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Helium shortage keeps balloons grounded at Tokyo Disneyland

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© 2012 AFP

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In lieu of helium, gather several big-time politicians ... they're full of hot air most of the time.

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Does this mean Donald Duck will no longer be able to speak the way he does (anyone who has inhaled helium will know what I mean)?

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There's plenty of hydrogen to go around though. Not too dangerous at the pressures of a balloon, and much cheaper. Sure the pops will be louder, and balloons will probably degrade faster, but better than using helium for entirely useless things.

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Hahaha, the US is restricting their rare helium exports!

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The shortage of balloons at Tokyo Disneyland must be terrible news for the people of Tohoku..... (sorry, why is this news?)

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lostrune2Nov. 28, 2012 - 11:28AM JST

Hahaha, the US is restricting their rare helium exports!

Not at all. The price of helium is simply larger than Disney is willing to pay. You'll see that the hospitals and factories that actually need it have priority (and practically no problems getting the gas), then whatever is left over goes up for sale at 300% of last year's price.

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basroil, it's satire.

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Been stolen by a bunch iof girls who now speak in high, squeaky voices.

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I am against with people/business who make use of helium for the silliest reason such as balloons(also as a voice changer for fun). Helium escapes our planet and it cant come back neither can be pulled by gravity. Best solution, use air and use sticks rather than strings.

http://alpromote.com.au/point-of-sale-merchandise/balloons/balloon-cups-and-sticks

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let's face it, balloons just aren't any fun without helium. Sounds like Japan needs to find another supplier.

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China are in plans to mine the moon for He III. But I doubt it if they're gonna use it for balloons. They're going to use it mostly for nuclear energy and weaponry. People from the 20th century might feel depressed, that their childhood floating toy soon to be extincted, but we can teach children in the current generation to love those stick balloons.

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lostrune2Nov. 28, 2012 - 11:54AM JST

it's satire.

Satire would be "US is restricting helium exports so that Disney World will get more customers than Tokyo Disneyland". There's a big difference between stating a clearly misleading and false statement, and stating a false statement so ridiculous that it cannot be considered true. You also need to include some other aspects like an object of your satire, in my statement's case the fact that Disney attendances worldwide have been stagnating for the last several years.

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Balloons without helium are like dogs named cigarette. They do not float, so you have to take them out for a drag.

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Hundreds of years ago Japan invented blow-up red-and-white paper balls (to be filled with lung-air) that children can enjoy patting up into the air.

Not very exciting though...

Back to Mexican jumping beans?

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basroil, it's a satire of China restricting rare earth metal exports.

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lostrune2Nov. 28, 2012 - 08:43PM JST

it's a satire of China restricting rare earth metal exports.

That's like saying that that "farts" (just that, no other words or anything attached) is a satire of the socioeconomic issues that caused the helium shortage in the first place. You need to read more, you've clearly never seen real satire. I would suggest "A Modest Proposal". My hydrogen balloon comment is half satire in the good old Swift way (though a bit more blunt and nowhere near as well written)

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basroil, chill, it's just humor, not dissecting world literature. Ya must be a hit in the parties, killing all the jokes.

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