Community Forums => General Chat => Topic started by: Mop it up on June 29, 2009, 06:57:00 PM
Title: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Mop it up on June 29, 2009, 06:57:00 PM
It’s that time of year again! Less than a week away from the US holiday of Independence Day!
This is probably my favourite holiday behind Christmas, because I love fireworks. I just bought mine the other day, though they are illegal in my state so I have to make the trek to a neighboring state in order to buy them.
I never get the expensive items like the mortars or tubes or repeaters or any of that, I just buy the smaller stuff. I like to get the spinners which make the flower patterns, they are very pretty. The flying items which spin into the air are beautiful as well. My favourite item would probably be roman candles. There is a pretty wide variety of them with different effects and colours, though I go with the more simple ones. Despite the warning label I always hold it in my hand and perform a little dance with it as it shoots.
I can’t stand firecrackers, all they do is make a bunch of noise. Anything which whistles is really annoying as well. Everything which just makes noise and is devoid of colour is dull and boring.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: NinGurl69 *huggles on June 29, 2009, 07:05:09 PM
I'm going camping. Maybe catch some fish.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: EasyCure on June 29, 2009, 07:14:18 PM
I found out last week that the city I live in will not be holding its annual fireworks display down by the Hudson River due to it not having the budget to pay police the OT needed for the day. Oh well, there's plenty of fireworks that go off in the streets (no matter how illegal they are in NYS).
I don't know if i'll partake in any of the frestivities though.. things tend to get too loud and sometimes even dangerour around my neighborhood. I can always watch from my window as rockets shoot up and burst in the night sky, or even sneak up to my buildings rooftop if i were feeling bold enough.
Speaking of dangerous, my own mother almost burned my face off with a roman candle's fireball. I was about 8 or so at the time, and it was the first time she'd ever used one. She lights one end and starts waving it around, pointing at the sky over an empty school yard adjacent to hour building, and nothing happened. After a giving it a few shakes to russle the colored fireball outta there, she gets frustrated and points it right at me and says "its not working!"
Next thing i know i see this green flash flying towards me and i dodge to my left just in time. Part of the flare, or maybe just an ember from it, did burn a small hole in the right collar of my shirt, though there was no damage to my skin.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Ian Sane on June 29, 2009, 07:29:12 PM
Being Canadian July 4 is one of those holidays that I always forget about. So I'll go to my favourite sites and wonder why they didn't update that day.
Twice I accidentally timed vacations to the United States where I would be there for July 4th. Both times bit me in the ass. First time I got stuck in a big crowd at Disneyland where literaly we couldn't move. My brother developed a fear of crowds after that. He was a kid at the time and couldn't see anything being completely surrounded by taller adults.
Second time was last year as my friends and I did a road trip with zero preparation (it's more fun that way) and then found that virtually all the lodging in the area we were at was taken on what seemed to us to be a routine weekend. D'oh! There were like three rooms left in the whole town and they were like the fancy suites. So we had to pay out of our ass for what was the CHEAPEST of the remaining rooms. Cost us twice as much as the second most expensive accomodations of our whole trip.
I'm going to Lake Tahoe this July but this time my friend and I made absolutely certain to not be in the States for July 4th.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on June 29, 2009, 08:19:30 PM
I'll probably be working since I'm the lowest rung at work and don't get it off. If perchance I'm not scheduled I'll look to my other job for hours. If that also fails, I'l probably play some games. Maybe some Animal Crossing since if I recall something happens on the 4th of July. Anyone interested in having an AC party that day if I don't work?
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: BeautifulShy on June 29, 2009, 08:31:11 PM
Sure I'll play Stratos. I don't know what I have planned for the 4th of July but I will let you guys know.:)
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: UncleBob on June 29, 2009, 09:05:24 PM
I hate firework shows paid for by taxpayer dollars... but that's all I'll say there...
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on June 30, 2009, 02:09:43 AM
Speaking of dangerous, my own mother almost burned my face off with a roman candle's fireball.
Fireworks can be dangerous, if you don't know what something does then you should either ask somebody who does or light the thing and run far away. Roman candles have fairly long fuses and can take some time to ignite. I hope the experience didn't scar you for life because roman candles are one of the most beautiful firework items.
Being Canadian July 4 is one of those holidays that I always forget about.
