Funny that fireworks are classed and regulated by DOT. Seems antiintuitive that, when used as directed, they're unlikely to transport much. Especially considering that the ingredients necessary for a proper 4th celebration would put it squarely under the purview of the ATF, or maybe Homeland Security.

For Arizonans, Mexico is our year-round source for serious ordinance just short of c4 and claymores. Patience is unnecessary - you can light them off right there on the beach where you bought them. Its all good clean fun until 11:00 when us parents yell into the desert night to quit rattling the hotel windows because the kids REALLY need to get to sleep, and this time we mean it!

Hmm, most of those look legal where I'm from (which would be Colorado). We're allowed anything that doesn't leave the ground, save for those little spinny doodads. Nothing is allowed in Denver, though. Thank God for suburbs!

I love those cheesy Chinese graphics. I mean come on: Why get the Heart Stopper when you can have Happy Peacock Butterfly Flowers? With happy peacocks and butterflies and flowers cheaply printed right on the label? Well... maybe it's a girl thing.

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Obligatory link to my webpage! C'mooon... You know you wanna see my bad anime art.

Tomorrow begins the annual pilgrimage to the fireworks stand. My hubby and his brother need to join a 12 step program. Alas, I will not be there to monitor the amount of $$$ spent- My son on the other hand is ecstatic that I will NOT be there!

They were trying to figure out how to get to Alabama and back before the 4th. The best fireworks stand is right off I-10. Best prices-Best stuff.

That is where they discovered the “Dumb Blonde” I kid you not. Loudest, wildest thing you will ever hear. Scared one of the neighbors to death. I think she thought Oussama was coming down the street.

The best place for a firework aficionado to be on the 4th is in San Antonio Texas-OMG. It is like you are in a Viet Nam movie.

Loved the movie.

Best regards from Texas!

Only into Hudson? Wimp. That's the seasonal retail outlet. The bigger stuff is deeper inside the state.

The 'Whistle Pete' is called Piccolo Pete in the multi-packs they sell in my town, and they're used as cheap filler to make the box look bigger. And they're loud. Really, really loud. Last year, we were all standing around the lake waiting for the city fireworks to start, when off in the distance someone lit one. About two dozen people all through the crowd said some variation of 'that's a Piccolo Pete' at the same time - it cracked me up that they also all used the same disdainful tone of voice. Stupid cheap Piccolo Pete.

:)

What is interesting is this video is also 100% applicable to your legion of fans 1000 miles to the south. We have the exact same CHINESEFIREWORKSPRODUCTS in Texas for the same price, with the same regulations.

The fact is, men are born pyros, no matter where they are. Does it make sense to purchase $300 worth of explosives and blow them up in the space of an hour? Of course not. But men are the same everywhere. We like to see stuff blow up.

where you want to go to get your fireworks. Near as I can tell, nothing is illegal here. Hehehehe. Artillary shells anyone? You should see Evanston tonight. The sky is literally carpeted with fireworks from skyline to skyline. It really is quite breath-taking to see. Everyone from the city to civilian; up and down every street, is lighting them bad-boys off!

My cats don't really care for it though.

Lou, your childish statement that "men are born pyros" is nothing even close to a fact.

And your bold proclamation that "men are the same everywhere" belies the very strong likelihood that you've never been more than 100 miles from the one-room shack in which you were shat out.

Try traveling away from your homeland and fireworks will eventually play a less important role in your Texas-based life.

Yikes! You Boosh-luvers are scary!

Strange that I, who is not a Texan and wasn't shat out into a one-room shack, nor is someon who is an American (note the very long and possibly grammatically challenged English that will follow: my third language), but is a sophisticated foreigner who has never been to Texas and because of work spends most of his days and nights in the grand metropolises around the world, and speaks multiple languages, and can pluck mosquitos out of the air with a pair of chopsticks, have, upon wandering out into the hinterlands now and then, and yes, even in the center of these great cities, have found men and women and boys and girls enjoying fireworks. And mind you fireworks that would put the little dingers Lileks has chosen to highlight to utter shame. A small sample of the places well-beyond Lou's 100 mile radius that I can speak knowledgeably about: China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore. I could move on to my experience of the broad culture of firework aficionados in Africa and even in that fair bastion of Booosh haters and sophisticates that goes by the name of Old Europe, but the thing about sophisticated Americans like the poster above is that there is no arguing with them. But in the end things even out. While they may have have fun at the expense of Lou and Booosh, we have fun with them. For there is nothing more ridiculous than an insulated, obtuse, ugly American who believes he/she is the opposite. On the other hand Lou's alright in my book.

Well, I can testify that N. Virginians are pyros. Things were poppin' pretty steadily well outside of DC here until late into the night. :) The atmosphere was a bit, well, thick. My kids were in 7th heaven.

As for the men in our household--yep, pyros. :)

http://kitup.military.com/2007/06/gun_camera_film.html?ESRC=airforce-a.nl

This is the camera of choice by our G.I.s in Iraq, solid performer in all kind of conditions. It should be able to handle a mom n' pop fireworks stand.

I know you don't look at your email so maybe this will reach you.

E9RET in Texas