The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Thank You, Tip-Jar Hitters!

Thinking back on the history of our family’s pyrotechnical celebrations of American independence, the 2020 show was probably the apogee, the zenith, the ne plus ultra. We had 35 cases worth of fireworks that year, and the grand finale was nearly a minute of extreme intensity.   That was the conclusion of an 11-minute show […]

Make Fireworks Great Again

It was John Adams who, in a 1776 letter to his wife Abigail, declared that the occasion of our independence should “be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival” including “Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.” And by “Illuminations,” of […]

Joseph Javonte Washington Was Shot by a Cop and (Perhaps Unfortunately) Survived

If he lives long enough to get out of prison when his sentence expires in 2055, Joseph Javonte Washington will be 60 years old. The taxpayers of Minnesota can do their own cost-benefit analysis in this matter, but a former police officer nearly saved them that cost — and got fired for it. I’ve watched […]

Our Patriotic Duty

That’s my son Jim, rigging the last fuse on our Fourth of July fireworks finale. We planned the show on very short notice — driving back from Georgia after attending my Aunt Pat’s memorial service Saturday — and were adding to the show as late as six o’clock Monday afternoon, when Jim sent me to […]

‘Light Fuse and Get Away’

Every year, the Fourth of July yields a certain number of tragic injuries caused by fireworks — or, to be more specific in most cases, injuries caused by idiots who disregard the warning labels on fireworks. The most common serious injuries nowadays seem to be caused by idiots mishandling mortars. If you aren’t familiar with […]

Fireworks: Trust the Experts!

Every year around Fourth of July, we hear the same thing from police and other public officials: “Consumer fireworks are dangerous! Leave fireworks to the professionals!” These lectures are always most strident where consumer fireworks are illegal. In New York City this year Comrade De Blasio, who can’t do anything right, created “a multi-agency task […]

Our Patriotic Duty

  Our fireworks stash (click on the image to see full size) for Saturday night’s celebration amounts to 35 cases, including two cases (192) of 5-inch canister shells and a case of two 500-gram, 200-shot Shogun Thriller cakes for the grand finale. My son Jim and I have spent the past week building finale boards […]

Why Does New York Hate Freedom?

  New Yorkers are not allowed to celebrate the Fourth of July: More than a dozen people were arrested in separate fireworks busts across New York City as part of a new crackdown. Two men in Staten Island were arrested on Tuesday as part of the crackdown. The FDNY posted pictures of the $6,000 worth […]

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