That would be a terrible surprise, the roads are always packed with all the traveling people do. But this is why I made this topic about fireworks and not the 4th of July. The Canadian equivalent is Canada Day, isn't it? Is that or any other holiday celebrated with fireworks? Are they even legal there?
Speaking of dangerous, my own mother almost burned my face off with a roman candle's fireball.
Fireworks can be dangerous, if you don't know what something does then you should either ask somebody who does or light the thing and run far away. Roman candles have fairly long fuses and can take some time to ignite. I hope the experience didn't scar you for life because roman candles are one of the most beautiful firework items.
No it hasn't scared me away from using fireworks, and i still enjoy a nice display in the air. I'm just not that into lighting them up myself anymore, i'd rather relax and watch the sky get lit up by someone else.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Ian Sane on June 30, 2009, 12:02:29 PM
Quote
The Canadian equivalent is Canada Day, isn't it? Is that or any other holiday celebrated with fireworks? Are they even legal there?
Yeah there are always fireworks on Canada Day. But they're all like "official" fireworks shows by municipalities. The only time of year that citizens can buy fireworks is Halloween. Fire crackers are illegal but fireworks are not.
This may be a Province thing though. This is how it works in British Columbia but I can't confirm if it's nationwide.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on June 30, 2009, 04:27:09 PM
Why Holloween? Is there a reason for that being a firework day in Canada?
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stogi on June 30, 2009, 04:28:12 PM
Can't decide whether to hit up Nashville or St. Joe beach. Either way it should be a good time.
As for Roman Candles, do you know how to shoot them extra far?
It's a little tricky, but all it takes is timing. Each ball is shot out in intervals, the faster you learn how soon they shoot out, the father you can throw them. Just make a chucking motion as the ball is flying out and it'll go at least 3x as far.
Speaking of which, last year, my buddy and I had a RC dual. It was pretty hilarious. Both of us were taking shelter, till I got the balls to run out after him. He saw me coming and started to jump off this 6 ft ledge behind him. But as he was jumping, I chucked a shot at him and I burned a hole right on his ass!
Good times.
Oh and have you ever dissembled fireworks? Do yourself a favor and grab a mortar kit and empty all the mortar powder into the tube as well as any other firework powder you got (those fountains work great). Now grab one of the wicks and attach it to the top and duct tape that **** closed. Then go out to a golf course, drop it in the hole, light it and run away! What happens next is fucking great.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Ian Sane on June 30, 2009, 07:41:54 PM
Quote
Why Holloween? Is there a reason for that being a firework day in Canada?
Well it's not like you go to county fair and watch the fireworks Halloween night. It's just individuals buying their own and setting them off. Why? I don't know. Halloween in general seems like a night for mischief so little explosives just seem to fit, so it all seemed completely natural when I was a kid. Dress up like a ghoul, collect candy, play with fire. It's Halloween, it's fun, right? As an adult it seems like the sort of behaviour that the government would want to discourage but every year the week of Halloween you see those little makeshift fireworks stands everywhere and you never see them any other time.
My favourite was always this one that was a cardboard house attached to a firework chimney. The chimney would shoot all this crap in the air like a volcano for about a minute and then *BOOM* the whole fucking house would just explode in flame from the inside. Coolest **** in the world when you're 12. Later models seem to just have the chimney part suggesting to me that an exploding house was considered too dangerous (ie: too awesome) and they toned it down.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stogi on June 30, 2009, 07:59:22 PM
I've never seen that before! I'm going to have to make it.
P.S. Halloween is awesome.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on June 30, 2009, 08:04:29 PM
That makes sense, Ian. Explosives and mischief making do go hand in hand. Stogi proved that just a few posts ago with the golf course rocket trick :)
Yeah, the stands all pop up here only around the 4th. Though some of the Indian Reservation shops do open up for New Years as well.
Do you have any fireworks then as well?
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stogi on June 30, 2009, 08:52:49 PM
It's too cold to light fireworks on New Years...
...unless I was in a hot tub!
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: NWR_insanolord on June 30, 2009, 10:29:02 PM
There's a fireworks store locally but most of the stuff is illegal in this state so you need an out-of-state driver's license to buy them. I don't get how they stay in business.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on June 30, 2009, 11:34:27 PM
At the indian reservation near me, the highways are jam-packed for miles due to all of the traffic coming to get fireworks. People will come from far and wide for them apparently.
