Anderson Cooper The Journalist

I thought I would title this one, “24 minutes of balloon boy, and some other news,” but I decided to stick with convention.

anderson cooper

Breaking News

Balloon boy.  AC called the dirigible a love child of a helium balloon and a jiffy pop.  Richard Heene, Falcon’s dad, from Wife Swap, seemed genuinely concerned about his son’s welfare and on Larry King got very angry when asked if the balloon ride was a publicity stunt.  Enjoy this clip of Heene (who is not at all defensive) :

In case you weren’t paying attention to the news today, the world held its breath while a makeshift inflatable craft drifted across the great plains of ….., seemingly with 6-year-old Falcon on board.  When the craft landed and was found empty, Falcon was found hiding in a box in the attic, prompting this trending tweet:

“Hey Balloon Boy, I’m real happy for you and Ima letchoo finish, but Anne Frank had the best attic hideout of all time.”

balloonboy fam

Digging Deeper – Marc Friedland and Garry Haruska

balloonboy panel

Friedland, Heene’s neighbor and deathly afraid of national television, commented on the nature of the aircraft.  Haruska commented on the technical nature of the balloon, saying that it was built from a kit.

Fifteen minutes in and the story is still running.  AC just asked the Haruska, a balloon expert, whether or not the balloon could possibly carry a 6-year-old child in it and he said it wasn’t likely.  Now, for a break, a clip of Heene on Wife Swappers:

Eighteen minutes and it’s time for the media analysis.

Now they’re playing the footage where Falcon said, “We did this for a show.”  Now, unlike the Twitterverse that hinges on every word on television, I don’t ascribe a great deal of truth to what kids say.

Please, no, no, no.  They’ve brought the big wall into the story!!  This is the same wall that got Obama elected.  Now it’s analyzing homemade flying saucers.  Thankfully, the wall brought some numbers.  Looks like the rescue mission cost about $28,000.

balloonboy wall

TWENTY FOUR MINUTES OF BALLOON BOY

360 Bulletin

Pakistan attacks kill dozens

Murder probe in sweat lodge deaths

The stimulus is working, according to new jobs data

A justice of the peace in Louisana refused an inter-racial marriage license

Developing Story-Randi Kaye

Randi Kaye

Randi spoke with a juror in the Cameron Todd Wilingham case.

Randi Kaye spoke with one of the jurors, who was friends with the lead investigator in the case.  Lawyers today say that her friendship with the investigator is enough to claim a mistrial.  Randi Kaye rubbed salt in the wounds by reminded the juror that arson science has evolved drastically in the past 10 years or so.

Perry again defended his choice to remove four members from the panel investigating the case.  Perry suggested that the former member who issued a report on the case was pursuing a political agenda.

David Martin, Wilingham’s attorney, believes that Wilingham was guilty.  AC asked him about the arson evidence.  Martin, with an affected drawl, read from the report into the case.  Martin read passages not related with the science, but with the writer’s prose.

Steve Mills, an investigative reporter from the Chicago Tribune, spoke more about the arson evidence.  Furthermore, he reported that fire experts have turned their opinions around.  Unfortunately, David Martin couldn’t shut his trap.

Martin said that a defense attorney’s job is to test the prosecution’s evidence.  Even if the defendant is guilty, he said, he can be proclaimed not guilty.  How guilt is ascertained, initially, is apparently a matter of interpretation.  Martin, for a lawyer, has shaky logic.  He said that if you pour lighter fluid on a carpet and light it, it will look like the carpet in Wilingham’s house.  If A, then B.  He goes on to say that if B, then A.  My last word on this guy: whenever he heard something he didn’t like, he cocked his head to the side and groaned loudly, sometimes saying, “I don’t know about that,” or, “I’m absurd.”  “I WAS THE TRIAL ATTORNEY!”

Raw Politics-Candy Crowley

President Obama visited New Orleans today for the first time as president.  Residents of New Orleans are unhappy and frustrated with Obama for spending only four hours on the ground.

Candy Crowley

The administration has sent lots of people to New Orleans, but the president is aware of the power of his own presence.  He heard some of the local frustrations, including the red tape necessary to receive funding for building projects.

Gupta Book Plug aka Up  Close

Swank Norweigan

Sanjay Gupta reported on Anna Bagenholm, who was dead for 2 hours and found frozen.  Dr. Mads Gilbert, whose English is amazingly idiomatic (doubled-edged sword), spoke on the resuscitation.  Anna is now a doctor, herself.

What what what what what?  No Shot?  No Politicians Behaving Badly?