Driving in to work, I caught the tail end of some talk-radio show where the hosts launched into a diatribe, "you can tell by the pictures of the dad and kids holding rockets they're all nuts" then went on to say, "we've got to ban all this loony-toon space-cadet crap, balloons and rockets and all that crap. All those people are nut cases."
I tried to call in to maybe slow down the lynch mob a bit, but as soon as the call-screener figured out I was going to say something other than "yeah man, you betcha, you tell it like it is," they dumped me.
Amazingly, these guys are usually "too much regulation/cut my taxes/states rights/get the government off my back" teabag-style screechers. Now, all of a sudden, they want more government intervention. Of course, just as I was getting out of the car, they had started to blame the whole thing on "liberal permissiveness" and the "culture of entitlement."
What show was this?? Just curious! Some of those guys DEFINITELY talk out of both sides of their face, that's for sure. Personally I think that your "tea-bag screechers" comment was a bit insulting, but hey, you're entitled to your opinion
... I personally want only one thing from "my" government-- LEAVE ME ALONE! I think that sentiment is shared by the VAST majority of the 'tea bag screechers'...
There was more on this story on Yahoo this morning... apparently the authorities ARE investigating whether this was a hoax or not, and definitely have their doubts. Some of the families former associates have come forward (co-workers, tv producers, etc) and told a few anecdotes about reality TV series he was pushing, about 'science detectives' that would have started with him and someone else standing on top of a mountain in black "MATRIX" style outfits getting strafed by a helicopter... the idea was 'shot down' (pun intended
) :roll: The producer also was sorta involved in the "Wife Swap" show as a 'family friend' and the supposed reason for the wife swap show was to get publicity for his 'reality show' idea. Some other producer was saying that they were developing a project with him but have canned it since all this blew up. Another buddy of his tells how he and some guys went to some LA comedy club and did an act that 'totally bombed' and had 'weird crazy ideas about a reality show where he'd ride a motorcycle into a tornado-- stupid stuff like that'.
Apparently the authorities have some concerns about the kids as well, what with the storm chasing with them in the car, and CPS is planning to interview them all; the police have asked them to wait until they have conducted all the interviews they plan to determine if this 'escapade' was a hoax or not.
I'm not a big fan of CPS; I've seen situations myself where they come down on folks for stuff that's NONE of their business, and yet leave kids in situations where they'd be better off elsewhere, but really, like my wife said, "even the mother must be nuts allowing him to take the kids storm chasing with him". Like I said, if he wants to risk killing himself, that's fine, but risking his kids is just DUMB. Her letting him do it is DUMB too.
They can be as 'off the wall' as they want to, pursue whatever psuedoscience they choose, but they shouldn't endanger their kids... that's just wrong. Even this 'balloon incident' tells me that the guy is messing around with stuff in an unsafe manner, if he didn't know that A) the balloon couldn't lift off with his kid, B) the balloon wasn't securely tethered before he released it, C) he entrusted one of his kids to 'hold the tether', and D) their first phone calls were to the FAA, the TV station, THEN 911. Then he yells at the kid for 'letting go of the tether'.
At first blush I'd say the guy is certifiable, from everything that's come out of this mess.
OL JR
PS. The kids were playing in the backyard yesterday and would peek through the fence at the reporters, and one of them stuck his head out long enough to tell the reporters, "Daddy's not talking today-- he's tired of THIS SHOW".
I bet he gets a lot more tired of it before it's done... :shock:
And another thing... in the kid's "rap video" on youtube, they are walking along the railroad tracks... yeah, THAT'S real safe! It's also a violation of the law since it's trespassing on railroad property... just a few more little things that tell me these people don't quite have enough sandwiches for a picnic... We've had SEVERAL incidents in the Houston area over the past few years where kids have lost legs and arms cut off under trains, or killed outright...