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An explosive world record attempt came under fire today as a barge carrying fireworks appeared to blow up and burst into flames. Around 175,000 people turned up for Roar on the Shore to see 110,000 fireworks set off in under 60 seconds from the barge between Bournemouth and Boscombe piers in Dorset last night. But instead of rockets shooting to the skies, the event was over in about six seconds as the metal barge appeared to explode, with flames spreading across the deck.

DIBBLE — A 26-year-old man died Sunday from injuries he suffered when he was holding a lit firework a day earlier. Richard Hines apparently had been drinking Saturday night when he lit the fuse of an artillery shell aerial firework and held the reloadable fiberglass launching tube above his head, McClain County Sheriff Don Hewett said. Instead of launching into the air, the shell exploded and shot out the bottom of the fiberglass tube. "From what I heard, it exploded on his head, and he lost three fingers and a thumb," Hewett said. "There were several people standing fairly close...

A Wisconsin fireworks store has yanked a brand off its shelves [ snip ] The fireworks were called "Run Hadji Run." The packaging showed a cartoon drawing of Uncle Sam yanking the beard of a man dressed in Muslim attire, and the other showed a bomber jet flying over a group of Arab men on camels. "Hadji" is a title given to Muslims who have completed a pilgrimage to Mecca.

Americans use more 200 million pounds of fireworks each year, the majority on July Fourth. Because fireworks emit carbon dioxide (CO2) as they burn, however, the fireworks industry may come under tighter regulation if cap-and-trade legislation passes in the Senate in coming months. A cap-and-trade bill already passed in the House on June 26, which has raised concerns that Americans will soon be paying more for energy. The House bill, called the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, introduces the possibility of calculating the amount of carbon emitted by products and labeling the products with this information. “The...

(I'd say "Happy Independence Day", but I haven't checked to see if that is still the official approved name for the holiday.) Today is the day when real Americans light off fireworks (or, in many states, watch the government light off fireworks for them) to celebrate conscription and income taxes, zoning laws and the FDA! Two-flush toilets and government-mandated florescent light bulbs! Seat belt laws and helmet mandates! Hurrah for Old Glory! Hurrah for the Real ID Act and our great national Ponzi scheme! Tomorrow we'll round up all the doctors and assign each and every citizen his or her...

Fireworks called Run Hadji Run were pulled off the shelves of a Wisconsin store after Minnesota Muslims complained that they were racist. The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) said that both the name and the packaging are demeaning. One side of the package has a drawing of Uncle Sam yanking the long beard of a man in traditional Muslim attire, while the other shows a Stealth bomber flying over a group of Arabs riding camels. In addition, "Hadji" is an honorific for those who have completed the pilgrimage to Mecca.

OCRACOKE, N.C. A fireworks truck exploded this morning on Ocracoke Island, N.C., injuring five to seven people, a dispatcher with the Hyde County Sheriff’s Office said. The explosion occurred at about 9 a.m., he said. Paramedics are transporting the injured people to the hospital for treatment. No additional information was immediately available.

You may be used to seeing fireworks with names like 'Seaside Garden,' 'Burst and Bloom,' or 'Red, White, and Boom.' But the product names of fireworks at one Wisconsin fireworks stand are nowhere near as benign. Some say they're more than inappropriate--they're racist. Some of the novelties sold at Fireworks City in Baldwin, Wis. are sparking controversy in the Arab and Muslim communities. On one side of the packaging for 'Run Hadji Run' fireworks, men of Middle Eastern decent are riding on camels with a bomber plane flying above them. On the other side is an angry-looking Uncle Same yanking...

Americans will celebrate their freedom on Independence Day with a certain irony tomorrow. Not all Americans have the freedom to celebrate the holiday with the traditional festive bang. That's because many places ban fireworks. Although about 94 million of us live in states that allow all sorts of fireworks and firecracker use, 43 million Americans live in six states - including New York and New Jersey - where you need a permit to even light a sparkler. California bans some types of fireworks and allows cities to expand what is prohibited. Safety is supposedly the major concern of those who...

For many, bikini-clad women and fireworks stands are sure signs that summer is here. But some Puyallup citizens say the two don’t belong together. Taking a clue from the area’s proliferation of bikini espresso joints, a stand called Nearly Naked Fireworks opened June 28 on the corner of North Meridian Street and Fifth Avenue Northeast. Neighbors who live on the north end of downtown Puyallup are not happy. As of Wednesday afternoon, a total of 17 people had contacted Puyallup city officials to complain about the bikini fireworks stand. One resident, Annie Starwich Claeys, said the main issue is the...

What will probably be the highlight of your 4th of July celebration this year? A Weekly Poll.

SNIPPET: "SANTA CRUZ, Calif - Homes on 25th Avenue in Santa Cruz were asked to evacuate for a second time on Wednesday night after police found more hazardous materials in a nearby home that made them nervous. Homes within a 300 diameter of 215 25th Avenue had to evacuate, however it was not mandatory. All residents were able to return to their homes by 8 p.m. on Wednesday night." SNIPPET: "This all started on Tuesday when the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office received a call from the County Environmental Health Agency. They received a tip from a local freight agency...

(IsraelNN.com) Islamists reached new heights of audacity in a face-off with pro-Israel demonstrators in Malmö, Sweden on Sunday, firing rockets and throwing pipe bombs at the pro-Israel group in broad daylight and under police's noses. No one was hurt. The incident was videotaped by Swedish blogger Ted Ekeroth, whose blog contains videos showing the attack. Between 400 and 500 people gathered in Stortorget Square for a peaceful pro-Israeli protest. The police sealed off the entire square and only allowed in the protesters, as well as a smaller group of Islamists, and separated the two groups from each other. Blogger Ekeroth...

BEIJING — A fierce fire engulfed one of the Chinese capital’s most architecturally celebrated modern buildings on Monday, the last day of festivities for the lunar new year when the city was ablaze with fireworks. By late evening the blaze was still raging and the cause remained unknown, but it seemed clear that the 34-story structure, not yet completed, had been rendered unusable. The building, a luxury hotel and cultural complex designed by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, is part of China Central Television’s new headquarters, an angular two-legged behemoth built to coincide with the Beijing Olympics last year. Firefighters,...

January 2, 2009 "Police hire protection in Malmö suburb," from The Local, December 31 (thanks to Kasper): The police have contracted a security firm to help with the surveillance and protection of the police station in the Malmö suburb of Rosengård. In connection with unrest in Rosengård the station has on repeated occasions been the target of fireworks, vandalism and stone-throwing youths. The security firm will be deployed to help to ensure that the vandalism is not repeated, according to a report by local TV4 news program.

ROME—Some women in Naples said they won't make love if their men shoot off dangerous fireworks on New Year's Eve. "Se Spari, Niente Sesso" (If you shoot, no sex), as the reported group calls itself, claims to have signed up hundreds of women in the Naples area to combat celebrations that injure or maim hundreds each year

At least 54 people were tonight killed in a fire in a nightclub in Bangkok. More than 100 others were injured in the blaze, which broke out during an event for New Year's Eve at the Santika club - a venue popular with both locals and foreigners. “We were all dancing and suddenly there was a big flame that came out of the front of the stage and everybody was running away,” said one woman who had been in the club. A witness, Andrew Jones, said survivors leaving the club told him the fire broke out on the stage after...

Welcome to Eurabia! "Unrest continues near vacated Malmö mosque," from The Local, December 18 (thanks to Patrick Poole): Fresh disturbances erupted on Wednesday evening near the basement location which had previously served as a mosque in Malmö's Rosengård district. Fireworks were aimed at police and several fires were lit when police arrived to blockade the basement office with containers. Tensions in the area were still high as of 12.30am Thursday morning, according to police in Skåne. One man was arrested during the evening on suspicions of preparing to commit assault. Three other men and boys were also detained. The youngest,...

<p>An annual parade of boats on a Long Island river that dropped "Christmas" from its name has apparently lost lots of supporters.</p> <p>About 1,000 people showed up Sunday for the Patchogue (PACH'-awg) Boat Parade of Lights. That's 500 fewer than usually showed up when it was called the Patchogue Christmas Boat Parade.</p>

“All strangest things, The multitudinous years bring forth and shadow from us all we know. Falter alike great oath and steeled resolve. And none shall say of aught, This cannot be.” Sophocles 496 B.C. to 406 B.C.

