Fireworks At the Tavern

With Americas Big 250 around the corner Adam and I wanted to bring a festive conversation to you all we hope you enjoy this latest 4th of July episode from the Tavern.

Join the conversation in the Taverns Discord!!!
https://discord.gg/Ef9hTKVE5r

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hey everybody. Been a little bit of a trek heading back over from Michael Jeremy's place, but now that I'm done with all the Jeopardy stuff, it's time that we have our own little 4th of July episode here at the tavern. I did invite a special guest to come by. He should be arriving any moment.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Yankee Doodle wanted town riding on his phone.

SPEAKER_01 0:20

Hey Adam.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

How you doing is heading.

SPEAKER_01 0:23

Now now, Adam, I told you, you can't bring wild animals into the tavern. You're gonna have to leave the pony outside.

SPEAKER_00 0:33

Yankee Doodle, keep it up, Yankee Doodle dandy. Adam, Adam, pony outside. Girls will be handy.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

Uh not much, Adam. How you doing, buddy?

SPEAKER_00 0:53

I'm good. Definitely good.

SPEAKER_01 0:57

Now, I'm not sure if you were aware, but this 4th of July is a little bit special for the good old country of the United States of America.

SPEAKER_00 1:07

Oh. Is is is George Washington making an appearance appearance this time?

SPEAKER_01 1:13

No, the second coming of George Washington is not scheduled for another 50 years. However, it is the 250 of the Americas.

SPEAKER_00 1:23

That's when George Washington was going to come back and check on the country. He said it on his deathbed that when he when the country turned 250, he would come back and visit how the country is doing.

SPEAKER_01 1:36

I think that was a smudge on the uh letter that he left. It was supposed to be 350, so we're actually a hundred years away from that.

SPEAKER_02 1:43

Oh. Yeah. To be fair, it's probably better that way. Yeah. Yeah. Yep, yep, yep. But with the idea that this year.

SPEAKER_01 1:56

With the idea this year being a big 4th of July. Lots of fireworks are going to be going off across the country. So I actually want to start this off with Adam. If you could be anywhere in the country, where would you want to be for Fourth of July fireworks this year?

SPEAKER_00 2:16

Oh man, that's a hard one. Definitely a place that's by a lake while fireworks are being shot off. I think the coolest one I've ever seen and experienced was the first time I saw I'm gonna have to say Norfolk, Nebraska. Ooh. Why my birthday is my birth town. It was the first time I experienced uh 4th July celebration in the lower 48 back in 1999. Alrighty. So I will have to say Norfolk, Nebraska.

SPEAKER_01 3:02

Sentimental value always comes through in the end, doesn't it? I understand that though. I think if I could choose, I'd probably want to see it over the uh Golden Gate Bridge.

SPEAKER_02 3:15

Go to the Bay Area in California.

unknown 3:20

Never thought of that.

SPEAKER_01 3:23

Because just just thinking about the fireworks that are going off on different sides of the bay. I don't know if they do any off the bridge, but if they do any off the bridge, that's gotta be a sight. And then all the fireworks reflect in on the water. I think that's a big aspect, too, is when you get the fly fireworks reflections.

SPEAKER_00 3:42

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh yeah, that's actually a really cool thing to see fireworks go off over water. Yeah, that one's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_01 3:52

There's uh one of my favorite places that I have actually seen fireworks go off at is up at Sabago Lake, Maine. And it's one of the largest lakes in America, minus the Great Lakes. I think it's the last I knew, I think it was like eight miles wide by ten miles across, so it's a big lake.

SPEAKER_00 4:15

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:17

You could either take your boat out somewhere into the middle of the lake, and anywhere you're scanning, you're seeing fireworks go off. But realistically, if you got a good batch of like neighbors in the area, you could go swimming right off your dock, and fireworks are being launched off your neighbors' docks, just going off right over your head as you're swimming in the water. Nah, you're fine. If you catch on fire, you just dive underwater. You you gotta you gotta be there for the fun of it because while you're there, the lights are going off, the noise is going off, you're just floating in the water face up, watching the fireworks go. Reflections are literally all around you because you're in the water. Water is dark too, so it's like you're not seeing underneath you, you're only seeing fireworks.

