I think I’m firmly in the Meh category. Seen 'em, they were pretty, But now, can’t be bothered. Honestly, I can’t recall the last time I went to a 4th of July display - or any fireworks event for that matter. And the 4th this year will be like other recent ones for me - just another day.
And to include our non-USA residents: what about pyrotechnic displays where you live?
Happy Moanday!
Someone recently told me, (still wondering how true it is), that it’s not just Veterans and dogs who are deeply affected by the explosions.
They said that all the small creatures, birds, bats, chipmunks, squirrels etc are more deeply affected than we imagined.
If close enough to the explosions, they insist, it stuns them so profoundly, they miscarry young, abandon their young in nests, etc. And that even smaller things like moths and butterflies sometimes just die from shock or fear.
They didn’t seem to know how close the creature needed to be for this effect to occur, so I’m wondering if it’s true.
Anyone else heard this?
Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN 'Tis 71 Amurrkin out and N.O.S. with a predicted high of 90 and N.O.S. for the day. So, not too shabby a day in store weatherwise. OYKW wants to go to the hog trough Golden Corral for N.O,L. so we shall. Other than that, I foresee some quality cee-mint pond time and general sloth for the day. I could do stuff but I don’t wanna do stuff. I’m retired. I don’t want to. I don’t have to. You can’t make me.
I do not like fireworks. No doubt there will be some in the 'hood, but it’s generally not so bad. There is a municipal fireworks show for the Fourth but we shall not venture over to watch. Also July 4th is on Sunday, so we shall do the usual deheathenization. Matter of fact I am up to be Chalice Bearer and the non-cannibal kind of Lector so I must needs attend. No biggie plans here. Gonna fire up the smoker for some ribs ‘n chikin later this week. We’ll feast and have quality cee-mint pond time on the day. JDD and Partner are comin’ over to assist with that.
Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then, onward into the day! Rah.
Happy Moanday Y’all!
I’ve not heard this, but my first thought: what about lightning and thunder? It’s loud and it can continue for a while. Is there a difference in the sound from fireworks? Do moths have teeny anxiety attacks during storms? Not being snarky here - I really do wonder. Is there a difference or just the mindset that man made=bad/nature=good?
Is that too cynical for this early in the day?
I hate, I Hate, I HATE fireworks. There is a family on the next block south of me that has to be spending at least a thousand dollars on fireworks for each July 4th and New Years eve. It went on for a couple of hours last night and will be about the same for the rest of the week even though the legal window for this is the 2nd through the 4th. Calling the authorities has no effect.
Good morning.
You forgot “over it”. When the kids were little/young we had fireworks, but I’m over them, especially because this area is the worst when it comes to enforcing the fireworks laws around here. Part of my crabbiness stems from the fact that Brandi was absolutely terrified of them and I had a solid month of assholes lighting off the biggest and illegal fireworks they could find around here. It was always the same assholes too. I’d find spent fireworks in my yard and driveway all the time. God knows how many were on the roof.
Surprisingly, this year, it’s been rather quiet and I’m grateful. It’s too bad Brandi didn’t get to experience that. This will be the first Independence Day without her since 2009. I think part of the silence has to do with this unbearable heatwave; finally, some common sense seems to be prevailing. But, we’ve got a week to go, and my neighbors may yet prove me wrong on common sense.
These are the same yahoos who have to light fireworks for EVERY.SINGLE. Seahawks game and even the Mariner games. I just hate the damn things now because there is just never any rest from the damn things. Plus Christmas, plus New Year’s, plus whenever their farts smell like cherries, it just doesn’t end and I’m over it.
Today’s predicted high is 113 and it’s already 70 degrees. If I didn’t have to interview three people today for a job, I’d take the day off, load up Polar and find someplace cool to be. But alas, I have to adult and interview these people for my old job. I’m part of a panel, so I’m not the only one, but truth be known I wasn’t thrilled about any of these folks and wanted to go merit promotion to get new certs. Still, I’ll perform the interviews in good faith and we’ll see where we go from there. Hopefully, the merit promotion route because it would be nice to open this job up to someone in the org who wants upward progression in their career.
Well time for the second cup of coffee and cruising the news sites.
Professional displays, pretty. Consumer-grade in the hands of morons who couldn’t care less about droughts, employed people who can’t sleep because of the racket, pets and humans with PTSD, etc., rapidly turning into part of my menagerie of pet peeves.
Deep sense of dread at the prospect of Hades Annex. Probably not healthy.
Just watching fireworks? I’ve been pretty meh about that for many years.
But setting them off? Sometime between maybe 5 and 10 years ago, fireworks were legalized in my state, and all of a sudden you could buy actual mortar-style fireworks from a myriad of roadside stands. Setting off fireworks is a lot of fun, and I bought some mortars for a couple 4th of July holidays.