I laugh because a group of cops tend to sit there and pull people over as they enter the city about getting them. Pretty funny. I don't know if they are issuing friends warnings about them being illegal in that city ('If it goes up or blows up it's illegal in Auburn' they say) or if they are actually fining or cinfiscating them. I doubt it is the latter but who knows.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: EasyCure on July 01, 2009, 09:44:21 AM
All this firework talk is making me miss being a kid. (American) Independence day is one of those holidays i always seem to forget about till its too late (probalby because my birthday is just before it), and this year is no different. Its way too late to look for an illegal vendor in NYC and driving out to PA is outta the question.
Oh well.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on July 01, 2009, 04:26:40 PM
I agree about it being funner as a kid. I just am not all that into the festivities as I used to be. I don't buy fireworks and don't usually go watch them. Might change if I ever got a girlfriend who did like them. But until then nothing. Part of it may be that most of my jobs tend to have mo working on that day since either everyone else wants it off or it is a very busy business day depending on what job it is.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Mop it up on July 01, 2009, 09:23:38 PM
It's a little tricky, but all it takes is timing. Each ball is shot out in intervals, the faster you learn how soon they shoot out, the father you can throw them. Just make a chucking motion as the ball is flying out and it'll go at least 3x as far.
I might try doing that, I have a lot of them so I can experiment. I might even be able to incorporate that into one of my dances.
My favourite was always this one that was a cardboard house attached to a firework chimney. The chimney would shoot all this crap in the air like a volcano for about a minute and then *BOOM* the whole fucking house would just explode in flame from the inside. Coolest **** in the world when you're 12. Later models seem to just have the chimney part suggesting to me that an exploding house was considered too dangerous (ie: too awesome) and they toned it down.
I wonder if it were actually just defective and it wasn't meant to explode. Sometimes fireworks will just explode if they weren't packed right. Especially the cheap ones. Phantom is the best brand in my experience, their stuff very rarely goes awry.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on July 01, 2009, 09:45:35 PM
Why Halloween? Is there a reason for that being a firework day in Canada?
Why is Easter celebrated with a bunny who hides eggs? Nobody questions this stuff, we're just supposed to accept it as it is.
Oh, a lot of people do. And everything has an origin and a reason. I've done some reading and research on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Halloween and Valentines Day.
Like the origin of Santa Claus and his name.
Many know it was originally St. Nicholas. One of the stories go that he delivered money on some poor girls door step to help them one night because they were so poor they were about to be forced into prostitution.
One of his names, Chirs Kringle, was actually an alteration of 'Christ kind' meaning like Christ.
Rabbits and eggs are signs of fertility from some old pagan feastivals.
The pilgrims did not actually have the first America Thanksgiving. There are several more likeley candidates. One is when it was declared a national holiday by Abraham Lincolin. Also the Jamestown colonists had a thanksgiving day before the pilgrims by several years. The first was in 1565 in Florida by Pedro Menendez de Aviles and some natives.
Also, there are two origin stories for Valentines Day. One has the Christian Saint Valentine who was beheaded, and the other was a Roman holiday where all the single men exchanged live-in prostitutes for the year.
There are all sorts of fun facts about where our current holidays came from.
ADDED
Also, I believe in Germany -though I could be remembering wrong- Santa was referred to as Sinter Klas where the name Santa Claus came from. And I believe in Norway he was connected to the god Odin and some of their stories got warpped together.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Mop it up on July 01, 2009, 09:55:27 PM
*yawn*
I almost fell asleep reading that. I like Jim Gaffigan's explanations better:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJAxRVeKnTE
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stogi on July 01, 2009, 09:58:44 PM
I actually found it pretty interesting.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on July 01, 2009, 10:08:00 PM
Celebrate our nation's independence by blowing up a small part of it
Classic Simpsons
Now I have to watch that episode, if only for the scene where Homer lights the firework on the stove because he can't find matches or a lighter and ends up blowing up the dishwasher.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stogi on July 01, 2009, 10:29:33 PM
What season was that?
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: NWR_insanolord on July 01, 2009, 10:47:45 PM
It's the last episode of Season 7, Summer of 4 Ft. 2.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on July 02, 2009, 12:11:29 AM
Well Mr. Know-it-all, how about you explain why the 4th of July is celebrated with fireworks? That's what this topic is about, after all.
