Adam@Home by Rob Harrell for July 11, 2023

that infant, is just a little adult, Katy.

Not nearly as bright as magnesium strips

unsafe…insane!

You’re a real killjoy, Adam!!

Waving them around but not playing with them.

I remember as a kid always playing with them on the 4th. Then, when I was about 10 or 11, my younger cousins and I were waving them in both hands in the usual big circles as we pranced about in the darkness. Then one of my cousin’s sparklers bumped into her sister’s arm, leaving her with a nasty, painful burn welt (probably a 2nd degree burn). I don’t remember playing with sparklers after that.

Putting sticks of burning powdered metals in a child’s hands…what could and does go wrong…

And what ages are the for? 1 to 6?

We found some nice big firecrackers in a box on top of a defunct fridge in a woodshed under our childhood home. Showed one to dad when he got home from work and asked if we could set some off. He about passed out. “Where the h!!l did you get that?” We showed him the box, had another 30 or so in it. Turned out to be fumilate of mercury blasting caps, used to detonate dynamite. Apparently, our ancestors used to blast stumps and boulders out of the fields, and these were the leftovers. Very unstable, but you could once buy them, and the dynamite, at the hardware store. We did set them off, one at a time, behind a very large maple tree, using very long fuses.

Sparklers are perfect for igniting thermite. I’ve used them for Cadwelding copper ground systems.

Sparklers are definitely not a toy.

The only real sparklers are made with metal wire.

It’s all fun and games until somebody burns their eye out. I think the offspring of the devil, or Darwin, created fireworks.

Kinda makes me wonder what they did on the 4th if sparklers are too dangerous.

Yeah, no one would ever just dream them up. That’s just silly talk…..

Relax, Adam. I played with sparklers when I was her age and my body is still in one piece.

Sparklers are lame. See if you can bum some M80s off Dennis.

All fireworks – including sparklers are illegal in our state other than large licensed displays. If only the law was enforced!

Normally we are away July 4th on a trip. Since Covid we have not gone on any trips and therefore have been home the past 4 July 4ths. Talk about terror!!

They start shooting things off a couple of weeks before the 4th. The people in the house behind us were shooting them off – terrified they would land on our roof, garage, RV or cars – luckily they have not done so. Most people seem to go to large open areas – like schools to set them off (and no, they were licensed shows).

Last year (2022) was the worst. Two idiots were shooting them off in the middle of our street (4 lane main road) with the cars driving past and they were in an intersection so cars were coming across also. We had gone out to see what was happening as it was so loud do to being so close – several times burning matter from their fireworks fell on our roof and we were terrified that the house would catch fire.

Of course, now the problem increases as not only do I not want to be home for the 4th, I am afraid of being away and having our house catch fire having seen what goes on.