Fuckall I miss the fireworks

[Taverner]

July 4th is coming

This used to be MY FAVORITE holiday

I used to love lighting firecracker wads

I used to love shooting roman candles (occasionally at my baby brother, but that's a different story)

I used to love the flower thingys that changed color

I used to love the little box that shot out all those little rockets

Shit, in Thailand that was my big hobby. Smoke some Thai Stick, grab a couple bombers of Kloster or Singha and just shoot off all the illegal fireworks in the arsenal. They don't ban them there, and there are plenty of Chinese Holidays where they sell them.

My favorite was a bottle rocket that was 6 feet high. I'm pretty sure I never saw this at a Boy Scout's Firework Stand. Even in the 70's. Even on Indian Reservations.

Anyway - you stick this thing in a garbage can, light it and run. It shoots about 300 feet or so in the air. Perfect for first dates.

But I digress - I miss the fucking fireworks.

I wish I had a choice of something other than snakes. Yes, the South Park episode moved me. Snakes are lame.

I'm not into other people lighting fireworks. If I wanted that, I'd turn on one of my screen savers. I want the ones that explode, go boom and could take off an arm. Or leg.

I'm sure somewhere we could rent out a pit, get all the permits and just shoot off all kinds of shit. there has to be a way - getting fireworks shouldn't be like buying drugs. It should be free, legal and safe. I'm sure we can make it safe - if there's money in it, it can be done.

[redqueen]

1. Don't they sell them out in the country?

They do here.

Old neighbor said that was half the appeal of living in the country. Being able to shoot your guns and fireworks. :P

[Taverner]

2. But what kind?

California, in all of its greatness, is fairly authoritarian on the subject of fireworks. You can get snakes. That's about it, except at the rez.

One of these days I am going to take my son out and show him the joy of blowing shit up. It's you American Birthright.

Besides, I want the 6-foot bottle rocket.

[redqueen]

3. All kinds.

Artillery shells, bottle rockets... you name it.

You can spend a bundle on those things.

[Taverner]

6. This is California

Even the rez' have restrictions here...

[Elidor]

4. Come to Tennessee

They sell RPG rounds here. I love shooting off mortars: WHUMP!-WHUMP!-WHUMP! BOOM!!! I no longer consume alcohol while doing it, however. You gotta have quick reflexes when something goes wrong.

[Taverner]

5. Ahhh mortars...that would be fun

And yes, I would not mess with intoxication with those. They would be intoxicating on their own...

[Elidor]

7. It's best to get three or four people, each with their own mortar

And then you keep a barrage going, 1 a second for about 5 minutes. It is intoxicating. And I never thought of it that way before: it's my god-given right to blow shit up! :thumbsup:

[Taverner]

8. Yes...yes it is

We discovered pig shit. This is making a silk purse out of a sow's ear, so to speak...

[skygazer]

9. Well, considering that you can start a forest fire with a cigarette ash around here

That might not be the best thing in the world.

[Taverner]

10. Well - don't do it near a forest!!!!

I'm all for being responsible.

But how about, say, the middle of the Central Valley here....

[skygazer]

11. The recent fire in Watsonville started at the side of the road

And burned down (I think) 25 houses and killed a bunch of animals.

Not trying to piss on your parade because I love fireworks too. But I'm gunshy right now. :hi:

[Taverner]

12. Well then how about a big, cordoned off pit where nothing grows

And say this is the size of a football field?


I'm just saying, we can always find a way that doesn't end up in tragedy.

[RadiationTherapy]

13. A football field would not be big enough.I live in a drought state and am glad fireworks are banned.

[Taverner]

18. Well you can have my illegal bottle rockets when you pry them from my cold dead fingers

[Critters2]

14. They're supposed to be illegal here, but like traffic laws, this is never enforced.

The only people who actually ever go to jail for anything in this state are ex-governors.

[Parche]

15. Bottle Rockets

When i was in the air force, we got tons of bottle rockets and had a bottle rocket fight with them, one of the funnest 4th of july's i have ever had!
:woohoo: :woohoo: :hi:

[LeftyMom]

16. My Dad used to get them shipped in when I was a kid.

$500 or so worth, just cases and cases of firecrackers, bottle rockets (the regular kind and the big 3' ones, mortars, roman candles, and yes, real sparklers (for out-of-staters, yes, even sparklers are illegal in California.) Those little tanks that never really work right, and the little paper boats that do. Those pagoda fountain things. Those things you nail to a fence that spin around and shoot sparks, which never struck me as a terribly bright idea what with fences being wood and all.

That was fun. :D

[Sequoia]

17. We used to be able to shoot off fireworks in the neighborhoods

on the 4th in Santa Rosa. But some of the city council members were big babies because some spoiled kids shot off fireworks where they're weren't supposed to, burnng down someone's house that wasn't even in their neighborhood so the city cracked down and put up posters with photos of fires along the freeway to make everyone very afraid and on election day voted them out. The family whose house burned down? No apology and the wife and husband divorced.

Now with all the fires I expect many towns will do away with the sale of fireworks even though many non-profits depened on the sales to fund kids activities and other community projects. BE AFRAID BE VERY AFRAID.