BarbaWire, March 8

A Real Adventure
An “Up” that doesn’t include a ridiculously sad beginning? Sign me up! How Hard Can It Be?, a National Geographic TV show, recreated a house lifted by balloons as animated in the fantastic “Up.” The executive producers of the show said it would be nearly impossible to lift a real house, so they built a lightweight replica. Long before “Up” was released, I wondered how many balloons it would take to lift a person off the ground, so I am totally geeking out to this. More.

Libya Update
The Libyan opposition has control of all the natural energy resources in the war-torn country, but Al Jazeera is reporting that there is fear that Colonel Moammar Gadhafi will attack those sites as his forces will eventually need to gas up. Or, they said, he could just bomb them in a “If I can’t have you, no one will” kinda move. More.

Extra Anchovies
Millions of dead anchovies are floating in the harbor of Redondo Beach, Calif. The massive kill was possibly caused by oxygen depletion, but that hasn’t been confirmed. A clean up is under way. The marina coordinator said it isn’t stinky yet, but will be if it isn’t cleaned up soon. More.
I know that millions of fish are dead, but anchovies in general remind me of that late 1980s movie "Loverboy." Patrick Dempsey plays a pizza delivery boy that becomes a gigolo if the cougars order extra anchovies. Things get awkward when his mama calls.

In The Air Tonight
This is a few days old (and perhaps a decade or two late?) but Phil Collins retired from making music. How can you just walk away from me, Phil, when all I can do is watch you leave? You were the only one that ever knew me at all. More.
I might have to re-listen to the episode of “This American Life” with Phil Collins where he is consulted on writing a break-up song. So good.