Will you do ..

[Tender Branson]

Yes.

I have to buy a ton of firecrackers and -works tomorrow, because the EU and Austria will enact a firecracker ban in July 2013 that bans the sale of firecrackers throughout the EU. And the owning of firecrackers will be banned in 2017, so I need a good enough stock for the next years ...

What about you ?

[dead0man]

Oh, sh**t, I do have a ton of bottle rockets left from the 4th that I forgot about until now.  And I've already schemed to have that night off work....so yeah, I guess I will do that.  I don't normally.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Yes.

I have to buy a ton of firecrackers and -works tomorrow, because the EU and Austria will enact a firecracker ban in July 2013 that bans the sale of firecrackers throughout the EU. And the owning of firecrackers will be banned in 2017, so I need a good enough stock for the next years ...

Wow that's a stupid law.

[minionofmidas]

Yes.

I have to buy a ton of firecrackers and -works tomorrow, because the EU and Austria will enact a firecracker ban in July 2013 that bans the sale of firecrackers throughout the EU. And the owning of firecrackers will be banned in 2017, so I need a good enough stock for the next years ...

What about you ?

What? Seriously!? Source?

[minionofmidas]

Okay, I've looked it up. Nobody's banning anything that anybody's actually been using on Sylvester.

[Tender Branson]

Yes.

I have to buy a ton of firecrackers and -works tomorrow, because the EU and Austria will enact a firecracker ban in July 2013 that bans the sale of firecrackers throughout the EU. And the owning of firecrackers will be banned in 2017, so I need a good enough stock for the next years ...

What about you ?

What? Seriously!? Source?

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://www.heute.at/news/wirtschaft/art23662,838714

...

Well, actually they ban the green, popular and loud "Schweizerkracher" ("Swiss Crackers") and replace them with a more impotent red version ...

[minionofmidas]

Hmmm... seems to be a specific type of combination large firecracker/something else that was always illegal in West Germany... but popular (and produced in high quality) in the GDR.
In straightforward firecrackers, the EU guideline actually led to a relaxation of size restrictions in Germany, which took effect starting last year.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Wait wait, the GDR actually had more freedom than West Germany in one respect?

[minionofmidas]

Wait wait, the GDR actually had more freedom than West Germany in one respect?

Yessir. Much easier (though not easy) to get a travel visa for Poland or Hungary or the Soviet Union, too.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Well yeah but that's not surprising. In this case though the GDR was respecting the free market moreso.

[minionofmidas]

Well yeah but that's not surprising. In this case though the GDR was respecting the free market moreso.

Firecrackers are a traditional cottage industry product. Much of the old German cottage-industrial country ended up in the GDR. It's not surprising they'd never update the rules; if the Russians didn't ban it in the postwar era and it didn't come from the West later on then it's hard to see anything get banned in the GDR. Especially not just because it's a fire hazard (I assume the laws in the West must have been passed at some point, maybe the 70s?)


I recently saw a book about the Green party's policy in regards to the GDR both in 89-90 and before, it was programmatically titled "away with the wall, keep the GDR". I quipped that the actual popular West German attitude was the exact opposite.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Probably not.  But just for the heck of it....
Like the firecracker, I'm aglow!

[Joe Biden 2020]

No, I won't be lighting any fireworks.  I'll just be watching Ryan Seacrest on ABC to ring in 2013.

[Simfan34]

Oh right, Dick Clark died....

[Joe Biden 2020]

Oh right, Dick Clark died....

Yep.  Ryan Seacrest is hosting a 2 hour special honoring Dick Clark tomorrow night beginning at 8:00 pm EST on ABC leading into New Year's Rockin' Eve at 10:00.

[Thomas D]

No, but my neighbors will. I'm sorry but midnight is too late for fireworks. New Year's Eve or not.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Nope, but my neighbors will.  They always do.  Indeed, one of them did some testing tonight of what they bought.

[morgieb]

Pretty sure fireworks are illegal, but I'll probably hear dodgy ones somewhere.

[Platypus]

I live next to housing commission flats, son yeah, there'll be fireworks, but they are illegal in 6 states and 1 territory.

[minionofmidas]

Nope, but my neighbors will.  They always do.  Indeed, one of them did some testing tonight of what they bought.