Fireworks over the Olympics pyrotechnics erupted when it was learned that part of the elaborate display broadcast to the world in the opening ceremony was altered, done digitally in 3-D computer graphics. While the dramatic fireworks display actually happened as portrayed on television, members of the Beijing Olympic Committee said it was necessary to replace live video with computer-generated imagery because the city’s hazy, smoggy skies made it too difficult to see, according to The Beijing Times, which first reported the story. Committee members also said they were concerned that the helicopter pilot who would have flown overhead to film...

If you watched the Opening Ceremony on Friday night, chances are you said something like, "no way that's possible" at least once. It turns out you were right. London's Telegraph newspaper reports that some of the fireworks which appeared over Beijing during the television broadcast of the Olympic Opening Ceremony were actually computer generated. But -- hold on -- it's not necessarily as bad as you think. The faked fireworks were actually set-off at the stadium, but because of potential dangers in filming the display live from a helicopter, viewers at home were shown a pre-recorded, computer-generated shot.

Representatives of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection were told to leave Nye County by Sheriff Tony DeMeo Saturday, June 28, because, according to the sheriff, the officers were attempting to use "intimidation and harassment tactics" to capture potential fireworks smugglers heading back to the Golden State. DeMeo said he received a phone call the previous Friday from an assistant to Dave Hillman, chief of prevention and law enforcement for the California office, informing him officers were planning to implement an interdiction program in Nye County. The program was part of an executive order issued by California Gov....

OAKLAND -- The fact that fireworks are illegal and potentially dangerous did not prevent many Oakland residents from setting them off on Friday night. KTVU's Amber Lee found adults and children playing with fireworks on 100th Avenue. "I spent a hundred dollars for my kids, for the Fourth of July", said Vitalino Acabal of Oakland. He insisted it was just part of summer vacation fun. A few blocks away, a four year old girl and her 12 year old brother were setting off bottle rockets. Their 15 year old sister said their parents weren't home, but it's part of her...

Lis and Robert Billingsley — retirees, volunteers and proud American Legion members — said they had exactly one word to describe sales this holiday period at the fireworks stand they run here for the Legion. “Lousy,” said Ms. Billingsley, speaking almost in unison with her husband. “Thanks to the TV and the fires they are putting on the TV, it’s the worst year ever.” Hundreds of blazes have ravaged sections of parched California over the last two weeks, burning more than 500,000 acres, destroying homes and other property, and costing the already budget-challenged state more than $50 million in firefighting...

Last summer, it was Chinese-made toys, pet food and meat that caused concern. This July 4th holiday, there are new worries about the overly explosive nature of its fireworks. This week, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a report saying it found that nearly half of the shipments they inspected coming from China do not meet Federal safety guidelines. That's especially worrying since, according the American Pyrotechnic Association, 98 percent of fireworks used in backyards and front lawns across America are manufactured in China. NEWSWEEK's Caitlin McDevitt spoke with Scott Wolfson, a chief spokesman for the Commission about its...

State College’s pacifist community is offering an alternative to the warlike displays of fireworks, barbecues and beer-fueled fistfights that have become synonymous with Fourth of July festivities. The group, Peaceful State, has created Non-violent Resistance and Solidarity Fest, as a peaceful way to celebrate the mid-summer holiday. Since the group does not recognize the existence of the United States, Isreal, and the Aborigine Occupation Zone in Australia, there is no mention of Independence Day or revolution, except in the context of struggle against capitalism and Prince’s former band. Garrison Kegger, who created the concept, said the event gets underway with...

Just thought I'd post a thread where the various fireworks laws, regulations, etc. could be posted. National Council on Fireworks Safety Nice links to each State's fireworks laws. Here's their Safety Video Fireworks Classifications Various histories of fireworks....Fireworks.comWikipedia Fireworks entryPyrouniverse.com (lol) History of Fireworks

Just thought I'd post a thread where the various fireworks laws, regulations, etc. could be posted. National Council on Fireworks Safety Nice links to each State's fireworks laws. Here's their Safety Video Fireworks Classifications Various histories of fireworks....Fireworks.comWikipedia Fireworks entryPyrouniverse.com (lol) History of Fireworks

The nation's capital is expected Tuesday to consider an emergency plan to ban fireworks before the Fourth of July weekend. The plan is being proposed by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, a Democrat, and is drawing mixed reaction among the city's 13 council members. "I hear complaints all the time," said D.C. Council member Jim Graham, a Ward 1 Democrat who worked with the mayor on the bill. "July Fourth and few days before and a few days after, [fireworks] are going off all night." Some residents on Monday were more expressive. "It's dangerous for kids," said John McCall, of Northeast....