SPEAKER_02 5:12

That that sounds cool.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

It is, it is definitely an experience, and it's something that I look forward to whenever I get the chance to do 4th of July up in Maine. The nice thing too is it coincides very close to the town of Sebago's birthday week. So they do like a whole week-long celebration with a little parade from the town, and then the town does fireworks as well. So if you're up there in like the July area or July time, fireworks by Sebago are almost a given.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

Oh, you want to know another really cool place to see fireworks at? Now that I thought of it, Tempe Town Lake. Oh, I haven't actually done that yet. I have. I've done it one time going down to Tempe Town Lake to see the fireworks show back in 2024, back before I moved to Texas. It was the first is the first and only time I've ever seen the uh fireworks off of Tempe Town Lake. And seeing that, like, you know, the two bridges that are on that lake. And then like them shooting off close to like I'm I'm sure it's not off those bridges, but like somewhere close by. That was pretty cool too.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

No, I can only imagine, especially with how serene Tempeton Lake is, because it's basically a small reservoir. You realize that, right? They got a big little wall dam in the water there.

SPEAKER_00 6:41

Oh, yeah, I know. I I've biked all around it and and and stuff like that. I know.

SPEAKER_01 6:48

But because of that, the water is very still and serene, so it's like glass. So it's again when you're talking like fireworks, I think a big thing is reflections. Because it's cool to see a firework, like don't get me wrong, but there's something else when you see the firework and that reflection hidden at the same time. Yes. So now I am curious with all this talk of fireworks, reflections, and everything else, in all renditions of media, what are some of the best versions of fireworks that you've come across, Adam?

SPEAKER_00 7:22

Oh man, there are so many in our pulp culture of fireworks being shown. The best one, I think. And it's something that we've covered before. Not on this one, but in but in general, we have the fireworks going off in the movie Fireworks is good.

SPEAKER_01 7:46

And this was an anime title, correct?

SPEAKER_00 7:49

That is correct. Yes, it is the anime title fireworks.

SPEAKER_01 7:53

Now, I do remember when we talked about that, it was a long time ago, so some of my memories are hazy on that movie. But it had something to do with like weren't there like bubbles and fireworks, and the idea that the fireworks were reflecting off the bubbles was like some key component of this.

SPEAKER_00 8:13

I think it had something to do with like this weird ball and their debate of like the actual long title of fireworks in Japanese is like, oh, when fire fireworks go off, do they are they round or are they flat? And I think that was the whole debate. Part of the whole debate of the movie was like, oh, when they go off, it's like are they circular or they're flat? So the whole thing of like these group of friends, one of the plots of it, one of the side plots of it was like them going to like to some type of tower or something like that to go watch these fireworks go off. And I think the cool thing was with this movie, every time they saw the same firework go off, it was slightly off somehow. It didn't sound right, it didn't look right until the very last one. And I think it was it was just so weird. It was one of the weirder movies I've seen, but still not a bad not a bad watch.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

No, I remember it was a there were some weird aspects. I think that creator in particular had some age discrepancy issues, but if I remember correctly too, that might have been one of the time travel ones too, which made it weirder.

SPEAKER_00 9:41

It it was I would not say it was time travel.

SPEAKER_01 9:47

If I remember correctly, I think this was like around the same time, and this is why these ones always get confused for me. I think week we were looking into this movie right around the time that we also looked into Susume, and right around the time we looked into your name. So a lot of these movies started to like come in at for me and flow together.

SPEAKER_00 10:11

I think this one had a time thing, but I also know it did have a time thing, but I think it was more or less from why what I devised when it was um it was more dimension traveling and time traveling. Time traveling had something to do with it, was it was more of a dimensional travel thing, I think.

SPEAKER_01 10:38

No, I think you might be right on that.

SPEAKER_03 10:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:42

One thing I will give is still a good movie the animation quality when they were doing their fireworks. One, they're titled the movie Fireworks, but two, you gotta live up to that. And I do think they did. They did a really great artistic take on fireworks in a 2D animated fashion that made them feel alive, made them feel like they were real fireworks that you were supposed to be looking at to a degree.