If I recall correctly, the guy who wrote the national anthem was a POW and he was watching out his window and apparently a barge carrying explosives went off and looked very much like fireworks. Though that may have just inspired him to write the song.
Though fireworks tend to be part of a lot of major celebrations. Independence/Founders Days, birthdays for famous, rich and powerful people, New Year celebrations...when your towns folk in Civilization love you to death so they declare it "We Love The Dictator For Life Day" and all of these fireworks go off over that city and your production goes up and corruption goes down for the duration of it.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on July 02, 2009, 12:17:20 AM
As an addendum, I looked on Wikipedia and there was no mention of a specific reason for using fireworks there on ID4.
Looking at the Fireworks entry did not yeild much information either for why they are used in ceremonies either.
I would venture a guess that since they were originally used in war as weapons that firing them off in a war victory was similar to firing a gun, which people do do when they win battles. So perhaps it went from war weapon to War victory celebration tool to general celebration tool. From there we end up where we are today.
Also I found a note of Vancouver, BC
Quote
Both fireworks and firecrackers are a popular tradition during Halloween in Vancouver, although apparently this is not the custom elsewhere in Canada. The only known fireworks used during All Hallows' Eve in the United States is the annual "Happy Hallowishes" show at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom "Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party" event, which began in 2005.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: NWR_insanolord on July 02, 2009, 12:20:29 AM
Well Mr. Know-it-all, how about you explain why the 4th of July is celebrated with fireworks? That's what this topic is about, after all.
If I recall correctly, the guy who wrote the national anthem was a POW and he was watching out his window and apparently a barge carrying explosives went off and looked very much like fireworks. Though that may have just inspired him to write the song.
"And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there"
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on July 02, 2009, 12:25:51 AM
Well Mr. Know-it-all, how about you explain why the 4th of July is celebrated with fireworks? That's what this topic is about, after all.
If I recall correctly, the guy who wrote the national anthem was a POW and he was watching out his window and apparently a barge carrying explosives went off and looked very much like fireworks. Though that may have just inspired him to write the song.
"And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there"
That part of the song still gives me goosebumps after all these years.
And that reminds me. I think the story goes that after the big explosion all that remained after the explosion was an American Flag hanging.
Also, looking at the Wikipedia page for the American National Anthem, I realize I had the wrong war.
It was written during the War of 1812 in the Battle for Baltimore.
Quote
The Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry",[1] a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by Royal Navy ships in Chesapeake Bay during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812.
The poem was set to the tune of a popular British drinking song, written by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society, a men's social club in London. "The Anacreontic Song" (or "To Anacreon in Heaven"), set to various lyrics, was already popular in the United States. Set to Key's poem and renamed "The Star-Spangled Banner", it would soon become a well-known American patriotic song. With a range of one and a half octaves, it is known for being difficult to sing. Although the song has four stanzas, only the first is commonly sung today, with the fourth ("O thus be it ever when free men shall stand...") added on more formal occasions.
I guess I'm only a so-called know-it-all ;)
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Mop it up on July 02, 2009, 01:16:37 AM
I don't like any of the fireworks that just explode. Does that mean I'm lame?
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: EasyCure on July 02, 2009, 09:22:08 AM
awwww they have petnames for eachother!
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Mop it up on July 03, 2009, 03:18:11 AM
One of the firework items I got in one of my assortments is something called a "Hen Laying Egg". It is of course shaped like a hen, and the fuse is sticking out of its butt. I'm sure it will be a lovely obscene little piece.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on July 03, 2009, 03:56:01 AM
One of the firework items I got in one of my assortments is something called a "Hen Laying Egg". It is of course shaped like a hen, and the fuse is sticking out of its butt. I'm sure it will be a lovely obscene little piece.
That sounds funny. I had a turtle rocket once that did something similar. It actually got pushed along by the firework. Rather neat little guy. One didn't work right so I lit it on fire but oddly nothing happened.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: EasyCure on July 03, 2009, 09:51:15 AM
Pudding Pants??