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Alaska hit a milestone on Wednesday that could be a sign of things to come around the United States this summer -- it became the first state where the average price for regular gasoline reached $4 per gallon. "It wasn't totally unexpected," said Geoff Sundstrom, spokesman for the travel and auto group AAA which issues a daily gasoline price report.

WASHINGTON - President Bush decided to fire a military missile to bring down a broken spy satellite because of the potential danger to people from rocket fuel it is carrying, officials said Thursday. Deputy National Security Adviser James Jeffries, briefing reporters at the Pentagon, did not say when the attempted intercept would be conducted, but the satellite is expected to hit Earth during the first week of March. Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the same briefing that the "window of opportunity" for such a shootdown, presumably to be launched from a Navy...

PARIS - A million revelers cheered fireworks in Sydney. Beijing started the year with singing and dancing displays hosted by Summer Olympics organizers. And rare celebrations resounded in war-torn Baghdad. Across the globe, people gathered for parties, shot off fireworks and held out hopes for a peaceful and prosperous 2008. But reminders of violence were apparent as well as security was tightened in many nations. Fireworks were canceled in downtown Brussels, Belgium, where police last week detained 14 people suspected of plotting to help an accused al-Qaida militant break out of jail. In Paris, where festivities centered on the famous...

No Brussels Fireworks Amid Terror Threat Published: 12/30/07, 10:05 AM EDT BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - Traditional New Year's Eve fireworks in central Brussels have been canceled due to a continuing terror threat in the Belgian capital, officials said Sunday. The popular downtown Christmas market will close early, at 6 p.m., on Dec. 31 rather than staying open all night, and the adjacent skating rink will shut at 8 p.m. Authorities warned of an increased risk of attack after police last week detained 14 people suspected of plotting to help an accused al-Qaida militant break out of jail. The inmate, Nizar...

It’s called the Dream Act, and it offers a path to citizenship to illegal immigrants’ children after they graduate from high school and complete two years of military service or college. Its Senate sponsors, including Richard J. Durbin of Illinois and Richard Lugar of Indiana, have championed it as a way to open a future to talented children whose opportunities are closed because of their parents’ decision to immigrate here illegally. They also see it as giving a needed boost to the military by opening a new stream of high-quality recruits. The idea is modest and smart, but modest and...

For FReepers in the western US (& Hawaii), I have a heads-up for - potentially - a really nice meteor display early this coming Saturday morning. Points east will not be able to see the peak of the display because - at 4:36 AM PDT - twilight or daytime will already have occurred. The best show will be looking to the northeast. There will be a 3/4 full waning moon high in the sky, so if the observer can shield oneself from the moon behind an obstacle (phone pole, house, car, tree, etc.) the viewing will be improved. I was...

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. --Two men were detained after police found and detonated a suspicious item found in their car during a routine stop for a speeding violation on a highway near Charleston, Berkeley County sheriff's Lt. Vince Lombard said Sunday morning. Lombard said the men were being held pending a charge of unlawful possession of an explosive device, but he would not say what the device was or what bomb technicians from neighboring Charleston County exploded about 2:45 a.m. Sunday. The item made a loud bang, similar to a firecracker, when it was demolished. Authorities closed the road about 7...

China produces fireworks the way France makes Champagne: It has a virtual monopoly. Nearly all fireworks used in the United States are made in China. But a string of Fourth of July fiascoes in the Tampa Bay region and around the country involving Chinese-manufactured fireworks could raise new questions about their safety and quality.

Assault on city officials: Council members dodge fireworks, trash can attack ELIZABETH EVANS The York Dispatch Article Last Updated: 07/05/2007 02:52:03 PM EDT A glass bottle struck York City Councilwoman Toni Smith in the head late last night as she confronted what she called a large group of "cowards" setting off fireworks in the 500 block of South Queen Street. The bottle shattered and left Smith with a lump on the head, but she was otherwise unhurt, the 73-year-old councilwoman said today. "It's just a little bit of a lump," she said. "I said to them, 'Look -- the glass...

(CBS 3) PHILADELPHIA Philadelphia city officials decided to go forth with their scheduled Fourth of July fireworks presentation at the Art Museum late Wednesday night, and the 20-minute show went off despite the rain and original reports the show had been cancelled. Many of the spectators, who camped out for hours, went home missing the spectacular sight. As a steady rain fell during a parade and a concert by Philadelphians Hall and Oates, word got out the fireworks display had been called off for concern over the "low ceiling," a direct result of rainy weather. So shortly before 11 p.m....

Growing up in the United States, I often take our liberties for granted. Every year, I celebrate July 4th in the typical American way: fireworks. Sometimes with family, other times with friends. July 3rd always finds me scouring the local pages of my newspaper for the best fireworks displays. Being in Washington DC definitely has its benefits during Independence Day. The National Symphony Orchestra and top artists always perform a great show on the Capitol Lawn. Then to the backdrop of Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture, one of the most impressive fireworks displays wows audiences all over DC. The fireworks light up...

July Fourth  "The Celebration of Hypocrites"  As you made your last preparations to make sure your fridge was stocked with your favorite alcohol beverages, the steaks were marinating, the fireworks were purchased, what have you done for this country this past year to be given the right to celebrate Independence Day?  Have you made some significant stride in your daily life for yourself or others to claim your individuality or your right to be free?  It's July 4th after all, the celebration of freedom from oppressive government.  Now I know a lot of you are too wet behind the...

WASHINGTON, May 29 (UPI) -- U.S. government scientists say Fourth of July fireworks displays often held over lakes and other bodies of water can pollute the water with perchlorate. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency's Richard Wilkin and colleagues, who conducted the research, note concerns have arisen over the effects of environmental perchlorate on human health and wildlife. Sources of perchlorate range from lightening and certain fertilizers to the perchlorate compounds in rocket fuel and explosives. Scientists long suspected community fireworks displays were another source, but few studies had been done on the topic. Wilkin's group has now established fireworks...

All three victims injured in a fire today at the Bartolotta Fireworks factory west of Waukesha were members of the Bartolotta family, a family member said. The wounded factory workers were identified as Rocco Bartolotta, 22; Dominic Bartolotta, 30; and Anthony Bartolotta, 32. A family spokeswoman at Columbia St. Mary's Hospital in Milwaukee said Rocco and Dominic were being treated at St. Mary's, while Anthony was treated at Waukesha Memorial Hospital and released. The spokeswoman, Donna Bartolotta, the mother of Rocco Bartolotta, said all three victims suffered second- and third-degree burns in the fire. Investigators continued their search for the...

The blue touchpaper was lit and everyone retired immediately, just as the firework code recommends. That is, except for the squaddie who had recently returned home from a tour of duty in Iraq, and thought that Bonfire Night needed enlivening. The soldier was on all fours with his trousers down and a certain part of his anatomy pointing at the stars with a Black Cat Thunderbolt rocket firmly in place. ~snip~ In something of an under-statement, safety experts said yesterday that launching a rocket from the backside was a practice that contravened the firework code.

http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=5282228

52 REASONS NOT TO MOW 37 WAYS TO HELP TREES Please download with 100% cotton, rice, recycled, or scrap paper Ron Howard, director of A Beautiful Mind and many other films,made his first film at age 8.. an anti mowing film which showed the nature of mowers' attacks on lawns. Art Buchwald: People shouldn't be judged by the length of their grass. In 2003 through now, the world has seen floods, famine, fire, mudslides, hurricanes, tornados and other disasters created by the unprecedented destruction of trees around the world. Trees are nature's weather stabilizers. We need trillions of trees.. new...

My back yard backs onto a pond with a park on the other side where for over 25 years the local July 4th fireworks have been set off. I have an annual party and the best seat in the house. This past July 4th I was with some of my guests down by the pond when a plain clothes cop hollers across the water at me and my guests that if we cross his yellow police line set up at the park entrance he would arrest us. I hollered back, just keep your barricade out of my yard, and that...