This is like doin' a birthday party. Everybody here like balloon animals?
- David Letterman (a blizzard had cut the audience down to about 90 people)
- I didn't have a clue either. The background information is:
The Disney Web site showed information Wonderful World of Disney Page web site. Here's the blurb:
Balloon Farm
The power of belief inspires this magical,soaring story about a stranger in a drought-ravaged farming community who grows a most amazing crop of colorful balloons. Emmy Award winner Rip Torn plays the balloon farmer, Mara Wilson plays the little girl who befriends him, and two-time Emmy Award winner Laurie Metcalf plays the wife and mother fighting to save her family farm." Sunday, March 28th at 7pm/ 6c on ABC
Harvey Potter: I thought it was vague and disappointing, even for a children's movie. It had no focus or direction. I don't remember the book containing such wailing and moaning about drought and corn crops and investors trying to secretly buy out land for a big garbage dump. The balloon crop was nothing more than cornstalks with bailing twine coming up, with a few fake leaves attached, with a helium round balloon at the end. The balloons were endowed with some sort of playful personality, which means they'd bop into people and make this really annoying fakey 'rubber' noise all the time. The kid was annoying too. It was just so disheartening to see the whole thing. Disney could've gone and made something super magical, but instead they made it glossy and and easy. Oooohh, a patch of rounds on twine... there was one 'artsy fartsy shot' (shot of sun shining through balloons to make colored shadows on wooden fence) and two balloon puns that I caught. (does the balloon price cover 'inflation') hyuck hyuck hyuck, and ('how do you grow a crop with no water? airigation?) The scene where the townspeople go on a rampage of dissapointment and pop, release, and downright drive the loving balloons away and then go and demand their money back was fun, in that the repsonse was 'okay, bring back my balloons and I'll give you a refund.' It was also fun to watch the con man sell a round balloon on twine for $10.00 each. In my opinion, you're never gonna get away from a flurry of attacking balloons if the strings are sewn to your jacket.
Someone out there threw out the question of who worked doing the 260s on New Year's Eve at times square. I'm happy to share that I was one of the folks who inflated all of those 260 balloons. It was considered more of a balloon decor event, even though they were 260s and there was approximately 13-15 of us. The project belonged to Treb Henning, who is also the father of balloon decorating. Overseeing everything was Danny McGowan, another great balloon decorator from Syracuse NY, and in the mix was folks such as Kelly Sipp (CBA) (competes internationally in decor as well), as well as the man who brought me on... Allan Simmons of Themes and Dreams.
We were at an abandonned movie theatre working off of a generator to
inflate these 260s for the world to see the next day (we did this job on the
30th). They were all inflated, thrown down a staircase onto tarp, and then
bagged at the bottom of the staircase. Each trashbag contained over 120
balloons, and each bag was then placed in one of the seats of the movie
theatre. The seats were packed and even with compressors and the crew we had,
the job STILL took over 12 hours to do. A LOT of balloons made it out that
theatre, and COUNTLESS were inflated (we lost some due to over inflation,
severe temp changes from the upstairds to the downstairs, and static). the
same people did the balloon drop on New Year's eve. They were standing about 20
feet from Dick Clarke, I'm told. 4 CASES of 260s were inflated for the job. Now at 144 balloons per bag, and 48 bags per case, YOU do the math!!! :o)
Jimmy Leo
The balloon molds were metal, about 8 to 12 inches in height. They had wood block bases and were sitting on the mantle in the dealer's booth in a grouping of about 4 or 6. Looked very much like modern art. Once they said what they were, you could see it instantly. There was an obvious bunny-head one, and a spiral, and a couple of others. But just looking at them I had no idea what they were.The Martha Stewart Living website at http://www.marthastewart.com provides show information (current for only about a week after it airs). Her site listed the rubber balloon mold collector as:
Doug Taylor; Praiseworthy Antiques; Main Street; Guilford, NY 13780
Phone: 607-895-6278
"Now," he says to the little girl," what's your favorite animal?"
"An octopus!" is her answer.
"Aw, give me a break, kid!"
"OK, then, a snake!"
"A snake? I like you!" and he doesn't bother inflating the balloon, just ties it off (yes he ties it off anyway) and hands it to her. Good bit.
it's
spring
and
the
goat-footed
BalloonMan whistles
far
and
wee
BRICK, N.J. (AP) - Forty-eight children and an adult suffered minor injuries when a balloon-popping contest for kids turned into a melee at a Wal-Mart store.About 200 children had gathered at the store Thursday evening for the promotional event, in which about 1,000 prize-filled balloons were dropped onto the floor, police Lt. Nils Bergquist said.