Well duh, the firecrackers start on the 28th - the same day as sales - and by the 29th noon you've gotten used to the sound again. They peter out somewhere around the 5th of jan. The bottle rockets and all that stuff, on the other hand, most people reserve for 11pm to 2am new year's night. The streets are trashed with the debris on new year's day.

[minionofmidas]

What midnight tonight will sound like in German major cities

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O9KK1H-1Xo

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Oh right, Dick Clark died....

Yep.  Ryan Seacrest is hosting a 2 hour special honoring Dick Clark tomorrow night beginning at 8:00 pm EST on ABC leading into New Year's Rockin' Eve at 10:00.

Dick Clark's death was the saddest of this year for me, not only for that but also for his hosting of $100,000 Pyramid and, even more than that, for hosting American Bandstand.    I can't say that I didn't see it coming after how awful he had looked last year, though.  I haven't watched New Year's Rockin' Eve the past few years because I figured it was too depressing to watch him in such bad shape.  I knew Ryan Seacrest had been cohosting it with him and taking on larger roles, especially after his stroke, and I kind of had the feeling that they were preparing him to take over hosting duties once Dick Clark died.  This year pretty much confirms that.  I always liked Ryan Seacrest, though, and always respected him for his admiration, friendship, and work with Dick Clark and so many others.  Likewise, Ryan also took over hosting American Top 40 after Casey Kasem retired.  This year I think I will watch Ryan though.  RIP Dick Clark and rock on!!!!

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Nope, but my neighbors will.  They always do.  Indeed, one of them did some testing tonight of what they bought.

Well duh, the firecrackers start on the 28th - the same day as sales - and by the 29th noon you've gotten used to the sound again. They peter out somewhere around the 5th of jan. The bottle rockets and all that stuff, on the other hand, most people reserve for 11pm to 2am new year's night. The streets are trashed with the debris on new year's day.

Fireworks sales in this state start January 1 and end December 31.  That said, they probably got a late start setting them off around here because of the weather which has been cold and wet this past week.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Oh right, Dick Clark died....

Yep.  Ryan Seacrest is hosting a 2 hour special honoring Dick Clark tomorrow night beginning at 8:00 pm EST on ABC leading into New Year's Rockin' Eve at 10:00.

Dick Clark's death was the saddest of this year for me, not only for that but also for his hosting of $100,000 Pyramid and, even more than that, for hosting American Bandstand.    I can't say that I didn't see it coming after how awful he had looked last year, though.  I haven't watched New Year's Rockin' Eve the past few years because I figured it was too depressing to watch him in such bad shape.  I knew Ryan Seacrest had been cohosting it with him and taking on larger roles, especially after his stroke, and I kind of had the feeling that they were preparing him to take over hosting duties once Dick Clark died.  This year pretty much confirms that.  I always liked Ryan Seacrest, though, and always respected him for his admiration, friendship, and work with Dick Clark and so many others.  Likewise, Ryan also took over hosting American Top 40 after Casey Kasem retired.  This year I think I will watch Ryan though.  RIP Dick Clark and rock on!!!!

They're keeping Dick Clark's name on the title of the show, at least for this year, which is as it should be.  Since his stroke and Regis Philbin hosted 2005, I believe, Clark was only doing the countdown at midnight.  That was it.  It was pretty much Ryan's show the past 3-4 years and now it is his show.  Ryan Seacrest, Jenny McCarthy, and Fergie will be the hosts tonight (Fergie, of course, hosting the show from Los Angeles or Las Vegas).

[angus]

Some jokers set about a gross of black cats off last night in the parking lot of the elementary about a block behind us.  Around 2 o'clock.  Assholes.

No, I won't be lighting any fuses.  It's pollution of the worst sort.  As y'all know, I'm a fan of legalizing prostitution, weed, cocaine, barbiturates, methamphetamine, corticosteroids, same-sex marriage, and just about everything else.  Even jenken, if that's your thing.  But I'd applaud the cops who arrest any bastard who lights a firecracker within a hundred miles of me.  There's just no sense in that.  It's loud, obnoxious, dangerous, and serves no useful purpose whatsoever.