USVI-On-Line

I'm surprised there aren't any posts about it.

We watched it at work. It was pretty scarey thinking a 6 year old boy was in there and that when he landed...nothing.

Just thank god he's alive.

We also saw "Wife Swap" with this family and I have to say, the Father gave me a wierd feeling. Very intense.

I watched the whole thing on Fox, and was so glad he was alive and well the whole time. I do wonder about that family, but we'll have to let the police do thier job. I'm sure they'll figure it out.

Happy the boy is safe. Sounds pretty fishy to me, though. The dad built that balloon, and from what I understand, it was only capable of lifting 8 lbs or so. This was a six year old boy. I saw him on TV (he's been on TV a few times in his short life), he weighs more than 8 lbs. The balloon flew at 8,000 FT. for two hours. The Dad, if I heard correctly, called the FAA first. Not the emergency authorities...Next thing you know, there are videos streaming around the world of this storm-chasin' dad's "invention", screaming "buy me...buy me..."

Okay, I have said too much (as usual).

Happy the little man is safe.

Well, here we have the truth. It's too bad these parents put their children in the middle of this.

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Here's Part 2 of the interview with Wolf...He follows up on the boy's comment about "we did it for the show...". Warning: This gets very uncomfortable to watch. Talk about a train wreck.

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I read about the balloon story in the newspaper and felt sorry for the family. At the same time I thought that the story was a little strange and can see now that it really is. In Denmark we would say that the story "stinks". Don't know if you use the same impression in USA. But happily he is a live.

Linne

A friend on Facebook said the kid puked all over the set of the Today Show this morning, on camera.

How fitting.

I'd like to get the two hours back that I wasted watching this on television yesterday. That Dad is nuts!

Linne - There are few spectacles in our culture more predictable than the non-stop cable news coverage of a "developing story" with no new developments, especially ones like this that have good visual imagery.

The 24/7 cable news channels here have so much airtime to fill, and they're all so terrified of viewers changing the channel if they move off whatever the day's “big story” happens to be, that they encourage their anchors, reporters, and "experts" to just talk and talk and talk and fill all that air until the occasional scrap of new information comes out. It’s the old news adage of “if it bleeds, it leads” (or in this case, if it might bleed) stretched out interminably.

Hey, cable news channels - here's a crazy idea: when you're covering a news story and for the moment there are no new pieces of information to discuss, stop covering the story for a little while.

Maybe do a picture-in-picture if you want, so you still have a Balloon Boy image on the screen. Keep running a crawl explaining that there aren't any new developments. But for the love of all that is good and decent - and for your alleged roles as credible news gathering organizations - maybe take a break, even a brief one, every now and again, and go back to real news.

Please.

That video is pretty telling. I feel terribly sorry for those kids.

Especially the young boy who appears to possibly have some neurological issues that might need more attention than the dad's spaceship. We have a relative with autism and some of his mannerisms remind me of it.

[quote="jmq"]Linne - There are few spectacles in our culture more predictable than the non-stop cable news coverage of a "developing story" with no new developments, especially ones like this that have good visual imagery.

I can tell that we normally are behind USA about many things, but concerning news with any new development, or news, which is blown up to a big sensation without being it - we are on our way.

Linne

I think this 24 hour news cycle really has its genesis in the OJ Simpson/White Bronco chase. People around the country were glued to their sets during that ordeal, and the cable news organizations have been trying to recapture that ever since, IMO. Although, now that I think about it, there was round the clock coverage of the LA Riots as well. All of this happening long before there was ever a Fox News, when you really only had a choice between CNN or the Networks.

I also happen to think the cables have done a great job in covering many important events. Hurricane Katrina, for one. The Tsunami. 911.

And of course, I could go through the laundry list of controversies that would've gone uncovered if not for the "cables". Won't mention what those items might be, for fear of "hijacking" the thread.

DELETED

As far as CNN having it on the news for 24 hours. At first I was really thinking that he "may" be in that balloon.

I was also very scared that he "was" in there. So relieved that he wasn't.

It was just a very strange thing to be on the news and I hope it wasn't for publicity.

Sorry, but I really think that Dad has some serious problems. When we were watching Larry King last night my husband actually said that he had to be drunk..just the way that he was downing whatever he had in that glass.

Just a very strange peron in general and I wonder what will eventually come out. He has a very bad temper and I think the kids are petrified of him.

Again, just glad the kid is alive and well (for now).

Sorry to anybody that thinks that's isn't off topic or not importantant enough to have a conversation about.

Has anyone seen the barfing video? What parent would even answer one more question while their kid is puking on their lap...not to mention even blinking an eye or offering some sort of comfort?