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on July 03, 2009, 05:48:07 PM
They were joke nick-names a friend of mine came up with. So we jokingly called each other them lovingly as we killed each other in Halo 2. His wife thought they were funny as long as he didn't call her them.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: ThePerm on July 03, 2009, 07:19:03 PM
one of the craziest things i saw was an MRE bomb, take its self heating pad, shove it in a plastic pepsi bottle, fill it up with watera quarter of the way. close the lid and stand back 30 feet...really dangerous, but the boom is amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo2V_6ID2Uk
that video you can't here the boomb at all, but man if you do it right inside a soda bottle..woah! Last time we did it , it sounded louder then a car crash
this guy is way to close, thats hydrogen exploding! So make sure it aint near a flame, cus it'll Hindenburg on you.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stogi on July 03, 2009, 07:36:11 PM
Dry ice bombs are better. Luckily for me, the building where I work at has tons of it. I use to do all sorts of different experiments with it and let me tell you there's nothing like cooling your brews in under a minute!*
*Don't try this at home. One slip up and it becomes a bomb.
P.S. Adding a small piece in your beer or mixed drink is possibly the coolest thing you could do.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on July 04, 2009, 06:40:34 AM
I'm going up to the lake for the 4th and I just got word from my friend that he is getting some sticks of dynamite....
Crazy, I know. My intuition is telling me it's a bad idea, but you can't pass up the chance to use dynamite!
And this is the last time anyone has ever heard from Kashogi Y. Stogi.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on July 05, 2009, 12:54:03 AM
So apparently the community 4th of July party decided to set up this year right in front of our house. Part of the road is blocked off and they were having a bunch of games and a childrens parade and a barbeque earlier. Now they are launching fireworks like it's a war. Pretty loud. And pretty. But I'm done watching right now. I just want to relax a bit and play some Animal Crossing, maybe some Conduit later.
I'll open my gates to my town once I'm done posting her and anyone bored at home or not doing anything is welcome to come over and do whatever. My clock is also on a two hour delay so the store should be open longer.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: BeautifulShy on July 05, 2009, 01:02:27 AM
I just finished watching the fireworks Stratos.
Let me know in the ACCF thread when you are done posting here.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on July 05, 2009, 01:04:59 AM
Let me know in the ACCF thread when you are done posting here.
As you well know by now I can take a while before I finish ;) I have to catchup on all the old threads I've posted in. Then I look at any interesting new threads. Lastly I have to then respond to anyone who has sice replied to the first threads I looked at and/or posted in. Then I have to check again for the newer ones. Plus responding to random PMs. I spend so much time here it is a bit disturbing.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: BeautifulShy on July 05, 2009, 01:09:28 AM
Let me know in the ACCF thread when you are done posting here.
As you well know by now I can take a while before I finish ;) I have to catchup on all the old threads I've posted in. Then I look at any interesting new threads. Lastly I have to then respond to anyone who has sice replied to the first threads I looked at and/or posted in. Then I have to check again for the newer ones. Plus responding to random PMs. I spend so much time here it is a bit disturbing.
Alright I guess I will see you in 2 hours. :P
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on July 05, 2009, 01:10:56 AM
Let me know in the ACCF thread when you are done posting here.
As you well know by now I can take a while before I finish ;) I have to catchup on all the old threads I've posted in. Then I look at any interesting new threads. Lastly I have to then respond to anyone who has sice replied to the first threads I looked at and/or posted in. Then I have to check again for the newer ones. Plus responding to random PMs. I spend so much time here it is a bit disturbing.
Alright I guess I will see you in 2 hours. :P
;) I'm almost done.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Mop it up on July 05, 2009, 01:44:32 AM
I hate it when it rains on the fourth of July, that is just so cruel. I guess I shouldn't have performed that raindance... I thought it was supposed to make the rain go away.
I didn't get to use very many fireworks today. I used some last night too but I saved most of them for today. Hopefully I can use them tomorrow night, otherwise I'll have to store them until next year.
I hate it when it rains on the fourth of July, that is just so cruel. I guess I shouldn't have performed that raindance... I thought it was supposed to make the rain go away.
I didn't get to use very many fireworks today. I used some last night too but I saved most of them for today. Hopefully I can use them tomorrow night, otherwise I'll have to store them until next year.
Oddly this is the first dry and clear 4th I can remember in a while. It's typically overcast with random drizzling.
I'm going up to the lake for the 4th and I just got word from my friend that he is getting some sticks of dynamite....
Crazy, I know. My intuition is telling me it's a bad idea, but you can't pass up the chance to use dynamite!
And this is the last time anyone has ever heard from Kashogi Y. Stogi.
