Up, Up and Away

[EJFH]

Unless, you've been hiding in a cave with Osama Bin Laden, you've spent the last few days being assaulted on every side with the strange saga of "balloon boy." His parents claim that 6-year-old Falcon Heene snuck inside a flying-saucer-shaped balloon the family had made, and then accidentally floated away when the balloon was mistakenly released without being tethered to the ground. Three phone calls were made: one to the FAA, one to a TV station, and one to 9-1-1 -- in that order. Police were involved. Military aircraft were involve.d Denver's airport was briefly shut down, to keep aircraft out of the flight path of this balloon. The balloon sailed for 50 miles before coming down. No baby on board. People thought the worst; namely, that the child had fallen out at some point.

Turns out kid was hiding in the attic above the family garage. Story was he got scared when Dad yelled at him, so he hid. For six hours. Happy ending, right?

Far from being contrite, chastened, or embarrassed, the family spends the next day making the rounds of the TV shows, like Larry King Live, giving interviews. When asked why he hid, little Falcon says to his father, "You said it was for the show." Kid promptly gets sick. And gets sick at the stomach again, on a later interview when asked the same question. Parents seem oblivious to kid, and go on with interviews. Troubling background comes out: Dad has an apparent long history of being a publicity hound, who has twice tried to land his own reality TV show. Whole family once appeared on TV show "Wife Swap" (don't ask), where he apparently yelled all the time. Made people wonder if the kid would really have reacted to his father's yelling by hiding in the attic, when he was apparently quite used to that kind of behavior. My wife was skeptical from the get go. She prayed for the child when she first heard he was in the balloon, but felt in her spirit that her prayer went nowhere.

Two questions for this poll: First, in your opinion, was the balloon boy incident for real, or just a cynical hoax?

And either way, what is the moral of the story? Here are your choices:

1. The media is far more interested in following odd people (Octo-mom, Jon & Kate Plus 8, balloon boy) than hard news.
2. Some people will do anything for fifteen minutes of fame.
3. We all get the kind of media we are willing to settle for, and therefore deserve.
4. Singapore is on to something with their corporal punishment.
5. All of the above.

Commentary, anyone?

[Psalm97]

All of the above, but emphasis on the Singapore comment.

Way back in the days (before TV, when news came primarily through newspapers) what the media does today would have been called yellow dog journalism. The newspaper which practiced said yellow dog journalism would have been roundly condemned by its neighboring newspaper editors and frowned on by the general public.

On a personal note, at work the news channel plays on a TV in the break room at all times. Man, I got SO sick and tired of this story. Is there nothing else to report? If they're that desperate for news I could go make some for them.

[JimLowranceSr]

Psalm97, put down that AK-47.

All of the above.

There has been TV news ever since I was little boy, but we also had and got our newspapers as we were too poor for a TV. The news papers were called "Yellow Rags" that were the cheap trick and phony stories and it was called Yellow Journalism where I come from. At any rate, you will have the "inquiring minds" that don't really want to know, they just have no life and want to hear something and usually the more macabre the better. Take the newspaper daily. Save them for your fireplace or to swat your kid, the dog, or a mosquito.

[lancemahan]

Brother Jim, I really don't watch the news or read the news. I have learned a long time ago that people will do anything to be in the spot light.
I didn't know about the boy in the balloon story but only heard that it was a hoax.
I remember a story a few years back about the run away bride. What would be so hard for her to leave? The embarrassment from being caught in a lie brings more down on you that being honest.

I try to stay away from the Yellow Rag stories. If I find myself reading those I find my mind wondering in the wrong direction usually.



1-5 are all true. The problem I see with #4 is that government will use it to quiet the Christians. We will be hated for His name.

Love Brother Lance