CO - Richard & Mayumi Heene charged in Balloon Boy hoax, Fort Collins, 2009 - #1

[SleuthyMama]

Do you think Falcon is going to have to throw up everytime he is asked the same question to get out of answering the question or do you think he has to throw due to the stress of the question?

Oh I absolutely believe it is really the stress of the question that's making the kid have to puke.

This whole publicity stunt was orchestrated by the dad to get them a reality show (or for one that might be in the works) and poor Falcon is literally nauseated by what he's been encouraged/forced/cajoled (insert verb of choice in here) to do.

I saw the GMA interview on tv this morning and was embarassed for this family especially when the mom had to be told by Diane Sawyer to go help her little 6 year old who was puking in the bathroom! I mean come on, what are they teaching these children???

I think the parents should be charged or at least forced to pay for all the resources utilized yesterday. And I don't see how making them pay makes other people afraid to report something IF WHAT THEY ARE REPORTING IS REAL AND NOT A STUNT.

ETA: I'm very happy that Falcon wasn't in that balloon and is okay. However, I think he's got enuf issues at home that I'm still concerned for his welfare.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Sorry, I don't agree - to deceive or defraud about life and death doesn't make a good hoax. Don't encourage Falcon.

Putting lights on the balloon, letting it go at night, dressing your brother as an alien, filming it and calling the news claiming it was a UFO would have been a great hoax.

But the alien thing has been done to death....I am not encouraging anything. I am saying, I will never forget the "ballooon incident" as long as I live.

 

[Mazama]

Family home video is on this page. It's interesting to note that the father is the one who released the balloon and also you can clearly see that the supposed battery box is not attached to the balloon. He apparently kicks the ground because wifey did not have the rope in her hand and balloon gets away.

So why all the reporting of this supposed battery box supposedly falling off of it when you can clearly see it was never attached to begin with?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33330516/ns/us_news-life/

ETA: If the parents were out there then how on earth could they have not seen if the child crawled inside it? Something isn't right here...

MOO
MOO
MOO

Maz

 

[miimaa]

If this was a hoax on the dad's part he should pay for the expense of yesterday. Planes were re-routed, National Guard called out, etc. To fool people with the possibility of your 6yo floating away or possibly falling to his death is very disturbing. I want to add that I do not for one second believe the 6yo hid for hours. I have children that have hidden from me, I have hidden from them (playing hide-and-seek) and I guarantee you a 6yo would not be quiet or stay hidden for that long.

 

[Noway]

I didn't mind this being a plan between the three boys. I was just so glad this little boy wasn't dead.

I can't decide if I think the parents were in on it. I wish there was video of them during the time the balloon was in the air. (I haven't seen any if there is.)

 

[cook78]

Video of balloon taking off...
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/33341104#33342538

 

[cook78]

I'm not sure if this was already said but doesn't it sound like he said "You guys said" just before he says "... for the show" comment? Is it just me or does anyone else hear it too?

 

[sniperacer]

But the alien thing has been done to death....I am not encouraging anything. I am saying, I will never forget the "ballooon incident" as long as I live.

Certainly agree.

I watched the balloon incident from the beginning. My first thought was Falcon is going to be a hero too every kid in America!!! Complete with a cover spread in People magazine.

Now he's going to be famous for puking before lying?

 

[Celt1997]

But the alien thing has been done to death....I am not encouraging anything. I am saying, I will never forget the "ballooon incident" as long as I live.

I'll never forget this either. And I get a chuckle every time I hear him referred to as the "Runaway Balloon Boy."

And I agree with a PP about the "fame *advertiser censored*" thing. The media allowed these people to go on their shows this morning, and people continued to watch them, all the while complaining about it.

The same goes for these people as I say about Jon & Kate...don't watch them, don't buy magazines with articles about them, and stop talking about them. You're only giving them what they want.

 

[SuziQ]

Thanks tnajk. Interesting that mom is the one who let the balloon get away.

You know a couple of people interviewed yesterday said that the balloon was only supposed to suspend 20 feet above the ground. I'm thinking when the balloon got away from the parents they realized they may have commited an FAA oops and then the story blaming the son/kids was created.

 

[Noway]

Video of balloon taking off...
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/33341104#33342538

Thank you! You can clearly see the bottom of the balloon in this video.

Where was Falcon thought to have gone? There is no way into the balloon. The foil covering is not torn ... why would the Dad think he was inside the balloon?

Is there an opening?

 

[southcitymom]

WOW! People get mad about being LIED to and DUPED, which is what I think happened with this balloon incident. I was glued to the television yesterday afternoon feeling sick at heart that a little boy might be in that balloon or had fallen to his death.