But then a house not far from us burned down because they were setting off fireworks and one landed on the roof. A local weatherman lost an eye from a fireworks mishap. So these days I leave the fireworks displays to others, and hope that if neighbors are setting them off, none land on my roof.
Mornin’ all. 80 here currently, headed for 90+ later in the day. I’m not a huge fan of fireworks. They’re just kind of meh to me.
In theory, my new oven is arriving this AM, but we shall see. So I’ve dismantled the kitchen, gotten the old oven ready to leave, moved all the stuff that lives on the little counter next to it, yanno, all the tongs and spatulators and shit. Gonna crawl behind it and disconnect the gas in a few.
Onward! Stay safe, all.
Afternoon, mumpers! It is cool, damp and dreary here which quite suits my mood. I had a 3hr marks scrutiny meeting this morning, then had to have an emergency catch-up with the boss (in which she had a good grumble about said scrutiny meeting), then found out from her that a close colleague’s husband passed away today. Not a good start to the week, and this is most definitely the Week from Hell.
Fireworks when I was a kid were exciting and scary. We only ever had them on 5th November, we used to buy them from the local newsagent - my dad would take us to the shop and we were allowed to choose the ones we wanted, and they were put aside for us until dad collected them closer to the Big Day. We always had sparklers, which were my favourite. I suppose at some point we just grew out of them, and no longer bothered. These days, I am somewhere between “meh” and “over it”. I don’t mind watching the new year displays on telly but I wouldn’t want to be in the crush. We were in New Zealand one new year and couldn’t work out exactly where we were supposed to go to see them, in the end we got a very good view from the end of the street where our apartment was.
We seem to get very loud fireworks almost constantly from about October through to Jan/Feb now, it seems someone’s always celebrating something and fireworks are the way they do it. I don’t like it much, the cats definitely don’t either.
Good morning all. Another day near 90F, need to get out after typing this and do a little shopping and banking, then watch soccer and then do a couple more chores, then watch more soccer…yeah, exciting life I lead…
As for fireworks, I can tolerate the big shows (although I no longer pay for them or spend 4 hours sitting around waiting), but like most here, the constant banging of smaller fireworks making the neighborhood sound like a battle zone does irritate me. And Ali-bama encourages the sale of fireworks to the general public, which doesn’t help. We’ll see about sleep tonight.
VanGo, hope the new oven works fine.
OK, need to make myself presentable for public viewing and be about the day. All y’all have a great Moanday.
Happy Moonday!
Going to be a bright hot sunshiny day today.
Although not as hot as some of you are dealing with.
Didn’t stay long at the park this morning. A new dog was coming in and I didn’t want to risk it.
I needed to get home anyway as I am taking the truck in this morning for an estimate. I’m not sure why I care about the estimate when insurance is going to cover it, but rules be rules. I have to go to Frederick which is annoying as f. My neighbor is going with me, because he knows the way. From what I understand, this place is right off the highway so I don’t have to go into Frederick.
I’m rather meh about fireworks. Somebody around here has been setting them off every night, but since the dogs aren’t bothered, I’m not bothered.
I have been hit with the hot ash from fireworks and that pissed me off.
Getting ice cream was a bummer yesterday. I decided I’d go get it after dropping my son off at irk. Bad idea, I forgot what it’s like up here on pretty Sunday evenings. Everybody is out and about. The line to the DQ was about 20 cars long, people are sitting on the side of the highway waiting to get in there. I went to Sonic which wasn’t much better. I swear I was in that line for at least 25 minutes. Traffic is horrible because everybody is out cruising. By the time I got home, the pups cups were liquid and my hot dog was cold. I didn’t get any ice cream for myself. I put my son’s strawberry cheesecake blast in the freezer for him. He got it last night and said it wasn’t good.
I’ll stop at DQ on the way home from the shop.
My son only irked 4 hours last night, called me shortly after 11 to tell me he was off. That was hardly worth wasting a whole day. He, of course, was happy to get out of there, but he said everybody else was cussing. Of course, they were, give up a whole day off for mandatory OT and then only get 4 hours? I’d be pissed too.
Nellie, if Echo can’t go to the park, then I won’t take Ripple either. She would flip out over being left at home.
I’m going to get Echo’s thyroid tested this week. I’ve read that aggression in shar pei can be caused by thyroid problems. I don’t think that is it though, I think it is simply that she will be 2 next month, coming into maturity, and the true shar pei nature is coming out.
What have I been up to, you ask? After showering and donning adult attire, I vacuumed the whole upstairs, including the bathrooms (both full of critter hairs!!) Then I damp-mopped the kitchen, loaded the dishwasher, loaded the trash and recycling in the truck, scooped the cat box, and I think that’s it so far. I’m about to head to the convenience center, then to Food Lion for a few things.
FCD’s meeting was put off till Weds, but he went to gas up his car, then get a haircut. As you see, much excitement at FairyChatEstates!
