentence for the husband, saying that a message needs to be sent to promoters who attempt to carry out hoaxes to generate publicity. Chief Deputy District Attorney Andrew Lewis also asked for full restitution to reimburse authorities for the cost of investigating the hoax — an amount that could exceed $50,000.

"People around the world were watching this unfold," he said. "Mr. Heene wasted a lot of manpower and a lot of money in wanting to get himself some publicity."

He added, "Jay Leno said it best when he said, 'This is copycat game.' And people will copycat this event. (The Heenes) need to go to jail so people don't do that."

He portrayed the Heenes as growing increasingly desperate as their pitches for a reality TV show kept getting turned down by networks — and the family fell deeper into a financial hole. Lewis said the Heenes set in motion the balloon hoax in early October as a way to jumpstart the effort and get some attention.

They chose Oct. 15 because the weather was cooperating and the kids were home for school with parent-teacher conferences, allowing the Heenes to report that 6-year-old Falcon had floated away, Lewis said.

Once the parents were brought in for questioning, Richard Heene feigned sleep during the lie-detector test, claiming it was some sort of diabetic episode, Lewis said.

David Lane, Richard Heene's attorney, pleaded for leniency with the judge and said that the couple "have learned a lesson they will never forget for the rest of their lives." He also said that if someone has to go to jail, let it be Richard Heene and not his wife.

"That is his plea. That would be something of a Christmas miracle if that can occur," he said.

Balloon boy parents get jail time, tough probation - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091223/ap_on_re_us/us_balloon_boy)

[Diamondjimi]

Just saw this on Yahoo News. Looks good on them... Fuckin media attention whores... :fu:

[kwame k]

I wish they would of made the 4 years to make any money off of it longer. Although, with the attention span of most people....4 mins would of been enough;)