Comments on: Little Boy Lost In Balloon http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon Seriously, this could not be more beta Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:17:41 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: garge http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-31250 garge Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:10:43 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-31250 So I guess we can all take something away from the Heene's experiences. If you plan a hoax involving your children, you should: *Either make sure your kids are too young to speak complex thoughts, actually believe the hoax to be true as constructed, or are given baby Ambien so they are confused and can't remember what happened. *Have the hoax be of the purely miraculous/uncanny variety, a la Virgin Mary in the grilled cheese, so that, 1., the public will want to believe and/or, 2., there will be many people who will continue to believe your hoax even after it has been debunked. Better luck next time! So I guess we can all take something away from the Heene's experiences. If you plan a hoax involving your children, you should:

*Either make sure your kids are too young to speak complex thoughts, actually believe the hoax to be true as constructed, or are given baby Ambien so they are confused and can't remember what happened.

*Have the hoax be of the purely miraculous/uncanny variety, a la Virgin Mary in the grilled cheese, so that, 1., the public will want to believe and/or, 2., there will be many people who will continue to believe your hoax even after it has been debunked.

Better luck next time!

]]> By: HelloTitty http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-31109 HelloTitty Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:19:43 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-31109 6! 6!

]]> By: Kataphraktos http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-31054 Kataphraktos Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:14:24 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-31054 As I've stated elsewhere, for those of you fuckers who watch Lie To Me or have had training in reading facial expressions and body language: Look at the micro-expressions that flash across the parents' faces after the kid admits it was "for the show". Daddy knew and was in on the hoax, mom is genuinely surprised. Daddy is sleeping on the sofa tonight! As I've stated elsewhere, for those of you fuckers who watch Lie To Me or have had training in reading facial expressions and body language:

Look at the micro-expressions that flash across the parents' faces after the kid admits it was "for the show". Daddy knew and was in on the hoax, mom is genuinely surprised.

Daddy is sleeping on the sofa tonight!

]]> By: mathnet http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30959 mathnet Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:10:05 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30959 DO I HEAR 6 DO I HEAR 6

]]> By: Bittersweet http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30942 Bittersweet Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:45:09 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30942 Sure, what the hey. I like fifths. Sure, what the hey. I like fifths.

]]> By: Bittersweet http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30940 Bittersweet Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:44:18 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30940 This sounds like 'A Christmas Story' only indoors... This sounds like 'A Christmas Story' only indoors…

]]> By: Bittersweet http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30938 Bittersweet Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:43:01 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30938 Not always the younger sibling...I'm the oldest in my family and got lost while visiting the Smithsonian Mall on July 4, 1976 with 1 million of my closest friends. My mom found me about 2 hours later hanging out with a policeman and a nice family. Sorry, Mom. Not always the younger sibling…I'm the oldest in my family and got lost while visiting the Smithsonian Mall on July 4, 1976 with 1 million of my closest friends. My mom found me about 2 hours later hanging out with a policeman and a nice family. Sorry, Mom.

]]> By: Bittersweet http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30934 Bittersweet Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:39:22 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30934 That entire episode is made of awesome, but the icing on the cake is at the end when Homer pushes Sting out of the way to grab Bart. So priceless. That entire episode is made of awesome, but the icing on the cake is at the end when Homer pushes Sting out of the way to grab Bart. So priceless.

]]> By: saythatscool http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30893 saythatscool Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:31:40 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30893 Anybody want to split a fifth with me? Anybody want to split a fifth with me?

]]> By: bb http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30865 bb Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:31:54 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30865 omg omg

]]> By: JaguarPaw http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30849 JaguarPaw Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:53:28 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30849 fourthed fourthed

]]> By: cherrispryte http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30844 cherrispryte Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:37:25 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30844 thirded thirded

]]> By: Moff http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30839 Moff Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:21:34 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30839 This is the most wonderful, wonderful, story. This is the most wonderful, wonderful, story.

