Balloon Fun

Over the last few days, I'm sure you have heard something about the "Balloon Boy", or something about the story. (CNN Thursday Denver Post Saturday) To abbreviate, on Thursday, in Fort Collins, Colorado, a weather balloon of sorts took off from the Heene home, and traveled sixty miles. During the flight, the family called the police in fear that a son, Falcon, was in the balloon. After police chased the balloon for hours, it landed, and the boy was nowhere to be found other than in the Heene attic. He said that he was hiding there because his dad yelled at him, and that it was "for the show". Now, police are looking to file charges on Richard Heene, and there is much speculation that the whole fiasco was a publicity stunt. After all, the family has been on ABC's Wife Swap, and Richard has attempted to make several science based shows, similar to Bill Nye. The weather balloon was one of his experiments, but was only designed to lift twenty feet off the ground, but the rigging to hold it in place failed, releasing it, and the Heene family, to the world.

Today, the country sheriff, Jim Alderden confirmed that the event was a hoax, a publicity stunt to put the family in a better position to star in a reality show. CNN reports: "The parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene, met in a Hollywood acting school and 'put on a very good show for us,' Alderden said. Authorities know there was 'a conspiracy' between them, he added." The speculation started on Larry King Live, when the boy said the statement about it being, "for the show", and now, it is for certain. The parents met in acting school, and this whole event was probably planned, staged out in a way that they thought would be good for their family. Unfortunately, it has turned out badly. Their front has been revealed, and now, one of them could be going to jail.

What would push someone to commit such an unbelievable act? To commit a fake for personal benefit? I can't believe that they take people like the Heenes take these things lightly. Being on TV is probably all they think about, something they devote huge amounts of time to. You can see from their history that it is something they have tried, and been moderately successful at. They did make it on Wife Swap, but not much else. Richard's feeble attempts at educational science failed miserably, possibly forcing them to drastic measures, just like other fakers of deaths and missing persons.



Remember this face? She is the infamous "Run Away Bride" Jennifer Wilbanks from a few years ago. The woman just didn't want to marry, so she ran away four days before the wedding. She then called the fiancé three days later to falsely claim that she had been kidnapped and assaulted by a Hispanic man. Well, that was a lie, and she also was charged. She could have received up to five years in jail for her little adventure, but instead got two years probation, 120 hours community service, and $2,250 to the sheriff's department.

Only a few minutes ago, I was reading about how the brains of teenagers are not developed enough to make rational decisions. This is because the frontal lobes don't completely mature until around age 25. I'm not an expert, but as an attempt to explain their behavior, maybe the frontal lobes of the Heenes and Jennifer Wilbanks never finished developing. Their decisions and actions were clearly irrational. Some people might even think that their actions were very unwise, and not worthy of the consequences. But who knows? People in today's world do many irrational things. They may not be as publicized or as drastic, but they're still simply against the "normal" thinking of what is acceptable.

Cultural Comedy

Please, watch the following video before reading the rest of the post. Without viewing, the post will make no sense.






In the United States, we love our comedy. Nearly every night of the week and weekend, you can find a comedy program or two on the "big three" networks: ABC, NBC, and CBS. For those of us lucky enough to have cable or satellite, we even have a whole channel devoted to comedy! Comedy has in some ways, infiltrated our lives, with many people recieving news through the Daily Show, Colbert Report, and the late-night shows, because that's what people want to watch.



Throughout the years, American television has done some pretty crazy things to get people to laugh. Launched in 1989 with one Bob Saget hosting, America's Funniest Home Videos shows purely home videos of people doing really funny things. The show has since had 4 different hosts, and is still running. Twenty years' worth of funny home videos, and we still love it. Long, long, long before AFV, in 1947, there was a radio show called Candid Microphone. This program was the predecessor to the television show Candid Camera, which aired from 1948 until 2004. This show was also based on videos, but the people didn't know they were being taped, which made it so hilarious! For a few more recent years, the show Punk'd with Ashton Kutcher also featured videos of people, but with pranks being pulled on celebrities.



Today, our comedy show are varied, from AFV to talk shows to sitcoms. Some of the more daring shows have pushed people to the edge in order to make the audience laugh, like Punk'd and Candid Camera, but they still have limitations. In the US, we are incredibly worried about violating others' rights, trying to keep them happy. When we collectively decide that an action was unacceptable, we have no problem with raising hell. While our television isn't as censored as some countries', there are certain words that can't be said, and certain things that can't be done, and with the varied beliefs of our country, somebody will be offended no matter what is done.



The video of the Japanese prank show pushes the poor man nearly over the edge of fear. It's hard for me to say if this would, or could, be done in the US, due to the uproar that could come from it. I've seen fake robberies, but not anything as graphic as this prank. Just put yourself in that man's place. You go to an interview, just like a normal day. Suddenly, there are shots fired, and the people around you drop "dead", bleeding from their "gunshot wounds". I would have reacted exactly the same as the man in the video.



While I understand that the prank was all in good fun, the fun wasn't so good. If that man was a stranger, with the production crew having no information on how he might react, who knows what could have happened. He could have fainted, had a heart attack, a panic attack, or any number of stress reactions. That would not have been funny. At least not in the United States of America.



Never having been to Japan, I don't know their culture and what they find acceptable. Putting someone through stress like that in this country wouldn't be taken very lightly. I confess, I did laugh at first, but then I thought of what that must have been like, and then I felt bad for him, even angry at the people who staged it. The Japanese may have a different view, though, and that is just one simple (or not) example of how two cultures can be radically different.

88 Key Staircase

I just found this video, and I think it is amazing how easy it was to change people without them knowing it. It makes you wonder what we do everyday that is controlled by someone else?? Here it is, courtesy of Volkswagon via YouTube:




Isn't that just crazy? At the beginning of the video, the escalator is full to the point that no more people could possibly fit on it. After the stairs get done up to look, and more importantly, sound like a piano, nearly everyone takes the stairs.

Not only are there people who stop and look at the piano, take it all in, and then decide to try it out. There are also people who are presumably doing business, walking from place A to place B. These people might take the stairs normally (because the escalator is normally bursting with lazy people), but the fact that there are more people on the stairs may give them reason to expend the energy needed to traverse the stairs. Their thinking could be something like:

Wow, there are a lot of people on the stairs, and oh, the stairs look like a piano. Hey! I hear a piano. Oh, it's from the people walking on the piano stairs. I'll just take it and see what happens. What is there to lose?

If someone's really busy, not worrying about stairs v. escalator, they may not even realize that they're walking up a piano and that with every step, they play a C scale. These people are too preoccupied with their cell phone, and just see the people running up and down the stairs (attempting to play Chopin). Unconsciously, they decide that if they take the stairs, they will have fun, too.

That is why I think there are so many more people on the stairs at the end of the video. First, observant individuals are drawn to the piano, placed there by someone else. Then the non-observant, focused people are drawn to the stairs without even thinking about it, because someone else is having fun. It is almost a form of learning through observation. In one of my favorite videos (sans music), even though, there really is no string, most people step over it. Some of these people don't even look down, they just do it because they saw someone else do it.

To mix the two examples, I would like to see if people will skip a step if you color it differently and skip it? Let's try it! Unless you have other ideas... I'll take suggestions.

Stop. Think. Focus.

I try not to post too much about me, although I do use examples from my own life, because after all, it is the one I know best. Also, I refuse to write about blogging. I will do it right now, and never again, because it applies not only to writing, but to my life.

Thus far, my writing has been moderately unfocused. My goal from here on out is to narrow it down a little. The blog title is Oddities Humanus, and at the onset, I wanted to write about funny things that people do, and I would like to continue that, but I would like to add, or reiterate a focus of the writing. The question is: Why? Let's use the post Just For Laughs as an example. I do not want to simply discuss why these men would make dating videos, but is there a reason that makes them do it, only because they're human. Is there something present in all humans that would push us to do this?

Focus is also needed in my life and the lives of many people out there. Epidemic in high schools is the urge to get involved, which is awesome for many reasons. Incoming freshman don't know everyone who is in their class, and at a big school, they probably never will, but if they get involved in a ton of activities right away, they meet people. A wide variety of activities also helps one find things that they're good at and that they enjoy. After some time, though, kids get in a group and have friends. Most students at this point probably have a good idea of what they're good at and what they enjoy.

It is at this crossroads when one must decide (because you can't be good at everything), whether to continue involvement in a wide variety of activites, and not focus on some or all, or narrow the use of your time, and become your best at one or two. I'm not saying a student couldn't still be involved in multiple things. Instead, I am suggesting that people find what they need to be spending their time on, and focus. I think that everyone has the desire to be good at something, for their skills to be needed, and focusing our use of time helps us to fulfill that desire, and become the best we can be.

What people need, other than their job or focus activity (if in school), is a hobby. Some people build things, some people write songs, and some people excercise. I would consider a hobby anything that you spend considerable time on regularly outside of your day job. Hobbies help to be a release from the daily grind, and sometimes to release creativity that isn't used at work. Long story short, I think I need a hobby. I am involved in a lot of things, and I'm ok with that, but I would like something that I can do that I can call mine. In the meantime, I will try and keep my writing focused.

Luck

More left-brained people might say that luck doesn't exist, that everything is based on chance and events are only coincidence. Others, myself included, say that sometimes things just work out for some people, and can't be coincidence. Sometimes, unexplainable things happen, and sometimes in sequences that just shouldn't happen normally. People probably aren't predisposed to be lucky or not, but it sure does seem like some people just get everything to go the right way, if only for a period of time. If you think that you're in one of those phases where things happen to work the right way, thank somebody, and take advantage of it, because you never know if it will happen again.

