I live on the Oregon coast on a bay where a lot of migratory birds nest.

The local government does a fireworks display each 4th over the bay. It really distresses me to see and hear the birds flying in panic during the show, not to mention what it does to pets. I don't know if the drone shows will be any better for them, but the change cannot come soon enough for me.

As a preteen we used to shave the heads off wooden matchsticks to craft small bombs or cannons. In the '60s there was a local late night TV host in Cleveland named Ghoulardi who used to blow up model cars us kids sent in.
Later I discovered black powder, but I would never hurt anyone.

Fortunately I wasn't planning on flying anywhere because I probably won't be allowed now. . haha

Last edited Sat Jun 28, 2025, 07:32 PM - Edit history (1)

... I knew the old man would notice if I pinched the a can of gunpowder. So I would break down shotgun shell, instead. Still alive, all eleven fingers, and all my eyeballs. I open them dump the shot, remove the wadding, and dump. I was smart enough not to drive the primer out.

All this led to shooting Smitty Smith in the ear.

Smitty was the son of a guy who was painting and repairing house for someone who picked up "distressed" houses, and he an Smitty would live in them as his dad went through them. Dad was a mean drunk, ex-con that everyone tried to stay out of the path of, and this meant all parents warned all kids to stay away from. Once Smitty and I made a trade, forget what I gave him, but I got an Eisenhower jacket and a .308 British war round.

Sometimes he'd go off to the woods by the pond where at 14 he had a camp with a three sided canvas shed and a barrel he put a fire, put the top over it and cook and stay warm. We were back there once and I had one of my blank shotgun shells I threw into the barrel - the top was on it and the only hole was a 2" one that vented the fire.

BANG! And Smitty grabbed the side of his face and doubled over. A piece of brass came through the hole and hit him in his ear.

Smitty dressed like a 50s greaser, and that was not cool in the mid sixties.

We went to the same Jr high, Perkins. The vice principal was Rollo Davis, the first generation of his family out of WVA coal country. He had Smitty in his office to compell him to cut his hair. Smitty said, "I ain't cutting my hair for nobody." He reached across the desk and clipped Rollo on the chin and tipped the the principal backwards chair and all onto the floor.

Never heard of or saw him again. Great kid, bad circumstances.

I forgot about that!

... PARMA!!!

Here's a neat clip:

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The first time I ever saw Ernie and Tim was around 1960 and they had a single half hour shot late one Friday afternoon. The skit was performed behind a white screen and back lit. They played two surgeons doing surgery on a "patient". It was amazing. And hysterical.

Rains again..

i also feel for the doggos as well. we had to tranqulize our poor alaskan huskey and chain him to the stove , which he drug one foot accrost the floor . some of those drone shows can be pretty amaiZing.

home an explosive device called a track torpeedo. track torpeedos were afixed to the rail and when a train ran over several, that meant STOP. so my neighbor set one in their driveway, got on the roof of his house and dropped a large rock on i and BOOM!!!! that brought the police who were stationed at our local school during the fourth. fire works were illeagel in glendora ca but leagel in azuza ca, but that didnt stop ppl from bringing em in. there was a spot in the foothills where ppl could go and watch the arieal fireworks from stadiums all over southern ca. friend of mine rented a plane to see the shows from the air one time .

Not everyone will like this, but the humor is undeniable.