We'll find a cloud to hide us We'll keep the moon beside us Read the rest

There are few things finer in life than plopping down on a hot summer day in your backyard, wobbly pop in hand, with a few friends and loved ones. Roasting in the heat as a soft breeze licks the sweat away from your skin, your beverage slides ice-cold down your throat. Someone tells a joke as the burgers flip on the grill, sending up a tower of greasy pillar of fire into the heavens.

And then, the existential dread kicks in.

From NewJersey.com:

Renee Jensen was enjoying the summer in her Harrington Park backyard on Saturday with her boyfriend, Alex, when she spotted something near the side gate.

The object appeared to be airborne, headed straight for the yard.

“Did a freaking bird die in midair or something?” she thought, going over to see what it was.

Looking down at the object, she jumped back.

It was Pennywise the clown. Albeit, a stout, cartoon version of the murderous clown from “It,” but Pennywise nonetheless. The plush character’s mouth was reddened with fake “blood.”

“It came at an angle and I just watched this thing, it didn’t hit a single tree and went straight over, just cleared the gate and hit the pine branches and hit the ground," says Jensen, 42, still a bit shaken from the incident.

She only has one neighbor in the vicinity, and they were not around at the time little Pennywise entered the yard.

So, as one does, Jensen lost every last bit of her shit. Read the rest

I'm not sure if the first thing on my to-do list with a late model $1,000 handset would be to tether it to a whack of party balloons and launch it into the atmosphere, but hey: to each their own. That said, you can't argue with the view! Read the rest

Installation artist Jihan Zencirli, also known artistically as Geronimo, created an ambitious massive balloon installation at Lincoln Center for the New York City Ballet. Read the rest

In 1986, Cleveland was desperate to put the nickname "Mistake by the Lake" behind them, so they tried to set a world record for a balloon release. Balloonfest takes us through the failures. Read the rest

For those who can't get enough balloon art (previously), here are some classic comic book covers reimagined with balloon art by Phileas Flash. Some impressive detail! Read the rest

Warped Perception trained their Phantom Flex 4K Slow Motion Camera on an air balloon popping underwater. The result is wonderfully trippy, especially in high-definition. (via Nerdist)

Read the rest

World champion balloon artist Mark Verge twisted up this huge Tyrannosaurus rex from 700 balloons. He calls it the "the coolest thing I’ve ever made.”

Read the rest

Falcon Heene, the "Balloon Boy," is now in a metal band, and he's written a song about his adventure.

Previously on Boing Boing. Read the rest

“Filling up 40 balloons automatically makes for a much faster balloon fight.” Read the rest

You'll want to turn up the volume for this one. "Take time to talk to a balloon today." Read the rest

Photo by Jenn Shreve snapped at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation. (Thanks Koshi for the headline!) Read the rest

As a young'n, This American Life's Ira Glass performed magic and made balloon animals at children's birthday parties. You can watch his mad balloon skills in this Rookie Sunday Video during which he also discusses other more pressing, adult matters. To learn the fine art of balloon animal creation, Ira suggests "Roger's Rubber Ark: One Ballon Zoo" (1971). Read the rest

Maker dad Ron Fugelseth and his 4-year-old son sent the boy's favorite toy train eighteen miles up into the stratosphere aboard a weather balloon outfitted with an HD camera and salvaged cell phone for GPS. Then he made this lovely video. (Thanks, Kelly Sparks!) Read the rest