Comments on: Heene hoax? All signs point to a publicity stunt

By: Jan Marie Belle

Jan Marie Belle — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:21:44 +0000

Whichever way the wind blows on this, bottom line fact is a child, a six year old child has a forever-label of “balloon Boy”. He has been traumatized–by whom and exactly how is still up in the air. Whether emotional abuse, exploitation, or just plain not-quite-in-this-universe-behavior as normative, a child has been victimized. I do not know what to suggest for “help”. But, help is where I want to focus my attention now. The event has bought things to light that otherwise would have remained hidden for how long?…

By: Gene

Gene — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:25:04 +0000

I need to read Glenn Beck’s new book; ARGUING WITH IDIOTS.

By: ReasonableArt

ReasonableArt — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:21:44 +0000

see how this cheny media does. they tell non true stories then blame the people that believe the lies. wake up people and get real facts for news not fake stuff for news. to bad that people of the usa do nto have good news people to give them facts and the good that shoudl happen for common men.

art

By: EngineeringStudent

EngineeringStudent — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:04:27 +0000

*I mistyped that, it should actually be (5)*(pi)*(25^2)/4=2454 cubic feet, but you get the point. You have to calculate the area of the circle using using the diameter and then multiply it by by the depth to get the volume of the disk.

By: EngineeringStudent

EngineeringStudent — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:53:06 +0000

A disk 25′ in diameter and 5′ deep has a volume of (5)*pi*(25/4)^2 = 2454 cubic feet.

By: AussieCrocEater

AussieCrocEater — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:37:59 +0000

I applaud your non-moronity. Except, you’re a moron. Had you waited until someone with basic science training had judged the specifications you’d know that yes most certainly, this balloon could have carried a six year old boy and probably a cut lunch for far, far longer and further than it did.

Kinda funny really. A nation in which reality shows have encouraged people to abuse their own children to be perceived as “real”. It is of course, a priceless metaphor as to how low a once great nation has sunk. 80% believe in angels. Over half of USA citizens believe the bible is literally true. Even worse – a greater percentage cannot understand evolution.

Nah – you’re a nation of idiots, and bragging about how clever you are mate, just proves how rotten the apple in mamas pie really is.

By: Gene

Gene — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:39:54 +0000

Who was taking the vide?
Someone else knows something.

By: AnnaZed

AnnaZed — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:03:07 +0000

Mr. Heene’s suggesting that he honestly thought that his child was in the balloon that he sent aloft is (and was) obviously a lie in furtherance of perpetrating a fraud.

A balloon creates lift in the same way a boat does, by displacing an amount of air equal in weight to the vessel. In the case of a boat each cubic foot of water displaced will lift 60 pounds, in the case of a helium balloon it takes 16 cubic feet of displaced air to lift one pound or about a thousand cubic feet to have the same lifting force as one cubic foot of water. This knowledge of a balloon’s lifting ability is basic high school physics. This simple math is the basic template for even the simplest balloon design and even Mr. Heene, a person who’s grasp of actual science seems tenuous at best but nonetheless calls himself a “designer of balloons,” should know it; would in fact have to know it to construct this prop for his ongoing quest for self promotion (I mean the balloon, not the child).

Observers on the scene (yes, I am looking at you Colorado authorities and media ) could easily observe that the disk shaped balloon was only about 25’ in diameter and less than 5 feet deep. That would make its volume only about 130 cubic feet and its displacement under 10 pounds. In short, any high-school science teacher could have told you that it would hardly lift a hamster.

In short, it was not the child that should have demonstrated to you that this was a hoax but simple, basic logic and a few seconds of journalistic (or high school) inquiry. The shame is on you as well. Do your homework!

By: Vic

Vic — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:58:35 +0000

What ultimately appalled me is how utterly ignorant people are of basic…well, everything. When I saw the helium balloon touch down, I spontaneously laughed because although I am not a scientist, I am not a moron. Anybody with a 6th grade education has to know that a helium balloon that small could not raise a 6 year old into the air much less fly away and travel for miles.

Shame on the media for not having someone who is in first year high school physics available to figure this out for them.

By: Torquhield

Torquhield — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:38:13 +0000

What is sad is that the media gives people like this so much attention. If it you guys would go out and report on things that actually matter then you would not have to resort to pulling videos off of YouTube, and attention whores like this would have no megaphone for their cries of “look at me look at me!!!” Why don’t you go report on something worthwhile, or get a job that contributes to the benefit of society.