Second the motion. Starbursts that make a good display are great. The type that just go up and go BOOM are OK for signaling the start of a program - but don’t need to be used thereafter.
Links to previous discussions. There was a very long one, but I can’t seem to find it.
I may as well accept that others have spared no expense in contributing to my evening’s entertainment.
I sit out in my backyard, with my dogs with me. They are annoyed, but not frightened, by the loud displays of simulated warfare that rages through my neighborhood. I give them reports as the night progresses as to where the most intense parts of the battle seem to be raging, and who seems to be winning.
Not quite drowned out by the repeated concussive blasts come the occasional howls of pain, often tinged with a youthful timbre, that indicates some pyrotechnics gone wrong. There is sometimes a change in the atmosphere, as the sirens of EMS and firetrucks that are trying to keep up with the carnage overwhelm even the regular cacophony of mortar blasts.
Morning, Mumpers! Hope everybody is staying cool and collected.
I’m a fireworks hypocrite, sorta. I absofuckinglutely hate people who set them off in town and celebrate every day like it was the 4th. I’ll spend this coming Sunday holding my cats and trying to keep them calm as the idiots down the alley in back recreate the Battle of Schweinfurt. But I am also the person responsible for securing and launching our Thanksgiving fireworks out in the desert every year, and have done so for almost 40 years. But out there we are sans dogs, miles and miles from the nearest human habitation and in an area that is pretty fireproof. We also have fire extinguishers on hand.
I guess that makes me a “Meh.”
This will be Tango’s first 4th. We’ll see how he reacts with all his energy. I know Havoc will crawl under the bed all night. Pix and Caelan will hate the noise, but likely just huddle next to me for emotional support.
We have thunderstorms predicted for late Wednesday, so the thunder will give me a clue.
Have a good week, everyone!
I enjoy fireworks. In the early Nineties, when I was working on my pyrotechnician certification, I interned at a firework manufacturer in Wake Forest. I had never seen so many incomplete sets of fingers in my life. It gave me a very healthy respect for fireworks. I will not even touch one if I’d been drinking. Drunken fireworks are just a Darwin Award generator.
I like going to the municipal display, and really enjoy seeing what new designs and colors they’ve come up with. Home displays are a bit more problematic (see my comment about drunken fireworks above). I don’t mind them around the fourth, but when they start celebrating 8:42 of June 23rd, I get a bit annoyed. And if you’re shooting them off after 10:30, don’t be surprised at the airhorn outside your window at 5 AM. I exaggerate - I’ve never done that, but I did light and drop a strip of firecrackers in the driveway of one egregious offender at 6 AM.
I had the first tomato from my garden for lunch yesterday. There is something about a tomato ripened on the vine that not even the local fruit and veggie stand can capture.
Good ride this morning. Saw some bunnies and a red tail hawk. Now it’s just me and my lagomorph officemate. I don’t think he’s pulling his weight around here - all he does is flop, sleep, and occasionally beg for treats that I don’t have.
I’m trying to soak up the cool air before heading out to my appointment. I dread getting home to the 111ª heat, but I hope a combination of sloth and shower will get me through until cooler temps arrive tomorrow.
Oh, the fact something has been discussed umpteen times never keeps it from being a topic of interest here on the MMP. 
I loathe fireworks and wish they’d vanish from the face of the earth. Well, the professional displays are OK, as they’re time-limited and don’t start fires. The barrages done by drunken locals are irritating and unending. I feel sorry for all the pets out there–and any wild critters who are disturbed. I like pretty roman candle displays as much as the next person. But why humans think it’s fun to recreate the sounds of war has always baffled me.
Hi all!
You may or may not have noticed, but I haven’t been around for a while. Back in early February I decided to take a break from screens, as I felt it was becoming an unhealthy addiction. I didn’t expect the break would last almost five months, but I found that I missed it much less than I thought I would. My Twitter time is way down from what it used to be, and I may never go back on Facebook again. But the SDMB is more worthwhile than those two combined, so I figured I’d drop back in and see what’s happening. I may be less prolific in the future. How’s everyone been?
As for fireworks, I quite enjoy professional displays. During my baseball travels, Friday or Saturday games often feature post-game fireworks, and I always stick around for them. They are often synchronized to music and can be quite spectacular.
But amateur fireworks are a different matter. Loud, disruptive, not that impressive to look at, and during a historic drought, incredibly, incredibly stupid. Happens around here on and around the 4th of July, New Year’s, Chinese New Year, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Arbor Day, Ground Hog Day, whatever. Give it a rest, people!
I thought they were fun as a kid. As an adult pretty ‘meh’ until my brother-in-law invited me to join their family tradition of lighting off mortars. We joined them for a few years before they moved away and it was a blast each time.
The ‘dads’ were the pyrotechs; we were careful about fire safety and kept our alcohol consumption to a minimum. We had a few scares (like the time the tubes fell over toward the crowd) but the worst injury was a few burnt fingers (by a fuse).