Ballard Street by Jerry Van Amerongen for February 20, 2023

Imagine that

A giant red Mylar heart should do it. You can’t go wrong with red and giant on Ballard Street.

And Valerie doesn’t have the ‘wow factor’ that she did 40 years ago.

She has the scissors to cut it loose. But it is probably not big enough to require a $750 million missile to shoot it down.

Valerie is deflated.

After one hour of intense focus, Valerie gives up on telekinetic inflation being a thing.

You need many balloons and then you get to see the USAF in action.

But Valerie is still hot enough to make an air balloon float.

Maybe a bright colored balloon and bigger…yeah, that’s it! Bigger

Let the air out, Valerie, and then put it in the garbage or recycling.

Valerie’s balloon is one of the few products that has managed to escape inflation.

So Gerald sneaks up with his trusty pin…

[POP!]

Valerie: “Wow!”

Valerie ponders the thought of freeing it?

Good morning Balladeers and Tigressy!

put it in your mouth – that’s how you get a Wow factor.

It’s because of the black string.. were it a pretty red the wow factor would easily double.

Use enough of them to get you and your lawn chair off the ground — there’s your wow factor!

After a short pow-wow with the BS critics, Valerie decides instead to investigate it’s pop factor.