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By admin, April 26, 2010 6:07 pm

In the past a few days, millions of Americans tuned in to live TV coverage of the balloon boy: A homemade experimental balloon took off from the backyard of the Heenes' northern Colorado home Thursday. The couple said they were horrified their 6-year-old son Falcon may have been on it. They couldn’t find him. Then they called 911. Thus, the media flooded into Colorado and went full-throttle on this story. Military helicopter scrambled to catch up to the flying saucer in which people believed the 6-year-old Falcon Heene floated away. A number of aircraft were even diverted away from that area for the rescue plan. Viewers sitting before TV were anxious about the safety of the boy. Finally, the mushroom-shaped balloon came to earth and people found no boy inside. A drama began when the boy showed up, saying that he had been hiding in the garage. Is the preposterous story finished? Not yet.

 http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AllOthers/ES-IP608IRW.html

Discussions and speculations abounded on Internet. On “Larry King Live” Thursday night, when the parents asked the son why he did not come out when searchers were calling his name, the boy said “you guys said we did this for the show.”

Bang! Here came out the fact. We have received a giant hoax. Jim Alderden, the Larimer County sheriff, called the comment “our first 'aha' moment.” Mr. Alderden, who defended the parents at first, changed his opinion after the police re-interviewed Richard and Mayumi Heene. The sheriff told a press conference: “We believe we have evidence at this point to indicate that it was a publicity stunt done with the hopes of better marketing themselves for a reality television show at some point in the future.”

 http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AllOthers/ES-IP607W.html

“These people are actors. Not only have they appeared on several reality TV shows and YouTube, we have since determined they met in acting school in Hollywood,” he said. “Needless to say, they put on a very good show for us and we bought it.”

The story goes on. Now Richard and Mayumi Heene face charges of conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, making a false police report and attempting to influence a public servant.

Punditry spreads on Twitter and Facebook. People feel outraged about this publicity stunt. People make jokes: “Shouldn’t we be calling him “Grounded Boy” now?” And Child Protection Services accuse the parents of delinquency. Besides consideration of overwrought media, mindless audience, and reality-TV show biz or fact, there is one serious matter which should be the focus of parents all over: safety of the kids. However, we know that kids between 5 to 10 years old, just like three boys in the Heenes, are hyperactive, which latently occurs as a negative element in protection. Here we have an idea: maybe the parents should offer surveillance over their house. Ordinary cameras need a specialized monitor to pair with it. So it is location-limited. Then you can have a look at the IP cameras. IP camera offers an ideal solution for remote monitoring over Internet. After the cannot-be-easier installation, the unit delivers wireless security surveillance. You are allowed for view of your house through web browser. Some of them even provide two-way audio for communication. Kids are gifts. They deserve good care.

http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AllOthers/ES-IP606W.html

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By admin, April 20, 2010 5:50 pm

It is not surprising that someone has created a balloon boy costume just in time for Halloween.  If you want extra candy at every door, be sure to get your balloon boy costume now.

The costume idea is the result of two parents in Colorado pretending that their 6-year old boy sailed off accidentally in a home-made hot air balloon.  The cops, air patrol, and even the FCC were notified in attempt to save the young one, and of course, the press came along and eventually made this into a national story.

Unknown at the time, the boy was hiding in the attic the entire time.  This hoax was a setup by the parents Richard and Mayumi Heene to get some national exposure for their reality TV hopes.  Richard and Mayumi had met in acting school in Hollywood, and recently appeared on the Wife Swap show on TLC.  Everything would have worked great except for this line that the 6-year old uttered on CNN during a live interview: “You guys said we did this for the show.”

Now the parents are under investigation, charges have been filed, and they will probably spend some time in jail.  And instead of the parents profiting from their nation-wide stunt, other companies are making money from their stupidity.

Plantraco Microflight, a company out of Canada, is selling a one-of-a-kind Balloon Boy Custome.  The kit includes a 38-inch Mylar balloon, laser cut gondola and an instruction sheet on how to attach the gondola to the balloon.  It is selling for $19.99 online, so be sure to get yours before time runs out!

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By admin, October 19, 2009 5:22 pm

Balloon boy and his story has taken the world by storm.  His events lead to a frantic craze over him and put him in almost every newscast.  His story started at approximately  11 am  on October  15th 2009 when a  Balloon is accidentally released from the Heene home on Fossil Ridge Drive near Fort Collins, Colo.  A home video later released shows a distraught mother and upset father as the balloon lifts into the air from the back yard. Three minutes later his father called the police that the balloon launched and that the boy may be inside.

Soon later his dad called the media asking for a helicopter to track the balloons whereabouts.  The drama did not end there as more and more people became aware of what was happening and soon after even the coast guard got in on the action.  The balloon was later spotted in the air but there was still one major concern , how do you even get the balloon down.

Balloon boy was later found safe at home.  He was apparently there the whole time. He was hiding in a cardboard box in the attic above the garage. However  this whole dramatic story turned out to be a huge hoax. The parents lied about the whole thing to improve their so called chances to get their own reality show about their lives as mad scientist.  It is pretty sad that someone would do this to their own child just for their own fifteen minutes of fame.

Balloon boy 2

The Balloon boy saga continues with the news that the whole thing was a hoax.  According to numerous sites it was actually a publicity stunt intended to get the family a reality-television show, but instead the family could get slapped with felony charges, authorities said Sunday.  Sherrif Jim Alderden was heard saying at a press conference that the boy's parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene, had planned the pathetic  scheme for at least two weeks before launching the homemade balloon Thursday and starting the Balloon Boy drama. Alderden said his office was likely to recommend that the parents be charged with felonies. What is most surprising is that they may have had help, even from some entertainment media.

This isn’t the first time the family has been on the television, the couple has twice appeared on the ABC reality show "Wife Swap. They had also discussed a reality show with the production company of that show.
The possible charges that balloon boys family can face carry maximum penalties of six years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

They can also be billed for the rescue operation, which included the sheriff's departments of three counties, two Air National Guard helicopters and the rerouting of flights from Denver International Airport but these cost have not yet been tallied. It has been said that it's unlikely the Heenes will serve prison time, given that this apparently would be their first offense and that Colorado, amid a severe budget crunch, is releasing even violent offenders early from prison.  So hopefully the balloon boy is handed over to a good family for a while his parents go under some serious testing.

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An artist's impression of Edgar Allan Poe's aerial machine, the Victoria Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images