You'd think so, but he doesn't die so easy. That dude takes baths while playing Game Gear.. he ain't dying anytime soon!
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stogi on July 05, 2009, 02:28:51 PM
HOLY ****! BEST FOURTH OF JULY EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Mop it up on July 05, 2009, 02:55:08 PM
Thank mop you're alive!
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: kraken613 on July 05, 2009, 06:17:05 PM
I watched some fireworks going off at the park from my deck,then watched some Star Trek:TOS, then almost played Animal Crossing with Statos, then my girlfriend who is on vacation in Hawaii called my at 3 am, then I played some AC with Statos, Mop it up, and Maxi. Then Maxi disconnected so I listened to the last 20 minutes of IGN's Podcast Beyond. Then went to bed. That was my last night.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on July 05, 2009, 06:21:37 PM
Hey, everyone, ask Mop it up what she had last night and how many she had. ;D
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: BeautifulShy on July 05, 2009, 06:25:24 PM
Hey, everyone, ask Mop it up what she had last night and how many she had. ;D
I had a bunch of fireworks, I have no idea what it is you're talking about.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: grantimus on July 05, 2009, 08:44:59 PM
I was at a friend's house last night, and their neighbor owns a fireworks store, and apparently the entire street bought all sorts of stuff from this guy, and as soon as it got dark, the place became a war zone! My friends had a crap load of fireworks, too, and every body was shooting all sorts of stuff and yelling and all that jazz. It was easily better than any city-sponsored family-friendly crap I've ever been to. Literally the streets were so dense with firework fog, you could barely see. I also got pretty drunk and a group of us all sang the Star Spangled Banner together.
Fun times! Nice reading your stories too.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: BeautifulShy on July 05, 2009, 08:57:31 PM
Hey, everyone, ask Mop it up what she had last night and how many she had. ;D
I had a bunch of fireworks, I have no idea what it is you're talking about.
Those fireworks made you awfully tipsy. You had how many? 4?
That is why she needs Wii Speak, it would have been crazy entertaining!
The way she yelled for people when she wanted them to play that silly shell game or when she found something new was hilarious.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Mop it up on July 06, 2009, 01:24:49 AM
I'm kind of depressed. I got to use only about half of my fireworks because of the stupid rain. There isn't going to be any time I'll be able to use them since they are illegal in my state, so I guess I have no choice but to save them for next year...
The way she yelled for people when she wanted them to play that silly shell game or when she found something new was hilarious.
Maxi doesn't run fast enough.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on July 06, 2009, 01:26:48 AM
And you kept trying to run away from me. But I followed you around anyway. Then you went all crazy axe murderer on us like a cheezy horror movie and we tried to trap you in a big box of holes.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: EasyCure on July 06, 2009, 10:19:10 AM
Hey, everyone, ask Mop it up what she had last night and how many she had. ;D
I had a bunch of fireworks, I have no idea what it is you're talking about.
Those fireworks made you awfully tipsy. You had how many? 4?
That is why she needs Wii Speak, it would have been crazy entertaining!
I'm officially offering to buy her WiiSpeak for this
We've tried. I was going to start a collection among the forum goers but she said she'd just get rid of it. She's mean :P
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: EasyCure on July 06, 2009, 06:10:21 PM
What a Swiffer!
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: UltimatePartyBear on July 08, 2009, 07:28:27 PM
I missed this because I was on vacation, but I want to talk about fireworks again. Some friends and I enjoyed a constantly escalating infatuation with the explosive arts over several years.
It all started when two of my college friends married each other and bought a house in a place where fireworks were completely legal. They invited everyone over for a New Year's party with fireworks. I contributed by buying a single cake (a.k.a. repeater) for about $30 at a stand near their house. That was a successful enough party that another was planned for the following 4th of July. That time I spent over $100 on a huge pack of mortars. It was 200 total breaks, but I'm not sure how many shells. It only escalated from there, with parties at every 4th of July and New Year's.
By the end, we were buying our fireworks from a wholesaler to save money. You've got to spend nearly a grand for that to be economical, and since you're buying by the case you have to accept a little less variety than you might expect, but it means getting several times the amount of explody goodness for the money.
