>Speaking of health, and as a fellow firework aficionado: what's up these days with US dudes and fireworks?! 2 deaths this week after mortar tubes went off on one dude's head(?!) and another's chest. The second guy left behind a 3-year-old kid as well.
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http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/maine-man-dies-launching-firework-top-head-article-1.2282157>
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http://www.click2houston.com/news/man-killed-after-shooting-firework-from-chest/34039458>
>I know you like big fireworks, but I'm betting there's absolutely no chance that one might go off on a dude's head or body at your place even after a few dark beers are sampled.
It's funny you mention that, I noticed those stories as well. Every year there are accidents involving sheer stupidity, but the ones this year are especially moronic.
I stopped doing the fireworks after 2012. So I did them every year from 2003 to 2012 except for 2009 (year Katy was born).
I was very careful every year. Wore gloves (mainly to avoid the sparks hitting my knuckles) and wouldn't let anyone near them. I actually read the safety brochures from the place that sold them. Almost all fireworks accidents are either from sheer stupidity or people who have no idea how to handle them.
The only real injury I ever suffered was a cracked rib in 2005. After lighting a mortar and running away, I tripped and fell on my side and cracked a rib. Hurt like crazy for weeks.
But after 2012 I got tired of it, and it's a rather expensive deal (between the boxes and the shipping costs, I was usually looking at about 800 to 900 dollars or more). For years it was a big thrill to shoot off 500gram mortar cakes that reached nearly 400 feet in the air - it made me a legend in the neighborhood ("Kevin Goff...you know, that computer guy who shoots all those cool fireworks on Fourth of July while he goes through a six pack of Guinness"). But the next day was rough (hung over from drinking and picking up little pieces in the backyard for over an hour).
Here was a pic from 2010, a few hours before the show started:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/117162300364810952313/albums/5762493103040385873/5762496482895550562?pid=5762496482895550562&oid=117162300364810952313
