Free For All Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 (edited) As I sit here and type this it sounds like a battle zone in my neighborhood. I mean some big-ass M80 types of explosions. The significance of this holiday seems to be (for many) first and foremost an excuse to play with explosives. Now I enjoy a good fireworks display, but I really have no desire to mess around with this stuff- I can understand the adolescent fascination, but a lot of these people are guys my age. I guess since I don't currently have health insurance I'm being overly cautious. I'll bet this holiday is the least favorite of dogs. I always enjoy the local news this time of year when they drag out the dangers-of-fireworks-exploding-mannequins footage. Anyone here a closet pyro? Anyone have any good fireworks-related tales? Anyone have only eight fingers?* *shop teachers excluded Edited July 5, 2007 by Free For All Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 I don't bother with them. Never did. It's pretty quiet tonight, it's been raining. Of course, there's four more days to the holiday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Just watched a dandy display over the beach here in North Carolina. Watching the fireworks illuminate the water was pretty neat!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Garrett Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Woman dies in Mich. fireworks accident A 3-inch shell? Holy shit! That's not exactly something you can wander down to the local fireworks stand and buy. We used to do all sorts of dangerous things with fireworks when I was a kid - shooting bottle rockets at each other and so forth. It's a wonder no one was ever injured. Now they're illegal to possess inside the city limits here. It's not uncommon during fireworks season for fire marshals to stake out vendors and follow people who purchase fireworks to see if they bring them back into the city, at which point the fireworks are confiscated and the offenders get a big-ass ticket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Shelby man loses left hand -- and possibly right -- after fireworks accident Saturday, June 30, 2007 By Federico Martinezfmartinez@muskegonchronicle.com A Shelby man lost one hand -- and may lose the other -- after he altered fireworks that are popular with children and they exploded unexpectedly. Kevin Boutell, of 112 White, had gathered the contents of about 100 "snappers" into some foil when the explosive powder rubbed together and exploded in his hands. Snappers, also known as "black-eyed peas," generally are considered safe to use and are popular with children. The small packets of carbonate create a "bang" sound when they are thrown against a solid object, usually the ground. "Someone told Kevin that if you wrap them up in foil, they make a bigger bang," said Shelby Police Chief Robert Wilson. Boutell was airlifted to Grand Rapids Spectrum Hospital after the accident occurred at his home on Wednesday, Wilson said. The accident occurred at about 7:30 p.m. in the driveway of his residence. Boutell, who is listed in fair condition at Spectrum, had his left hand amputated earlier this week, according to hospital officials and Shelby police. "He lost pretty much his whole left hand," Wilson said. "There was some damage to his right. They may have to amputate his right hand, too." Boutell's exact age was not available, but Wilson said Boutell is in his late 20s. According to police reports, Boutell had recently purchased 12 packs of "snappers," which can be legally purchased at gas stations and retail stores. Boutell, who said he knows Wilson well, said the accident is a wake-up call to everybody who handles fireworks. "Do what the label says," said Wilson. "And put them on the ground." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukeCity Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 I'll bet this holiday is the least favorite of dogs. Anyone here a closet pyro? Anyone have any good fireworks-related tales? Anyone have only eight fingers?* *shop teachers excluded Our dogs have been hunkered down all night. I never messed around much with fireworks. Blow a few digits off of your hands, and where does that leave you? A trombone player? No thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz Kat Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 (edited) Best part about 4th of July. Twilight Zone marathon. Edited July 5, 2007 by Jazz Kat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Best part about 4th of July. Twilight Zone marathon. Agreed...my DVR is packed full of them. Thanks SCI-FI channel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz Kat Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Haha! It's 2:22 and I'm still watching them. Last one's on at 4 am. See if I make it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Woman dies in Mich. fireworks accident A 3-inch shell? Holy shit! That's not exactly something you can wander down to the local fireworks stand and buy. We used to do all sorts of dangerous things with fireworks when I was a kid - shooting bottle rockets at each other and so forth. It's a wonder no one was ever injured. Now they're illegal to possess inside the city limits here. It's not uncommon during fireworks season for fire marshals to stake out vendors and follow people who purchase fireworks to see if they bring them back into the city, at which point the fireworks are confiscated and the offenders get a big-ass ticket. Poor kid she leaves behind has to live with that for the rest of his life. Brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoGrubb Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Here in NC we used to go to SC to get M-80s and cherry bombs when I was a kid.... good times, until I threw one out the van, it missed and bounced back in and exploded inside the van. I heard bells and ringing for a week. Anyhow, now they're illegal. I don't look forward to 7/4 because some doofus usually sets my field on fire with his fireworks/skyrockets. This year was calm, I think because there are more responsible tenants on the rental properties across the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Was reading the BB hosted by the local newspaper here (Frederick MD) and ran across this rather amusing tidbit: "Who do you report illegal fireworks to? The reason I'm asking is that the person I'd like to report is a Frederick City Policeman". