If there wasn't enough gas in the thingy to fly a kid, what was the thingy? Was it just underinflated and could it have flown a grown person at any point?

From what they said in the interview, it seems like the plan was to eventually have one that could carry an adult, but this one was just supposed to float around the backyard without any people.

Thanks for all the good wishes for my mother--she came home early today, rested, and is feeling much better.

I'm glad ita.

I hope it wasn't a TIA. Whatever it was, the fact that it left no damage to detect is a good thing--I'm holding onto that.

No damage is good. I hope it doesn't happen again.

ita, I think the family was planning to send the balloon thingy into the eye of a storm or something to measure something or other. I don't think it was planned to be a vehicle for humans.

And that family is whack.

That's great that your mom is home and not feeling any aftereffects, ita. May it continue that way.

And yes, that family certainly comes across as nuts. Apparently the father wanted to do his storm chasing thing into Katrina and take the kids along for the experience.

And that family is whack.

This. Apparently they were on all the morning shows and the kid threw up on 2 of them. Publicity seeking idiots.

My mom broke her nose yesterday. First time in 88 years she ever broke anything. She fell when she lost her balance reaching for something on a high shelf and hit her nose on a step. Ouch. They took x-rays and released her from the ER so I am pretty confident they don't think there was any other issue.

Moms! Behave!

So apparently I need to learn that just because I can, maybe I shouldn't. Way overdid the pool yesterday and woah, feeling it this morning.

Re: Balloon Kid.

1) FALCON?! Really? Jesus fucking Christ.

2) Wow, is this like the "kid in the well" from 12 Monkeys or what?

3) Here's my real bitch: Had my Bus. Management class last night and the (probably an android) teacher does a thing about "What's in the news?" every session. Somebody brought up Balloon Kid. Now, at the time nobody in class knew that he'd been found or whatever (and I hadn't even heard the story, I'm such a hermit), so the prevailing opinion was: The kid fell out of the fucking balloon and is (insert landing place) pizza out there somewhere.

So, the teach asks (this being a Business class and all) "So, is there a financial angle?"

DUDE! There's a kid out there possibly splattered on someone's roof, or a highway, or impaled on a fucking pine tree and you're asking what the money factor is?

Eat a radioactive dick, fuckface. Swallow it whole and either choke to death or die slowly over the course of hours from radiation poisoning.

Preferably the latter.