Happy 4th july.

[davethebirdman]

Hello Chaps

Just wanted to wish you all a happy 4th July. It wasn't till I got home that I realised what the date was.

Now someone did once tell me what you guys are celebrating but must have just slipped my mind.

Have a good one.

Dave (The ancestor of a Red coat)

[collecture]

We celebrate the French I think!

[Creighton]

Thanks Dave!
Hope all have a fun and safe 4th.
Creighton

[jasmine64too]

I've had a quiet 4th , been sick so I've been cooped up in the house.

Playing with this new computer and high speed internet.

Man it's so much faster than the old computer.

[bubba]

We just got done lighting up a whole load of fireworks... I only spent about $50, but my buddy spent a few hund.... pretty sad considering its all gone in about 30 min, but it was pretty #### cool...

[Creighton]

Way Cool!!
$1000 fine for non-safe-sane fireworks in the Peoples Republic of California this year. Have fun for me. May get the carbide/ black powder canons out later though :-)
Creighton

[collecture]

I am recalling fond memories of bottle rocket wars as a teen.

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$1000 fine for non-safe-sane fireworks in the Peoples Republic of California this year.

I don't know what the fine is, but it is illegal here in the desert to lite them up.

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May get the carbide/ black powder canons out later though.

Fire a round for me Creighton! I love those cannons!! I need to get one! (or are you talking about black powder cameras?)

[Creighton]

Hey Tom,
The three "Big Bang" canons were fired in your honor. Carbides are fun. I'll send you an email of what to look out for.

I also collect firecracker canons. They are ok but I really like the black powder canons. The 30 cal is fun with shaken up soda cans.

All be safe out there!!
Creighton

[bubba]

Its illegal here as well. Its actually kinda funny... I am close to the PA line in NJ. In PA, its legal to sell fireworks, but PA residents are not allowed to buy fireworks or use them. So, they set up stores along the state line to sell to NJ and NY residents as they cross the line. I heard rumors that the past week cops were monitoring the parking lots of these stores and grabbing people as they crossed the border. Then they can get you for transporting across state lines, as well as a whole slew of other things..... There were many bright lights in the sky visable from my house '>

[dr galaga]

They just legalized almost all the kinds of fireworks last month here in Indiana.  I'm not getting old, but it has sounded like a war zone until about 2am every night.  Plus, you would not believe all the house fires lately from the stray fireworks.  Our legislators made a bad descision this winter!

[jasmine64too]

We bought some but it rained last night so they sit in the corner of the living room.

Guess we will shoot them sooner or later.

We can shoot them in our back yard being we are in the country out of city limits.

[halehouse]

You  got to my curiousity, so I had to look it up and found that in my county "fireworks that explode, emit flames or emit sparks greater than 12 feet are prohibited. Explosives that travel laterally or rise into the air are also illegal. "  I also found that they have an "Approved Fireworks List"


Our Approved List

I would have never guessed that they had a whole list organized by fireworks manufacturer.

[Pat Pixley]

WOW ! It sound like every one injoyed the fireworks.
 There is guy that lives not to far away (2 blocks away)
  that spends a ton of cash every year, We just sit out
 on our back patio and watch the ones we can see
 and have a few beverage's  that all we did.
  Pat  '>

[Creighton]

Dan,
That was interesting. I'll look up CA. statutes. Very similiar I'm sure. Nasty fine in your area.

Brent,
Very surprising. Reverse of the trend everywhere else. Sadly, fools with no common sense will always start fires, crash a car because they were on the phone etc... laws for/against won't change that.

Creighton

[davethebirdman]

There are no rules over here when it comes to fireworks.
Its an absolute nightmare during the lead up to Bonfire Night.

My father-in-law spent £3,000 last year on fireworks. The whole neighbourhood turned out for the show.
Not quite Disney but not bad.

[Creighton]

Wow!
That must have been quite the show.
Creighton

[rogerz]

Forgive my ignorance:)
What is Bonfire Night?

rz

[davethebirdman]

Not long after Columbus discovered a plot of land a band of Catholic Noblemen did their very best to blow up the English Parliment and Kill the Protestant King. Guy Faulkes was the fall guy and every year we burn "Guys" on Bonfires on 5th November to celebrate the near miss. We let off a few fireworks as well.

Here's a historical link to it all if you're really interested

Dave

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history....1.shtml

[rogerz]

Thanks for the education.
I'm thinking that the interrogation didn't quite look like this though '>

[joesquid]

My ship was invited to Philadelphia for the fourth.  We were moored at Penn's Landing, across and up river from a true dreadnought, USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62).  I went onboard for a tour and ran into an old boiler tech-turned-tour guide who gave me and my shipmates the "special" tour which included a foray into the guts of number two gun turret and a trip through the boiler and fire rooms......ahhhh the smell of burnt diesel still hung in the air....what a perfume!!  

We provided tours onboard USS FARRAGUT (DDG 99) as well.  Even had a touchy moment when some dumb-a** off duty cop attempted to board our ship while still armed.  Even had his K-9 unit with him, thinking (I guess) that this would give him an air of authority......guess no one informed him that local law enforcement has no authority on a U.S. Naval Ship.  He thought it was no big deal until he found himself eyeball down on the deck.  Our gunners aren't amused by much and threatened by even less.  The CO received a quick apology from the police department.  
The best part was the fireworks show done in the river on a barge anchored 200 yards from our ship.  I stood on the aft missile deck watching the best (and closest) firework show I've ever seen.  I had a few junior Sailors standing with me, totally mesmerized by the sights and sounds.  I was quite proud and happy for them because our crew has worked incredibly hard to qualify our major certifications and has done extremely well.  It was a nice gift to be in a port where people would stop and shake our hands, thanking us for serving, throwing what almost seemed like a private fireworks show (people paid $150/head to watch from the NEW JERSEY; we were closer and it was free!!).  One local pub, Finnigan's Wake, threw a private party for us on our arrival day as well.  Free drinks for the crew and great free dinner as well!!  For me, it'll be a wonderful memory as I close out my naval career, for my younger Sailors, a reason to be proud of what we do and to stand tall in uniform.

Man I love this country!!!!!

[Jim]

Eric,

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Man I love this country!!!!!

With the stories you share here, I don't think anyone could disagree!

Thanks for ALL you do for us ! ! !

[joesquid]

Well gee....I'm honored...truly.  I know we've got others on the list who serve as well.  Thank you brothers and sisters!!

[bubba]

Eric,
I camped out on the USS NJ last year with my sons Cub scout troop. It is a heck of a ship, and the guys that run the tours are very knowledgable of the ship... What did you think of the paintings inside of the turrets? Is that a normal kinda thing?