This isn't directed at you personally, miimaa, but at all of us who give our attention to this sort of thing and then get angry about it: there's NO GOOD that occurs from everyone and his brother watching this on television - all that creates is an impromptu reality television show. It's awful that you watched this all yesterday and felt sick at heart. I don't understand why anyone would choose to do that!

I have no idea if this was a hoax and I personally don't care one way or another. I'm glad the child is okay. My only point is that, whether we like it or not, we do create attention junkies. Sure - we should pray for the child and if we are in a real position to help, we should do that too. But the rest of it is us buying into reality as entertainment and we all need to take some personal responsibility for that. IMHO.

 

[Noway]

If this was a family project and they were launching it as a family, wouldn't the dad have noticed that Falcon wasn't there and wonder? Why launch it if not all the family was there?

 

[Robyn623]

Thanks for the balloon video. IMO, it only damages the parents credibility even more. Remember after the balloon landed we kept hearing about a basket that Falcon may have been in? Where's the basket? All I see is the balloon. The dads reaction is very sketchy too. He looks like he's mad the balloon got away. He doesn't have the frantic look to him that a parent would have after their kid was missing.

They need to lock these losers up & send a message to other people that this isn't going to be tolerated.

I just wanted to add that not everyone supports this stuff by watching reality television. I certainly don't.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

As you can see by my other post I disagree. They obviously did not have that thing secured.

They should have to pay the costs and face some charges.

MOO

Maz

Respectfully, you misunderstood. I meant Falcon shouldn't be punished. But, yes, the parents should face some kind of charges.

 

[cook78]

Yes, there is an opening. I saw on another video (can't find it right now...I think it's when the balloon landed in the field) there is a little door flap that opens.

 

[miimaa]

This isn't directed at you personally, miimaa, but at all of us who give our attention to this sort of thing and then get angry about it: there's NO GOOD that occurs from everyone and his brother watching this on television - all that creates is an impromptu reality television show. It's awful that you watched this all yesterday and felt sick at heart. I don't understand why anyone would choose to do that!

I have no idea if this was a hoax and I personally don't care one way or another. I'm glad the child is okay. My only point is that, whether we like it or not, we do create attention junkies. Sure - we should pray for the child and if we are in a real position to help, we should do that too. But the rest of it is us buying into reality as entertainment and we all need to take some personal responsibility for that. IMHO.

Because the live coverage of the balloon floating through the sky was that a boy was inside the thing. That is what I watched wondering how the boy could be helped. The news stated the brother said 6yo Falcon was in the balloon. Then when the balloon landed and no boy, they said part of the basket was missing and they were looking for that. I never heard of this freak family before - all I was interested in was the safety of the boy, but if this was a hoax and the parents knew all along the boy was okay they are azzholes and should have to pay for the expense of yesterday. After I saw the boy was okay I didn't watch anymore last night but I do listen to NBC's Today every morning so heard the interview. I don't buy into reality entertainment - I thought it was a news story of a boy in danger.

 

[Celt1997]

This isn't directed at you personally, miimaa, but at all of us who give our attention to this sort of thing and then get angry about it: there's NO GOOD that occurs from everyone and his brother watching this on television - all that creates is an impromptu reality television show. It's awful that you watched this all yesterday and felt sick at heart. I don't understand why anyone would choose to do that!

I'm glad you pointed this out. I came to WS, as many others, because of Caylee Anthony. I watched NG every night, and came here everyday to discuss the matter. One day my wife pointed out to me how much time I was devoting to someone else's life, and not my own. Since that time I don't watch NG anymore, which has helped my blood pressure I'm sure, and I don't involve myself with the so-called "news" being fed to us. Because of this I have spent a lot more time with my wife, my daughter, and myself. It was like reclaiming time that I thought I had lost.

Yes I followed this story yesterday, but I didn't watch the balloon fly for hours, nor did I follow it that much once I knew that Falcon was okay. I'm not saying anyone is at fault for being a news junkie, but do know that if you choose to stop the addiction, it is possible...I'm living proof of that.

 

[Mazama]

Respectfully, you misunderstood. I meant Falcon shouldn't be punished. But, yes, the parents should face some kind of charges.

ITA Falcon did nothing wrong and I don't think he should be punished. The parents however...

Maz

:cow:

 

[Noway]

I'm not sure if this was already said but doesn't it sound like he said "You guys said" just before he says "... for the show" comment? Is it just me or does anyone else hear it too?

I heard You guys said it was for a show. Other people have said this is also what he said. The dad tries to write it off as the kid being 6 and reporters asking him to show how he got in the attic and that was for a show ... but people are starting to not believe him IMO.

He'd better stop talking and be happy with the hours of attention he got on this.