SPEAKER_00 11:13

Yes. I I think a lot of uh of the anime median media median whatever has a lot of different fireworks scenes, but for for the one I think that is solely based on just a movie that is named Fireworks, that one did well.

SPEAKER_01 11:38

No, and I understand that. One actual anime adaptation that I saw recently, and I think it's the season I think's been out for a little over a year or so. But I finally got through all of Doc Stone. Oh no kidding! Yep, Doctor Stone just finished its uh last episode for the main story. Uh it's on Crunchyroll. So definitely if you've been waiting for it to end, it is the time to watch it. I watched uh season three and season four, and I think it was in season three, right at the end of like the treasure island arc. Senku finally makes fireworks, and he uses them, but the way that they get used are as a way to like promote a whole bunch of things, and the mentalist again comes out and basically explains a lot of like the historical reasons behind fireworks, not even just warfare, but they were used for prayer ceremonies, they were used for celebration, they were used to unite people, and like worldwide people would stare up at these giant balls of flame, but they could inspire hope. And that's what Senku was even using them for in a lot of ways, is like he was trying to give the islanders who were getting a whole new look of life some hope in this future, and the way that they did it artistically, I think was well theme-wise, I think it was on point.

SPEAKER_00 13:16

I'll have to check that out. I I've I've been a little reluctant to dive into doing Crunchyroll lately for my own just everything that's happening with the platform. I'm just not a huge fan of it, so I haven't been really diving into that.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

Netflix has the first three seasons.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 13:43

So you can watch the first three on Netflix. If you want the final season and the final answers to most of the series, you are gonna have to go crunchy roll because as far as I know, Netflix has not had the newest season yet. Okay, but it's definitely a fun watch. The characters are a lot of fun. I like how they incorporate real science with a storytelling aspect. So not that everything they make in that show can be made one-to-one, but a lot of things are based with enough scientific backend that yes, you can technically do this.

SPEAKER_00 14:25

Oh I have another deep cut of fireworks being displayed in media, and I remember I remember this book in elementary school, and I remember shortly after we finished it Freak the Mighty. There's a scene in which the smarter freak. Disabled. And the the disabled kid is like uses the bigger guy on his shoulders, so it's like he's the brains, but he's the bronze kind of thing. Anyway, so when they're watching the fireworks, the uh brain is the guy. The brain kid would would slide off oh, which chemicals are being used for di for different colors for the fireworks.

SPEAKER_02 15:39

I think it was called Freak the Mighty.

SPEAKER_00 15:45

It's okay. It's it's a real deep cut. It has uh one of Macaulay Coltkin's brothers it is in it.

SPEAKER_02 15:56

That's fair.

SPEAKER_01 15:59

I got a question for you. They might not be technical fireworks, but in the story, I believe the president said they would be the fireworks. The destruction of the mothership in Independence Day. Would you consider those fireworks? Because I I like to consider those some brilliant representation of fireworks representing 4th of July, not just for America, but for the world.

SPEAKER_00 16:29

Oh my god, that's such an old movie. Oh my god. I remember when that came out. Oh, hey boys, I'm back! Oh my gosh. Yes, I would consider those fireworks.

SPEAKER_01 16:51

Honestly, I would consider those fireworks. I think the scene is just so iconic that it's like is one of the movies that you should watch every couple years around Fourth of July. It is just such a Independence Day themed movie, hence the name Independence Day. But I love it. It definitely gets a lot of uh explosions, freedom, fight for survival. And again, I think there's some real fun ideas when you start bringing that into the play.

SPEAKER_00 17:29

Yeah. Definitely, definitely. Oh yeah, okay, independence day. Yeah, that's a good that's another good one for uh to see fireworks in media. I'm trying to ooh, I'm gonna go basic here. Really basic. Uh fireworks, katy Perry.

SPEAKER_01 17:55

Katie be right. I mean that's fair. A little basic, a little basic there. Definitely an oldie but goody.

SPEAKER_00 18:10

Well, I'm so yeah, that's definitely a basic one of just fireworks like Katy Perry. Oh, other ones. New Year's Eve all over the world.

SPEAKER_01 18:30

Ooh, honestly, you got me on that because that's also televised, which is a form of media.