We also set up a wireless electronic ignition system using rechargeable 12 volt batteries, custom designed circuit boards, and hundreds of electric matches so we could sit back and enjoy the show instead of running away from lit fuses all night. We had spent hundreds of dollars and several days one year making a couple hundred reusable mortars and mounting them in portable racks so that we wouldn't have to spend any time during the show reloading tubes, too.
Sadly, various factors have prevented us from blowing anything up for over a year, and it doesn't look like that will change any time soon.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: EasyCure on July 09, 2009, 10:19:57 AM
All I can say is "Wow"
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stogi on July 09, 2009, 03:09:14 PM
Wow, and I thought I was into fireworks! You definitely take the cake on this one UPB. I'm juvenile compared to you.
Though, I guess I "win" this year since I blew up a couple sticks of dynamite with a plunger and everything. Through our ingenuity, we used it to make a fire pit.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on July 09, 2009, 05:51:38 PM
You turned a golf hole into a fire pit?!? Wow.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stogi on July 09, 2009, 06:02:40 PM
No no no no. This was on my buddies land. We were talking about building a fire and how we needed to make a fire pit first. We went and got some shovels, but that's when I asked him "Wait, didn't you get some dynamite."
That's when we blew a hole in the ground.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Mop it up on July 10, 2009, 12:48:04 AM
That's quite something UltimatePartyBear, it sounds like it has become quite a show! It's too bad you couldn't continue that this year but sometimes that's just how things go.
Not at all though. I'm actually really impressed by him. The craziest **** I've ever done was dissemble some ****, but he actually made it easier and automatic.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: EasyCure on July 10, 2009, 09:52:50 AM
Boys are born in a state of insecurity. It's what we are!
Fixed.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on July 11, 2009, 02:00:51 PM
Except I'm secure in my competitive state. I don't always have to win (though I do like winning!), but I live for the thrill of the hunt, the kill. The clash of one human mind against another. When your blood starts pumping from that excitement. ;D
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: that Baby guy on July 11, 2009, 02:13:26 PM
Kashogi definitely won.
Normally, on the Fourth of July, my family likes to bring in some large fireworks that aren't legal in our county, and then shoot them up into the air. My mother always worries that we'll set the house on fire, and typically, one or two fire into a tree at some point into the night.
For the past two or three years, we bought some mortars, so we could launch up to nine "shells" up into the air at once, via tying fuses together, or using paper tape, or something similar.
Last year, something went wrong. We set up the fireworks where we normally did, with a large pile of fireworks roughly five feet away from the mortars, filled them, tied/taped 'em together, and when we lit them, and it was time for them to shoot into the air, they just exploded in the mortars on the ground. We tried it twice, and it was definitely a sight to see, something both amazing and a bit scary. We scared my grandmother badly, for some reason she believed the fireworks were shooting out at her (..."I went left and they went left, I went right and they were right there!), but she's a little nuts, anyways. From there, we just fired the large fireworks boxes that have the maximum limit of gunpowder, and anywhere from about nine to twenty shots, set to go off in a specific order. Those worked well enough.
We didn't find out about the mortars this year, instead, we were at Disney for my father's birthday, and we watched their fireworks show, which was rather larger, but not anywhere near the actual fun of doing it yourself.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Mop it up on July 11, 2009, 05:42:16 PM
If you say so but I'd rather have a box of ground bloom flowers than a crate of dynamite. Since everyone has different preferences then I'd say we all "won".
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: that Baby guy on July 11, 2009, 05:43:55 PM
Nah, I was bitten by mosquitoes this year, sat in the grass at Disney's Grand Floridian hotel, which apparently housed them. Definitely a loss for me.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Mop it up on July 11, 2009, 05:51:48 PM
Not at all though. I'm actually really impressed by him. The craziest **** I've ever done was dissemble some ****, but he actually made it easier and automatic.
I can't take much credit for the really clever stuff. We've all put in the work, but a somewhat pyromaniacal and very smart friend of mine did the things like learning how to make electric matches and designing our circuit boards. Since we haven't been able to shoot actual fireworks lately, he's been slowly going insane figuring out how to get tiki torches to burn in different colors.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stogi on July 28, 2009, 03:05:49 PM
To burn in different colors? That sounds interesting. I've always liked green fire but the smoke poisonous.
If he makes any progress, please share it with me.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: UltimatePartyBear on July 29, 2009, 01:28:05 PM
I don't know about the smoke, but the ingredients are poisonous. This guy is pretty safety conscious, and he didn't mention anything about the smoke. Then again, nobody was standing around sniffing the things, either.