]]> By: hazmathilda http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30834 hazmathilda Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:04:26 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30834 seconded seconded

]]> By: HonoriaGlossop http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30832 HonoriaGlossop Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:36:49 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30832 I went missing when I was around 4. It was wintertime and my family was off to some sort of event, so my mom got us all together and bustled everybody into the car. They were about halfway into the trip before someone realized I wasn't there. They drove back hell for leather to find me trapped on my back on the sofa - my big winter snowsuit thingie was so poofy I couldn't move. I went missing when I was around 4. It was wintertime and my family was off to some sort of event, so my mom got us all together and bustled everybody into the car. They were about halfway into the trip before someone realized I wasn't there. They drove back hell for leather to find me trapped on my back on the sofa – my big winter snowsuit thingie was so poofy I couldn't move.

]]> By: kitten_witawip http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30821 kitten_witawip Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:09:41 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30821 There was some kind of expert who mentioned that shorty before the balloon landed. There was some kind of expert who mentioned that shorty before the balloon landed.

]]> By: Natasha Vargas-Cooper http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30819 Natasha Vargas-Cooper Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:21:40 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30819 <3 <3 <3 Mathnet <3 <3 <3 Mathnet

]]> By: withelectrolytes http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30818 withelectrolytes Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:03:54 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30818 Couldn't a real scientist or balloon expert have taken size of the balloon, helium capacity, weight of materials, and figured out that balloon couldn't have traveled that far with a 50 pound kid on board? Couldn't a real scientist or balloon expert have taken size of the balloon, helium capacity, weight of materials, and figured out that balloon couldn't have traveled that far with a 50 pound kid on board?

]]> By: mathnet http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30817 mathnet Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:02:37 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30817 Really, though, I think the kid was just impatient and annoyed at being asked the same question(s) over and over again. Richard and Mayumi are bizarre and disturbed and delusional and self-centered, but I don't think they planned this. They undoubtedly got a thrill out of the flight and the whole emergency adventure--mixed with genuine terror, obviously--but I don't think they set it up. Now Bradford, on the other hand. . . Really, though, I think the kid was just impatient and annoyed at being asked the same question(s) over and over again. Richard and Mayumi are bizarre and disturbed and delusional and self-centered, but I don't think they planned this. They undoubtedly got a thrill out of the flight and the whole emergency adventure–mixed with genuine terror, obviously–but I don't think they set it up. Now Bradford, on the other hand. . .

]]> By: Tuna Surprise http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30816 Tuna Surprise Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:29:32 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30816 This whole episode reminds me of the afternoon I spent with an amateur helicopter maker/pilot in rural Vietnam. Some much more I could tell BUT I'm outta beer and need to go to work tomorrow. This whole episode reminds me of the afternoon I spent with an amateur helicopter maker/pilot in rural Vietnam.

Some much more I could tell BUT I'm outta beer and need to go to work tomorrow.

]]> By: mathnet http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30813 mathnet Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:14:04 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30813 How would a freaking-out parent have the presence of mind to skip 911 and go straight to googling "FAA," and then find the Contact Us page and get routed to the emergency-call-taker, PROGRAMMEDINTOYOURPHONE? How would a freaking-out parent have the presence of mind to skip 911 and go straight to googling "FAA," and then find the Contact Us page and get routed to the emergency-call-taker, PROGRAMMEDINTOYOURPHONE?

]]> By: Tuna Surprise http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30812 Tuna Surprise Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:09:24 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30812 Can you imagine the call to the FAA? "Hello, FAA? I have an emergency. Falcon got in the balloon and set it loose." Can you imagine the call to the FAA?

"Hello, FAA? I have an emergency. Falcon got in the balloon and set it loose."

]]> By: belltolls http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30810 belltolls Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:06:46 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30810 I thought the giveaway in the CNN interview was that the father called the FAA after the balloon was gone and not 911. I thought the giveaway in the CNN interview was that the father called the FAA after the balloon was gone and not 911.

]]> By: Tuna Surprise http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30811 Tuna Surprise Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:06:46 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30811 Excellent couples costume idea. I'll be a giant tin foil spaceship/weather balloon/UFO. He'll be a kid in a box. Excellent couples costume idea. I'll be a giant tin foil spaceship/weather balloon/UFO. He'll be a kid in a box.

]]> By: mathnet http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/little-boy-lost-in-balloon#comment-30808 mathnet Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:02:55 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=15707#comment-30808 No school today or Friday for some reason unknown to you and me. No school today or Friday for some reason unknown to you and me.

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