SPEAKER_00 18:36

Yes, you got me on that because and you see you'll see different how different each country does their uh does the fireworks all over the world. Kinda cool.

SPEAKER_01 18:49

No, it really is. It's fun to watch the different balls drop too year-round. Yes. Oh, sorry, like by the hours.

SPEAKER_00 18:57

Do you remember the opening ceremony for the Olympics that was in Beijing with the uh bird's nest? Yes. Yes, I do. That was a that was a cool I if I'm not mistaken, they did fireworks off the uh they had him shooting off the uh the top round the bird's nest.

SPEAKER_02 19:22

Hmm.

SPEAKER_01 19:23

Now I am curious because we are definitely coming into a new modern time with technology. Yes. Do you see fireworks uh being fully replaced in the future? Either for safety reasons, for environmental reasons, uh with drones and drone art shows. Or do you think we'll more likely incorporate the two together?

SPEAKER_00 19:57

I have I've seen the rise of these drone uh shows in the skies all over, and they're pretty they're pretty I'm not gonna lie, they're pretty cool looking. And fireworks can be dangerous in the wrong hands. I will admit that, but anything really can be dangerous in the wrong hands.

SPEAKER_02 20:27

I know like I know that is an excellent question.

SPEAKER_00 20:36

I I don't maybe not in our lifetime will fireworks be replaced in in celebration due to safety hazards due to environmental reasons. I mean yeah, some forest fires can be started off with fireworks.

SPEAKER_02 21:03

I think they it's hard to say.

SPEAKER_00 21:06

I I I would like to think that they would stay with tradition of shooting off fireworks in in for celebrations such as uh Independence Day, be it be it high school graduations, be it New Year's Eve all over the world, whether it be a celebr whether it be a festival in Japan, because almost every festival has a fireworks uh display in Japan. But I could definitely see drones at some point maybe taking this place, but there's there's something about just having Hearing that sound of fireworks shooting up and then seeing seeing uh flower fire explode in the air. It's just cool.

SPEAKER_01 22:13

No, and I agree with you. Personally, I do see in the future, especially if we're talking states, some states probably going more towards drones, though, for the fire safety.

SPEAKER_00 22:25

Arizona being one of them.

SPEAKER_01 22:27

Arizona probably be one. Utah, Alaska. I know uh California has already banned all fireworks for the 4th of July this year because the fire risk is too high. So, like there shouldn't be any firework displays even happening because of just how dry it is and how the fires have been. I mean, right now in Arizona, I think we're dealing with like four or five wildfires up in the north. Sedona's on fire right now. I'm not sure if you heard about that.

SPEAKER_00 22:58

Oh no, I haven't. Oh, Sedona's such a beautiful place, too.

SPEAKER_01 23:04

Oak Creek. I think it was found out that it was a campsite fire that got out of control. But it's burned, I think, up to 60,000 acres or six, or sorry, I think 6,000. The zeros get me. But that was the last time I checked in on it, and that was probably two days ago. Oh wow. Um, yeah, they're they're doing voluntary evacuations and stuff. So it's like the fires are getting intense. I do think within our lifetime we could see these states that deal with these wildfires consistently, especially this time of year where it's so dry. Going more towards drones, just so we're not gonna see the wildfires caused by fireworks.

SPEAKER_00 23:48

Not to mention, I know you're a dog owner still, correct? Not anymore, but I was. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sorry I I did not know that. No, you're fine. But my my sister has two dogs. And I know that fireworks and dogs just don't mix. So maybe having like your average person probably is not gonna have the capability of doing a drone show, but for like a city min municipality probably has the ability to maybe your bigger city municipalities like Houston, Dallas, Austin, Las Vegas, San Francisco, your bigger cities probably could do a drone show. But yeah. Dogs are very sensitive with fireworks, and if they are able to replace fire fireworks, if the drones are able to replace fireworks for the for dog safety, and even any I don't know if cats are affected by it, but I know dogs are any but most animals are affected by the loud uh noises the fireworks send off.

SPEAKER_01 25:12

Yeah. No, that's what I do think that I don't think we'll see like worldwide one, I don't think the whole world will ever adopt just drones and replacement fireworks. But for certain cities or towns, I do think in the next probably even 20 years, we'll see some towns that decide, or even cities that decide, hey, the fireworks are too much of a liability. Or we buy these drones one time, yeah, it's a high investment, but they're reusable. Fireworks are not reusable.