He uses denatured alcohol for fuel, which burns with a pale enough flame that it doesn't overpower the colored flames from the burning additives. Green comes from adding just a little bit of pure boric acid, which is used as roach poison. The cool thing is that you can get both of those in any hardware store. That one worked pretty well.
The only other color he's tried in an actual torch is red, and that didn't work very well. For that, he added lithium chloride to the denatured alcohol. You can buy that from an online fireworks supplier. In our torches, the red color was mostly overpowered by plain old yellow flames, probably from burning contaminants.
Speaking of contaminants, he said it had to be done in brand new, unused torches. If they've ever had any other fuel in them, it will get mixed in and make a bright yellow flame that will overpower everything.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stogi on July 29, 2009, 03:22:15 PM
Awesome. I'm going to give that a try. . I wonder how you would make a purple flame (which would be the coolest looking by far)?
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: NinGurl69 *huggles on July 30, 2009, 02:16:20 PM
Recent news told of a teenager who blew up a cat using fireworks.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Mop it up on July 03, 2010, 11:42:27 PM
It's that time of year again! Is anyone else into fireworks?
As I talked about last year, it rained on the 4th, so I didn't get to use as many of my fireworks as I would have liked. So, I didn't buy any this year, because I still have a big box from last year:
I set off a few tonight with my sister, and tomorrow I'm going to my parents' for a cookout, and will use more there. They don't have the greatest yard for it, so I'll probably still have some left afterward. Normally I go to a party which one of my brother's friends throws, but they aren't doing that this year for various reasons I'll not get into.
Who wants to play Animal Crossing tomorrow at midnight EST?
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: BeautifulShy on July 03, 2010, 11:57:21 PM
I was actually thinking of playing Animal Crossing tomorrow. Although I haven't played it in months.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: BeautifulShy on July 04, 2010, 12:12:26 AM
Maybe I should make a thread about holidays and their mythos. I think I'll do that tonight. Would be rather fun.
On another note.Stratos did you make that topic? I don't think you did.I'm not sure.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on July 04, 2010, 02:23:12 AM
No, I don't think I did. I'll have to dig around and pull some of the old articles I have to use.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: BeautifulShy on July 04, 2010, 08:58:17 PM
Found an article on the 4th stanza of the Star-Spangled Banner. I had no idea that there was a 4th stanza to it.
Did anybody else not know that? Here is the article. http://purewatergazette.net/asimov.htm
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: TJ Spyke on July 04, 2010, 10:52:42 PM
I knew it. I think most people actually don't realize there is more than one (most people seem to think that the one that is sung is the whole song).
The only thing I hate about today is that every idiot around gets fireworks and most of them do so illegally (in New York the only fireworks you can use without a permit are ones classified as "novelties"); even firecrackers legally require a permit. I also know from past years that these people will continue using them for the next few days.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stratos on July 05, 2010, 03:06:37 AM
It's amazing how many ambulances have raced past my house tonight going from the reservation to the hospital. Actually, emergency vehicle traffic has increased drastically this last week. Usually it doesn't disrupt my sleep but it is starting to bother me because of the sheer volume of them.
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Mop it up on July 05, 2010, 03:18:12 AM
I wonder if there is a certain irony to celebrating our nation's independence with an illegal activity...
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: King of Twitch on July 05, 2010, 04:25:48 AM
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Pale on July 05, 2010, 11:01:20 AM
Apparently my local fireworks show didn't account for how close they had people sitting.
The show itself was super impressive, as you could see a depth in the explosions that usually isn't present.
However, we got labeled with freaking debris!
http://yfrog.com/28urxsj
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on July 05, 2010, 12:14:52 PM
Fireworks from July 3rd, 2010 @ Discovery Kingdom (http://tinypic.com/m/axz0ae/4)
I watched Fireworks from my mom's back patio last night, but I didn't film those sine they were more sporadic and coming from 5-6 different locations at the same time
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Mop it up on July 05, 2010, 04:44:22 PM
What did the Mighty Man repeater do? Had a lot of lift?
Title: Re: ♥ Fireworks ♥
Post by: Stogi on July 07, 2010, 06:14:29 AM
haha Holy **** I totally forgot it was the fourth. Jesus I'm a terrible american.