"The kids started jumping around, then the parents started jumping in to get the balloons, not caring about stepping on kids," said Starla Weiss, who brought five kids to the event.``There was blood on the floor."
Authorities were called to the store 10 minutes later.
Aja Shepherd, 16, an employee at the McDonald's restaurant inside the store, said several ambulances were called to the scene.
"The parents started getting involved," she said. "They were fistfighting."
Store manager Joe Herron could not be reached for comment.
Thirty-six people declined medical treatment, five people were treated at the scene and eight were taken to hospitals.
"but this is all I could afford!
Instructions:
The response deals with how a balloon breaks. The explanation: "Here are two big words: tensile cohesion (TEN-sill co-HE-shun). They mean *stretchy strength*. Balloons break when they get expanded beyond the limits of their stretchy strength."Then they give the kids two experiments (demonstrations) to do athome: blowing up a paper bag until it pops (to illustrate air compression and the related explosion), and what appears to be the needle through the balloon gag. Here's their run through:
"You Need: Balloon. Bamboo Skewer. Blow up the balloon and tie its end with a knot. Find the spot at the top of the balloon that is darker in color. Gently twist the skewer into the very top and out near the knot at the bottom. If you're careful, the balloon will not pop."
"The Balloon is made from latex, a substance that's built like long stretchy springs. When these springs get stretched too long, they snap and the balloon pops. The top and bottom of the balloon are like springs that are relaxed and are not pulling away. Everywhere else on the balloon, these *springs* are stretched tight near the limit of their strength-near the limits of their tensile cohesion."
Isn't science neat? The entire bit may be on their Web site: http://www.youcan.com
The 1997 winner: Larry Walters of Los Angeles - one of the few Darwin winners to survive his award-winning accomplishment.Larry wanted to fly. He purchased 45 weather balloons and several tanks of helium. Each weather balloon, when fully inflated, would measure more than four feet across. Larry securely strapped the balloons to his lawn chair. He anchored the chair to the bumper of his jeep and inflated the balloons with the helium. He climbed on for a test while it was still only a few feet above the ground. Satisfied it would work, Larry tied himself in, along with his pellet gun and provisions.
Larry's plan was to lazily float up to a height of about 30 feet above his back yard after severing the anchor and in a few hours come back down.
When he cut the anchor cord, Larry streaked into the LA sky as if shot from a cannon. He didn't level off at 30 feet, nor did he level off at 100 feet. After climbing and climbing, he leveled off at 11,000 feet. At that height he couldn't risk popping any of the balloons, lest he unbalance the load and really find himself in trouble. So he stayed there, drifting, cold and frightened, for more than 14 hours. Then he really got in trouble. He found himself drifting into the primary approach corridor of Los Angeles International Airport.
A United pilot first spotted Larry. He radioed the tower and described passing a guy in a lawn chair with a gun. Radar confirmed the existence of an object floating 11,000 feet above the airport. LAX dispatched a helicopter to investigate. Night was falling and the offshore breeze began to flow, which carried Larry out to sea. Several miles out, the helicopter caught up with him. Once the crew determined that Larry was not dangerous, they attempted to close in for a rescue but the draft from the blades would push Larry away whenever they neared.
Finally, the helicopter ascended to a position several hundred feet above Larry and lowered a rescue line. Larry snagged the line and was hauled back to shore. As soon as Larry was hauled to earth, he was arrested by waiting members of the LAPD for violating LAX airspace. As he was led away in handcuffs, a reporter dispatched to cover the daring rescue asked why he had done it. Larry stopped, turned and replied nonchalantly, " A man can't just sit around."
Let's hear it for Larry Walters, the 1997 Darwin Award Winner.
Dear Abby:I was surprised when it was announced in my church newsletter recently that an event was to conclude with the release of hundreds of balloons into the sky. It took some doing to explain that what goes into the sky eventually comes back down to earth.
I'm not an active environmentalist, but I have been involved with my daughters Girl Scout troops for 10 years. We teach the girls to recycle, conserve and take care of Mother Earth.
Balloons released into the air often travel many miles before returning to earth, and their effect on wildlife can be deadly. Animal eat the balloons, which cause internal blockage and eventual starvation. They also get tangled up in the strings and, unable to free themselves, die a slow and painful death because they can't reach food or water. Also, balloons are not biodegradable. These colored bits of shriveled plastic you see littering the beaches are going to be there for a long time, if they don't get caught in some fish's throat first.