SPEAKER_00 25:49

And so we can start seeing not to mention the mist, not to mention, and I'm not like no offense to people. I'm sure they are very responsible people that do shoot uh fireworks during Fourth July and during New Year's Eve and all these other celebrations. Oftentimes I'll see when I go down the street for people that shoot off fireworks in the street, that they'll leave the fireworks on the ground the next day and don't clean up after themselves. And honestly, it's like if they don't do that, it kind of becomes an environmental hazard too. Uh just not not fire-wise, but just the trash the trash that uh that the people will leave out on the street sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 26:39

No, yeah, and I mean that's the reason why whenever I've done any firecrackers or little fireworks that I get at my Walmart, it's always first thing is after I'm done, and after I know it's kind of safe, douse them in water.

SPEAKER_02 26:53

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 26:54

Because you never know.

unknown 26:56

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 26:56

And then you dispose of them properly. You do not just leave them in the road for cars to drive over them. No, if you don't douse them in fire, there's always the chance that there could be a small reignition, and you don't know how much powder or residue is left in there. So it could always cause a little bit more than you expect. So firework safety, number one. Number technically number 0.01 or 0.05 before one. If you're a miner, always have your parents around.

SPEAKER_00 27:28

100%.

SPEAKER_01 27:31

Now, I am curious because you did bring up Japan earlier. I was curious, do you know any anything about the biggest firework in the world that Japan makes by chance?

SPEAKER_00 27:45

I do not. I just simply know that if you look at the word the I I know that if you look at the kanji that they use for firework, it's the word for firework in Japanese is canabi. Quite literally, the kanji is fire or no, flower fire.

SPEAKER_02 28:14

It it's it's as simple as that. Flower fire. I mean, come on.

SPEAKER_00 28:23

A firework blows up or expands just like a flower blooming. But no, no, I do not know about the largest firework that uh band made.

SPEAKER_01 28:34

Yeah, you'll have to bear with me because I'm probably gonna mess up the pronunciation. But it is the Yan Shan, the Yan Sha Kudama. It is a massive firework that weighs over 400 kilograms or nine more than 900 pounds, measures 1.2 meters or four feet in diameter, and when it explodes, it has a floral dome nearly 2,400 feet wide. I know it's it's supposed to be typically launched at a kata katakia Matsuri and OG uh Nigata. Thank you. And it's typically launched annually in September. So, and if you get the chance, you should look up some of the images for this firework. I've seen some videos of it going off. This thing is huge. I believe there was a how it's made at one point that uh did it, or a uh behind the scenes that I've seen in the past, where it is just a bunch of like small.

SPEAKER_00 29:56

I just looked it up.

SPEAKER_01 29:57

Yeah, no, it's huge, and it's a whole bunch of smaller, like shelled fireworks densely packed into this outer shell. So, like that one shell is holding the equivalent of I think hundreds, if not a thousands, of uh shells.

SPEAKER_00 30:17

Yon Sha Kudama.

SPEAKER_02 30:22

No, Yan. Yo Yun Yon Yun Yon Yeah Yon Yon Shu Kudama. Oh, that's so cool.

SPEAKER_01 30:38

Yeah, I just looked at it. You'll have to look a video of it later because Oh no, I just did. You did? Yeah, no, it's it's a pretty one, honestly.

SPEAKER_00 30:45

That thing is huge.

SPEAKER_01 30:47

That would be a firework I would love to actually get the chance to go see in person launched. Cause I feel like maybe not for like the residents there because it's an annual thing, but for other people, that's like one of those like once in a lifetime, like you're gonna only see this one time.

SPEAKER_02 31:10

You know? Yeah. Wow, that is that's so cool.

SPEAKER_00 31:20

Thank you for sharing that with me.

SPEAKER_01 31:22

Oh, of course. Yeah, no, this is that is a firework. Like I said, if I ever got the chance, I would love to actually get to uh see in person because I can only imagine one the noise that something that big probably has. But two to actually watch it to fruition, that's gotta be a sight.

