UtterlyBoring.com is produced by Jake Ortman (e-mail, resume), a 30-year-old dad, percussionist, freelance Web designer, consultant and jack-of-all-trades computer geek, living in Bend, Oregon. He created this so that his expensive journalism and technology degree isn't getting totally wasted. In addition to editing this site in his free time, he is the IT Director and Ad Designer at both Sunray and Discover Sunriver. He has LinkedIn, MySpace, Facebook profiles if you're trying to stalk him.
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If you're reading this, you have too much time on your hands.
Like I've mentioned before, I don't really like this holiday. I don't mind the fireworks, the problem lies in the fact that I live just a few blocks from Pilot Butte and have a great view of the fireworks show (for those folks who don't live here, thats where the huge fireworks display is launched in Bend). What that means is that everybody in Bend has a tendency to flock to our neighborhood to not only watch the fireworks that burn the Butte every year, but to show off their stuff with their own fireworks show that's equally as loud (if not louder) than what they shoot off the Butte. And they're usually at it all night long, nearly setting my house on fire on multiple occasions, and despite phone calls to the police nearly every year, nothing ever changes.
I just know that one of these days somebody's going to get themselves killed within about two or three blocks of my house. I am glad, however, that these idiots don't live across the street from me anymore, otherwise the night would be a lot longer and somebody would get killed much sooner.
It's going to be a long night, and I'll be enjoying the show from the comfort of my living room as we have a good view from my couch. And if you don't have a fireworks show where you're at, here's the virtual show that I link to every year.
Andrew Jones said on 07/04/06 @ 03:23 PM: Nobody except licenced event organisers should be able to get hold of fireworks. Yes, most of the time they're okay, but it only takes one idiot or a mistake to make them absolutely lethal - for themselves, as well as their friends, family or whoever is with them. It's not like all proper events are expensive and you can usually see them for free from a distance anyway.
Happy 4th of July...
The Dren said on 07/05/06 @ 09:26 AM: Fourtnately we live in a country where we can still buy fireworks. I enjoyed mine last night without any Lethal consequences.
In fact, I've rarely heard of anyone suffering death from fireworks that wasn't related to a "professional" display.
More often I hear about someone who was dismembered from misuing fireworks at home, and occasionally a house burning down from a misguided rocket.
Conversely, if every product that was misused in this country was outlawed, I can say from personal experience and people that I have met we would have to outlaw: