Falcon Heene

Abbott slams Rudd team’s robotic lipservice

by Mark Kenny

110
Former army chief says ‘make love, not war’

by Richard Fleming

210
Clown suits for dole bludgers – could it work here?

by Paul Colgan

310
Uncovered meat, Facebook and a simmering melting pot

by Sarah Ayoub

410
The 10 commandments of footy tipping

by Anthony Sharwood

510
I am woman, no comment.

by Sophie Mirabella

610
Well readhead: Take a look at my bookshelf

by Leigh Sales

710
Debunking the myths of corporate tax

by Jo-anne Schofield

810
Suburban Tales: Turtles and nudie runs

by Jonty Burton

910
Nanotechnology: The biggest little thing going

by Richard Marles

1010

The age of the media hoax

19 Oct 09:44am

Filed under: Balloon Boy, Falcon Heene, Hoaxes, Isnack2.0

Historians will identify the end of last week as the moment when a question asked through the ages – has the world gone mad? – was finally and categorically answered in the affirmative by the Heene family of Colorado.

Authorities now say Richard Heene and his wife plotted to hoax the world into thinking their six-year-old son Falcon was stuck inside a runaway balloon contraption in order to increase their chances of getting on a reality TV show.

But instead of getting on TV Heene could be going to jail, possibly depriving the children who were central to the alleged plot a father for a good deal of time. And all because, apparently, he wanted a little bit of money and fame.

Continue reading "The age of the media hoax" »

Latest 2 of 31 comments

View all comments

Aardvark's lunch says:

06:16am | 21/10/09

In terms of a hoax, it’s a bit hard to determine how it could have been uncovered before the balloon came down. This is the extreme end of the spectrum, since most people wouldn’t do this for publicity, (assuming it does turn out to be a hoax) - look at… Read more »
Sandy says:

04:35pm | 20/10/09

Imagine how pissed the Americans would be, after the entire nation prayed for the boys’s safety and had tears in their eyes when they thought little Falcone could have fallen out of the balloon….the boy pulling on their heart strings…only to be told hey wipe your tears it’s a hoax…..it’s… Read more »

Add your comment

Sprung tales: the worst things you ever did as a kid

by Paul Colgan

16 Oct 10:49am

Filed under: Balloon Boy, Childhood, Falcon Heene

29 comments

The worst - or maybe just the most memorable - thing about getting in trouble as a kid is that split second when you get sprung by your olds and the game is up.

America’s “Balloon boy” Falcon Heene will surely remember for the rest of his life the moment he first saw his dad after hiding for hours in the attic, fearing he would be yelled at after tampering with the balloon.

Most of us have a story about the worst things we did when we were kids but very few of them will be of Falcon’s order: “I started a national panic and a desperate mid-air chase of a balloon that was covered live on the network television for hours. People worried I was dead but I was just hiding in the attic.”

Continue reading "Sprung tales: the worst things you ever did as a kid" »

Latest 2 of 29 comments

View all comments

Nic says:

07:30am | 18/10/09

When I was about 4 my mum had decorated a cake for a christening and left it on the dining table before it was to be delivered. Me being very jealous that my mummy hadn’t made us one, took a very nice bight out of the front of the heart… Read more »
Never again says:

11:51pm | 17/10/09

I didn’t receive a scolding for this, but I certainly learned my lesson… Back when I was six or seven years old, I decided to try floating with a parasol, like I’d seen in a cartoon. i only jumped off a kiddy-chair, thank goodness. Mum kept telling me to knock… Read more »