I read in my local newspaper that some states - New York, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee, New Jersey, Kentucky, Virginia and California, have enacted laws specifically to curb or eliminate the release of balloons.
Abby, if you print my letter, you will be educating many readers who do not realize the potential harm they are causing when they release those pretty balloons. It would be so much better to keep them, and deliver them to a nursing home instead.
Friend of the Environment
Burnsville, MinnesotaDear Friend:
I'm delighted to help you spread the word to my many readers who are committed to preserving our environment. We all should be.
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Mr. Twister achieved some notoriety when he was cited in Santa Cruz for feeding meters ahead of the meter maids. The article says that Santa Cruz revised its law after it became the butt of jokes nationwide for giving Mr. Twister a $13 ticket for feeding other people's meters. Late-night television host Jay Leno quipped that Mr. Twister was likely to do more time for his offense than O. J. Simpson. Rock band Soul Asylum announced itself as "five guys in support of Mr. Twister" during a Santa Cruz tour stop.
I have a friend I see in the park,
The man with the pretty balloons.
He's always cheery from dawn until dark,
The man with the pretty balloons.
He has red ones, blue ones,
Shiny bright new ones,
Cute ones that whistle a tune,
And all the day long
He keeps singing this song,
Balloons, Balloons, Balloons!
| 99 Red Balloons | 99 luftballoons |
You and I in a little toy shop buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got Set them free at the break of dawn 'Til one by one, they were gone Back at base, bugs in the software Flash the message, "Something's out there" Floating in the summer sky 99 red balloons go by. 99 red balloons floating in the summer sky Panic bells, it's red alert There's something here from somewhere else The war machine springs to life Opens up one eager eye Focusing it on the sky Where 99 red balloons go by. 99 Decision Street, 99 ministers meet To worry, worry, super-scurry Call the troops out in a hurry This is what we've waited for This is it boys, this is war The president is on the line As 99 red balloons go by. 99 Knights of the air ride super-high-tech jet fighters Everyone's a Silverhero Everyone's a Captain Kirk With orders to identify To clarify and classify Scramble in the summer sky As 99 red balloons go by. As 99 red balloons go by. 99 dreams I have had In every one a red balloon It's all over and I'm standin' pretty In this dust that was a city If I could find a souvenier Just to prove the world was here... And here is a red balloon I think of you and let it go. | Hast dou etwas Zeit f|r mich dann singe ich ein Lied f|r dich von 99 Luftballons auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont denkst du vielleicht g'rad an mich, dann singe ich ein Lied f|r dich von 99 Luftballons und da_ sowas von sowas kommt 99 Luftballons auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont hielt man f|r UFOs aus dem All darum schickte ein General 'ne Fliegerstaffel hinterher Alarm zu geben, wenn's so wdr', dabei war'n da am Horizont nur 99 Luftballons. 99 D|senflieger jeder war ein grosser Krieger hielten sich f|r Captain Kirk das gab ein gro_es Feuerwerk die Nachbarn haben nichts gerafft und f|hlten sich gleich angemacht dabei scho_ man am Horizont auf 99 Luftballons 99 Kriegsminister Streichholz und Benzinkanister hielten sich f|r schlaue Leute witterten schon fette Beute riefen: Krieg und wollten Macht Mann, wer hdtte das gedacht da_ es einmal soweit kommt wegen 99 Luftballons 99 Jahre Krieg lie_en keinen Platz f|r Sieger Kriegsminister gibt's nicht mehr und auch keine D|senflieger heute zieh' ich meine Runden seh' die Welt in Tr|mmern liegen hab' 'nen Luftballon gefunden denk' an dich und la_' ihn fliegen. |
From the performance lofts of lower Manhattan since the early 1990's, Judy Dunaway has forged a new and insistent musical voice with her trademark family of musical instruments - balloons. Into an amplification system she strokes them with moistened hands and inflates and deflates them to form rhythms and shape irregular melodies. In her notes to this CD Dunaway describes the development of her balloon techniques and also speaks passionately about the magical powers of latex to seal, protect, hold breath, and spark imagination. In an era when it is difficult to be truly unique, Judy Dunaway succeeds at communicating a personal and powerful new art.
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SKB 11/06/98 SKB 06/15/99 SKB 11/17/99 |