SPEAKER_00 31:48

Yeah. Yeah, I just saw some of the short videos of that.

SPEAKER_02 31:52

That's wickedly cool.

SPEAKER_01 31:58

Now, I know we're definitely getting a little bit close to time here. So before the tavern bell rings, I am curious, Adam. What is your favorite type of firework to watch?

SPEAKER_02 32:16

Oh honestly, I I've seen some really cool I like the fireworks that are at how do I explain this?

SPEAKER_00 32:34

Like go off in succession. Like you'll have one go up and then you'll have one go up, but then uh like and then it has like a few second time delay, and then another one, and then and then boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, kind of thing. Fair enough, like the sequential ones. Yes, the sec the the sec you just said sequential. The six sequential, thank you. I get that.

SPEAKER_01 32:58

Those ones are fun.

SPEAKER_00 32:59

I know how to speak in English, I swear.

SPEAKER_01 33:02

I think my favorite ones are definitely gonna be the I call them the rain ones, because when they go up they explode, but then they like cascade down in like a rear like a curtain, and there's typically like a crackle sound to them as they go down. So it's like those ones would definitely probably be my favorite ones to see whenever I see a fireworks show that happens to have those featured. It's always one of my favorite shows. But yeah, those are definitely cool. With that being said, that is the closing bell. Obviously, we've got some fireworks shows to go and see. Yes, Adam.

SPEAKER_00 33:43

I have a bone to pick with you. Why? Well, I've been here this whole entire time, and you haven't offered me a a uh beverage yet.

SPEAKER_01 33:54

Because you always bring your monster with you.

SPEAKER_00 33:57

I bet you did not bring my monster this time. Oh, I really did not I did not bring any drink this time.

SPEAKER_01 34:04

Well, Adam, as I pour you this last drink, what can I get ya?

SPEAKER_00 34:09

Can I get a Samuel Adams?

SPEAKER_01 34:12

Oh, easy. I like to get that out of the cooler back here. I got one more question for ya. Where, my fine friend, are you going to be going to watch the fireworks this weekend?

SPEAKER_00 34:25

Unfortunately, we're supposed to have a storm rolling through this weekend, but I will be attending I think we're supposed to have storms rolling through this weekend.

SPEAKER_02 34:39

Let me check my weather.

SPEAKER_00 34:47

Yes, it is supposed to have some thunder and thunderstorms rolling through this weekend, but I'm still gonna be attending a small barbecue at my sister's boyfriend's house. That'll be fun. Coming Saturday because they somehow I got 4th July off from Walmart and getting 4th July off. That's prayer.

SPEAKER_02 35:14

Yeah, I can only imagine.

SPEAKER_00 35:16

Yeah, no, there's supposed to be there's supposed to be there there's supposed to be about 34% chance of rain this weekend, at least for that day. So probably no fireworks show. And if we do, it's probably gonna be watched on the television because my sister has dogs, her boyfriend has dogs, so there's no way we're gonna go see fireworks.

SPEAKER_01 35:42

That's fair. I know my plans are probably gonna be going up one of the mountains here in Arizona and just seeing which one are you going to? Uh, you know, could be north, south, could be camelback, could be up at Flagstaff to see the fires. You never know. I'll be on one of the mountains, though. I do want to see the fireworks across the valley, though. I think that's gonna be a fun, fun little adventure for me.

SPEAKER_02 36:11

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:16

If you were able to, I would suggest Tempe Town Lake. Ooh, that would be one. Although, although if you go to Camelback Mountain, you can probably see Tempe Town the fireworks going off at Tempe Town Lake.

SPEAKER_01 36:32

I think it's just a matter of the angle on Camelback, but you're right. If you're on the side of Camelback face in Tempe, you should be able to see Tempy Town Lake from there.

SPEAKER_00 36:40

Yeah. Well, I mean, even if you Okay.

SPEAKER_01 36:43

Go ahead. With all that being said, Adam, you want to go ahead and send us out?

SPEAKER_00 36:50

Yes, from a very hot and humid Texas.

SPEAKER_01 36:55

And from a very hot and dry Arizona. This is Danny with our Tavern Talks. And that is another chow.