Speak up, for everyone's sake!

Washing dishes isn't very much fun. This is a fact of life, as no one that I know enjoys washing dishes. Too bad for me, though, because it's my job if I like it or not. My problem though, and the problem of many people, is that I'm shy, at least in certain situations. I have wanted to express my feelings to my boss that I just don't want to wash dishes forever, and I am planning on doing just that very soon, but so far, I've been too shy to say anything. Alas, this is the plight of many people out there who have opinions, but are too shy or scared to do anything about it.

Everyone has opinions on everything, it's just the way we are as humans. Sometimes our opinions appear through our words and actions. Other times, and maybe more often, our thoughts aren't shared, because while we do have an emotional connection to them, there simply isn't a good enough reason to flaunt them, no current to take us over the waterfall. For example, my parents do a lot of stuff that annoys me, but it's so trivial that I don't say anything to them. Instead, I keep it inside and either let it eat at me, or decide that it's just too small to worry about and decide to laugh about it.

There are people that are not scared to express their beliefs in any situation. Sometimes, this can be a real benefit, because they feel satisfied that everyone has heard their opinion. After all, how many times have you kept something to yourself and regretted it later (an example of harmful shyness)? I know I've done it countless times. Other times, though, being too outspoken is dangerous, for people don't like the one who always has to defend their case, who never gives in. In this way, shyness can be good.

On the flip side, there is a way to be very non-outspoken. Some individuals don't speak up enough, therefore their thoughts don't get heard. What if their thinking was beneficial to the group as a whole? This is why I think it is good for everyone to be outspoken, but not over-spoken. It will never be balanced, though; the more outspoken people will be the leaders of the group, and a balance of opinions is reached.

Jitters Yield Rewards

I am a violinist. As a violinist, I have a wide array of performance opportunities for me to participate in. For the last eight I have been a soloist, and played in competitions solely for a grade. For the last six years I have been an orchestra member, allowing me to play different music in a large group. Two years ago, I was a quartet member, played a fun piece, and had a great time in the intimate setting that chamber music is. The last two months, though, I have been a part of something totally new and different.

Starting this summer, I have been a part of our fall musical, titled I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.

The show is awesome in many, many ways. First of all, it is downright hilarious. Even after seeing the whole show seemingly hundreds of times, I still laughed during the final show. Also, the way the show is written in a style that is very intimate with the actors and the audience. It is normally only a cast of four, but we used up to twelve in certain scenes.

As a musician, the music in the show is incredible. Written by Jimmy Roberts, the music varies from scene to scene. One scene may have a slow, dramatic sound, and the next may be a tango, for example. As a violinist, I love the fact that the orchestra consists of merely a piano and a violin. This means that I get to shine as the only violin, but I am not playing solo. In this show, I have been blessed with an amazing piano player that literally runs the show. She plays scene changes, decides the tempo, and generally coordinates the music.

This whole concept of show music and near-solo work is totally new to me, and is very exciting. In an orchestra, you have to blend, and don't get to play out to show your skills. As a soloist, you get to show your skills, but your mistakes are much more noticeable. I think that many people, especially performers, would agree that it is much better to be able to shine than to simply be assigned the same task as everyone else.

How does one then shine during performances? What do performers and people do to cope with the stress and excitement of the final presentation of their work? During our show, I saw the cast and crew dealing with the pressure with several different methods. One very popular way was to busy their selves with something to keep their mind off of the show. Some people brought laptops, some brought games, books, iPods, etc. Another method was to go at the performance head-on (apply directly to the forehead), by focusing on what they were going to be doing by practice and preparation. Rituals are another method of dealing with stress. Some people believe that doing something that worked when they succeeded will help them succeed again. Even though a performer may try to cope with the stress, rarely does it disappear entirely. The nerves show through when one paces, twiddles their thumbs, or bites their fingernails. It happens to everyone and is controllable, but incurable.

Why would humans feel stress when they are about to perform? Simple: we humans don't like to fail, and we especially don't like to be ridiculed for it. We would much rather succeed by incredible measures, and when we do, it gives us great pleasure. For me, it is the satisfaction that all the hard work I've done, the long hours I've put in, the sacrifices that I have made, all paid off in the end. I'm not one to show off very often, and I didn't even think of it before the show, but afterwards, many people came up to me and said that I was really good and that I was a huge part of the show. Some friends even told me that they didn't realize I was that good. These are the most valuable rewards for me. To hear someone tell me that they think I am good is nice, as they could be telling the truth, or they could just be saying that because it's customary. However, when a friend, someone who knows me, says that they didn't know I was that good, I feel like that are telling the truth, and I am very grateful.