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 We used to do all sorts of dangerous things with fireworks when I was a kid - shooting bottle rockets at each other and so forth. Yeah, same here. Now I'm a grumpy old man and just wish they'd go away. The cats are petrified, and I'd just as soon not have the noise myself. I must admit, I still like the big professional displays though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son-of-a-Weizen Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 After the rib cook off (I took 2nd place my maple-glazed baby backs...slow cooked for 5 hrs) we had a little 'show' with about 12 neighbors out in the front. One of 'em had made a run to PA for a trunkload full of stuff.....some serious stuff! Some of those suckers were bursting at about 300 feet.....thank goodness for slate roofs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 I hate mf fireworks. :bwallace2: As Free says, people fire off explosions more than they do fireworks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son-of-a-Weizen Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 I hate mf fireworks. :bwallace2: As Free says, people fire off explosions more than they do fireworks. What I hate like the plague is that 'Rolling Thunder' nonsense here in DC every year. These mobs of guys and their silly little bikes are far worse than any two bit backyard fireworks pops. Blech. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 I do nothing but laugh uproariously at any and all firework mishaps. Motherfuckers deserve whatever they get, up to and including death. While I haven't gone to a professional display in a long time, that is the only use of fireworks that I approve. This year it was a fairly wet rainy evening which kept the explosions to a slightly duller roar last night. But what pisses the hell out of my wife and I is the fact that fireworks and explosives are supposed to be legally sold only to farmers in the state of Florida (I guess they are a modern deterrent that scarecrows used to be). But no one seems to tell outfits like "Sky King" which do a land office business leading up to the holiday. I fucking hate them. As for the best part of the day, while the Sci-Fi Twilight Zone marathon is always enjoyable, I have to block off three hours' time for the annual viewing of 1776. Its funny and educational, and if you're so inclined, a little moving, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son-of-a-Weizen Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 (edited) I do nothing but laugh uproariously at any and all firework mishaps. Motherfuckers deserve whatever they get, up to and including death. That's a bit hardcore, Dan........but it could make for a neat little fill-in-the-blank game. Insert: ..........on-cell-phone-while-driving jabberer? .........bungee jumping? .........spear fishing on the Great Barrier Reef? Edited July 5, 2007 by Son-of-a-Weizen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spontooneous Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 They're illegal in my little suburb. So I hear an explosion close to the house. I look out the window and see the questionable neighbors shooting them off. Aided and abetted by the neighborhood cop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brownian Motion Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Anyone seen this? http://tinyurl.com/38zd6q Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted July 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 That link didn't work for me- I just got a NYT sign-up screen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brownian Motion Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 That link didn't work for me- I just got a NYT sign-up screen. Sorry. It's a fireworks animation done with colored paper cuts. It keeps the booms and bangs to a minimum. It's actually very clever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe G Posted July 7, 2007 Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 Folks in my neighborhood seem to have plenty of stock left over. They be rockin' it harder tonight then they have all week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz Kat Posted July 7, 2007 Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 Same here. Fireworks before and after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son-of-a-Weizen Posted July 7, 2007 Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 Folks in my neighborhood seem to have plenty of stock left over. They be rockin' it harder tonight then they have all week! Same here. Fireworks before and after. Excellent! We let loose with another barrage as well tonite in the street. It's good to be in America, dudes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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