busted.

lately i've grown quite fond of a show on the Discovery Channel, a little enterprise called "Myth Busters". i know not why i find mindless destruction and child-like, adult, caucasian men entertaining but i do know that it is a winning combination. i recently witnessed one very interesting installment where they tested one account of a man who bravely ascended to the heights of commercial airliners, supported by only his lawn chair. attached to this lawn chair were the man's necessary items for his daring venture: several dozen weather balloons, ballasts consisting of many sand bags, and a case of beer. for his descent, he carried with him a small bibi gun with which he planned to perforate the skin of the balloons with.

for trained professionals within a closely monitored and relatively safe environment (as was the case with Myth Busters), replicating such a task would seem only ever so slightly hazardous. after all was said and done and the myth proven feasible, it was discovered that this "myth" had actually been acted out by a man in the United States who had one day decided to take a ride on his lawn chair into the heavens after smuggling many a weather balloon out from work. he had apparently drifted to upwards of 12 000 feet and had to be called down by state officials who had received hundreds of calls from local citizens who were scared and shocked at what appeared to be an unidentified flying object in the skies.

another thing to add to my to do list.