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I propose that very lightweight yet complete and self contained balloon vehicle mobile homes be designed to allow for the free life of a wandering band of culturally independent individuals to take to the air. This would allow the wanderers to move from continent to continent in their wicker homes selling
their skills and art and moving on when the work dries up. One wonderful morning a cluster of colorful balloons would appear out of the clouds, descend and set up camp in an open field, The gypsies would set up a light weight facade' and perform great works of drama, compete in bike polo, seduce the local girls, then disappear with the changing wind.
The invention here is not the LTA balloon home (although that is a challenge) it is the image (possibly perfect for a movie) of the traditional Roma caravan taken to the air and no longer constrained by the bounds of Europe. They can now wander from continent to continent, into new climates and cultures. Africa, Greenland, Japan, Australia. I would love to see the concept of global wandering by LTA craft made real and in the form of a community rather than eccentric individuals (eccentric societies!).
Solar Balloons
http://users.tpg.com.au/idea/solar.htm
[MisterQED, Nov 30 2009]
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yeah, like that only, with gypsies. A movie perhaps. Also I didn't find evidence for real mobile homes propelled by balloons or for gypsies who live exclusively by this method. Since you can find no evidence of actual balloon gypsys I suggest you reconsider your criticism. |
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No worries, WcW, looks like all the criticism comes from animated, photoshopped, or irrelevant sources - nothing real. While it does seem a bit of advocacy [-], I appreciate your expanding the gamut of small house ideas [+]. It doesn't seem like anybody is doing this yet. Living in a hot air balloon, that is. |
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Django Reinhardt was run over by a wagon wheel. I can't see any possibility for such specific injury, and subsequent alcoholic indulgence, resulting from hot air ballooning as a mode of transportation. And look what the world would have lost! |
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No. Ballooning would diminish the character of these noble tribes. It would dim the crucible of their hardships and weaken the temper of craft and musicianship. |
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I wish I'd had one in my gypsy days (+). |
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//The gypsies would set up a light weight facade' and
perform great works of drama, compete in bike polo, seduce
the local girls, then disappear with the changing wind.// |
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Or, in the UK, they would land, set up a barricade of burned
out cars and vans, perform dramatic acts of intimidation,
depress the local property market by 70%, scare the crap out
of local women, then disappear with a collection of locally-
sourced TVs, DVD players and satnavs with the police in
apathetic pursuit. |
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You don't think that the police would be able to keep up with them? |
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/I can't see any possibility for such specific injury, and subsequent alcoholic indulgence, resulting from hot air ballooning as a mode of transportation/ |
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Don't hot air balloons have those giant jets of flame? |
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This isn't baked in reality because it has MANY issues that make it not feasible. This is thoroughly baked in fiction, where such issues are not a problem or can be worked around using fantastic inventions. The ones that come to my mind are from Terry Brooks who have traders who live in Dirigibles. It's tough to tell since this idea is so prevalent I could be mixing my stories. |
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In any case balloons are EXPENSIVE and require expensive refueling, so that is why gypsies don't like them. They are hard to land and crash even in competent hands, ask Goodyear. LTA gas is either expensive, explosive or both and has a habit of leaking out of even aluminum holding tanks. Hot air balloons have BAD insulation so require massive energy input to be kept aloft. The gypsies would be better off driving Escalades or H1 Hummers. |
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The only chance this idea has is solar balloons (link) and the description of their arrival would change to something out of the Bible as their enormous black shapes would darken the noon day sun. |
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Sorry this is baked as it can be (-), if you want my bun then come up with an idea that solves at least one of the issues that keep it from being baked. |
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Might be a bit tricky for them to take off after the 'Charming, Travelling, Romany Folk' have nicked all the fucking lead off your local church roof. |
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Last night's Top Gear featured James May piloting a sort of home-made airship with the gondola fashioned from a caravan. |
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However, it wasn't exactly what you had in mind. |
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Ubie, you may have genuine Romani down under, and I
infer you haven't visited our green and pleasant land of
late. Over here, "gypsy" seldom refers to the charming,
quaint folk who make clothespegs and pitch their ornate
horse-drawn caravans in some sun-soaked country lane. |
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Gypsies over here are more likely to turn up in fibreglass
caravans pulled by untaxed Range Rovers, set up home on
some farmer's land, and then go on a mini crime spree in
the area. Usually, after about five or ten years, the local
council decides to legitimize their land-grab, so that they
can continue to depress local property prices without
trespassing. Who knows, they may even pour white paint
over the car of some innocent bystander. |
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I tend not to like that sort of person, which is doubtless
intolerant of me. |
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MB has been watching to many movies. Possibly while crouched in his basement, clutching his gun. He should mix it up, get a little less predictable. |
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Sadly, I cannot crouch in my basement clutching my gun
because (a) my knees don't take well to crouching. (b) I
don't own a gun and (c) I don't own a basement. |
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However, should I ever overcome these three problems, I'll
give it a go. |
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Oddly, balloon pirates would've been universally praised, even though they're arguably harder on a nation and exist in more films and cartoons. |
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MB, Surely you have a man to crouch in a basement holding his gun for you, in an elegant suit if you so desire... |
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This seems to be well baked already, given the information in the links. |
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//Sadly, I cannot crouch in my basement clutching my gun because (a) my knees don't take well to crouching. (b) I don't own a gun and (c) I don't own a basement.//
If you were an engineer rather than some more fastidious strain of scientist, you'd be able to approximate this by sitting on a chair in your kitchen holding a fruit knife. |
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Would an armchair in my library with a corkscrew suffice for a
pilot study? |
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Did you actually click on any of the links [xinzag]? Which one did you feel best embodied the concept? |
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//This would allow the wanderers to move from continent to continent...// |
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Like ballooning spiders, but with a thirst for propane. |
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colonel mustard, the conservatory, length of rope. |
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They would descend on grass airfields and offer to tarmac them [+] |
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//Are Romani the only thieves in the UK, or is your
government and polite society riddled with thieves in the
same fashion as all other countries, too?// |
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I would not presume to comment on our esteemed political
leaders, who are doubtless above not only reproach, but
proach itself. However, there are a few native thieves left
here, even though we shipped many of them abroad some
time ago. |
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//a paradise// - that's a laugh.... a place that is overrun by feral camels, baby eating dingo-dogs, cane toads and sheep shaggers. Meanwhile any Australian young person with half a brain is over in London pretending to be from New Zealand. |
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I dunno, Xenzag. Australia isn't so bad. |
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I once had half a mind to go and live there. Apparently that's
all you need. |
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As someone famous (I forget who...) once said, people moving from New Zealand to Australia increase the average IQ of both countries.
(Sorry, [UnaBubba], just had to put that one in...) |
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That's odd - the one I was talking to the other day said he
was on his way to Wales because the Aussies had already
taken all the prettiest sheep. |
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It's the children of these elicit relationships for whom I feel sorry... left to wander the hills, some have evolved into strange hopping animals, like giant rabbits only with long tails. Australia itself is full of these bizarre beasts. |
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On second and third read, I now pronounce
you...pastrified. + |
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Crouching Maxwell, hidden corkscrew? |
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I wonder where he's hidden the corkscrew? |
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Was [UnaBubba]'s account stolen by gypsies? |
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Oh my God. No bubba? No songs? No way. |
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Looks like [UnaBubba] has vanished, taking his account with him! - anyone spot a kangaroo bouncing around with a head poking out of its pouch? |
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