INDEPENDENCE DAY: Red, White and Blue on the Red Planet.
Author Archive: Glenn Reynolds
July 4, 2025
2004 FLASHBACK:
QUEST FOR FIREWORKS: When I was a kid, I read a book (already old by then) called Henry Reed’s Journey. Reed is a boy who, on a cross-country drive, is trying to buy fireworks, but they turn out to be illegal almost everywhere he goes. As I noted back when InstaPundit was new, it’s a sort of metaphor for creeping nanny-statism in America, and Reed’s wry commentary now seems prophetic.
That seems to be changing, though. Fireworks have always been a booming business around here, but there are more and bigger stores, catering largely to tourists passing through from less-enlightened regions. And my sense is that there’s a bit less hostility to the idea of fireworks in general. I hope so. Yeah, fireworks can be dangerous. But so can lots of things. A bit of danger is part of life, as is learning how to handle dangerous things without being hurt. If you celebrate the Fourth with fireworks, I hope you do so safely. But also loudly.
Celebrating with one of these, however, would be amusing:
Some Americans this Fourth of July plan to get a bang out of blowing Osama bin Laden’s head off. The bin Laden Noggin, a cone-shaped pyrotechnic device with a cartoon of bin Laden’s face, has been a hot seller at some fireworks stores around the country. When lit, the bin Laden cone erupts in blood-red flames and screeches for 60 seconds. Two shots blow his head off.
It is part of an Exploding Terrorists Heads four-pack that also includes Saddam Hussein, Yasser Arafat and Moammar Gadhafi.
Of course, not everyone is happy:
Lisa Myer of Papillion was appalled when she heard about the fireworks while shopping for smoke bombs and sparklers for her son.
“What are we trying to teach our children?” she asked.
I’ll bet Henry Reed could answer that question.
UPDATE: Yep, I did this, too. But we wore shop goggles for safety. Meanwhile, Michael Ubaldi is unconcerned about creeping nannyism:
If Nanny is wrapping her arms around the 4th on paper, she’s accomplished nothing in practical terms. Fireworks are strictly regulated in Ohio but every Independence Day evening, as long as I’ve lived, I’ve heard and seen the incendiary stuff going off in every direction.
People have been testing their kits out around here for weeks. Given the day in question, I kind of like the irony.
Yes.
ANOTHER UPDATE: SKBubba, proud owner of a Nikon D70, offers fireworks photos taken at the Alcoa, TN duck pond last night. Very nice!
MORE: Dean Peters is collecting fireworks related blog posts. And reader Bradley Ems emails with these thoughts in response to the photograph above:
How much have I dropped in your state at the Tennessee-Alabama fireworks stands on I-24 outside of Chattanooga on our pilgrimages to Atlanta and Florida? I shudder to think. Best damn fireworks stores in the US.
Tennessee — exporting liberty!
CHANGE:
The BBB has been signed and it’s the law of the land. pic.twitter.com/vtKKwUKaB4
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) July 4, 2025
HMM: Tattoos don’t convey accurate impressions of people, study says. “For example, women with visible tattoos are less likely to be hired for supervisory positions and are offered a lower salary than peers without visible tattoos.”
MY LATEST SUBSTACK ESSAY IS THOUGHTS ON THE BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL: Trump 2.0 is a Wrecking Ball. And he’s wrecking the right stuff.
COLOR ME UNSURPRISED: Low Testosterone Linked To Early Death In Men.
Farragut, Tennessee. Happy Fourth of July!
ADVENTURES IN LOSERDOM:
You’d probably have to be so dumb you might earnestly believe communism is a valid political economy.
— Peter Kazanjy (@Kazanjy) July 3, 2025
WAPO, PROVIDING THE DARKNESS WHERE DEMOCRACY CAN DIE:
SILENCE – https://t.co/da1lgl9kVn https://t.co/wM2bLiK1GP pic.twitter.com/sHV6dcxfND
— Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) July 3, 2025
JAMES PETHOKOUKIS: Blue Origin and America’s spacefaring future: SpaceX may necessary, but it isn’t sufficient.
I was hoping Blue Origin vs. SpaceX would be a head-to-head competition. Blue Origin has been largely a disappointment.
COVERUP: Oops, Narrative Fail. “Those controversial Medicaid cuts come from two basic categories: cutting off able-bodied men who refuse to work, and not using Medicaid to provide health care for illegals. Democrats downplay the first and deny the second is happening at all, despite massive evidence to the contrary. But a funny thing happened this week that largely went unnoticed–a number of states are suing to prevent the federal government from using Medicaid data to find illegal aliens.”
NOTHING TO SEE HERE, MOVE ALONG: China’s Expanding Strategic Footprint in Libya: Energy, Infrastructure, and a New Gateway to Europe.
DON SURBER: Republicans Talk, Trump Does.
DIG DEEPER, AND PUNISH HARDER.
Something very sus about the CIA’s milquetoast “lessons learned” review of Brennan’s ICA on 2016 Russia election “interference.”
Not only did Ratcliffe pull punches on many aspects of Brennan/Comey/Clapper treasonous conduct, it appears he will not release to Congress a more… https://t.co/w6nLun1N8r
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) July 3, 2025
CRAZY THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE POINTED OUT: Jesse Singal: Most Americans Like America A Lot, And The Left Should Stop Ignoring This Fact.
July 3, 2025
OPEN THREAD: Keep your powder dry, boys, tomorrow’s the Fourth.
I SAY, GO STRAIGHT TO ORION! SERIOUSLY. DARPA says decreasing launch costs, new analysis led it to cancel DRACO nuclear propulsion project.
Related thoughts here.
I GUESS WE’VE REACHED THE “LAMENTATIONS OF THE WOMEN” PART:
AOC is throwing a tantrum to the five people still using BlueSky because ICE just got more funding.
Winning never gets old. pic.twitter.com/6kXCrusklJ
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 3, 2025
NOW THEY TELL US: Alzheimer’s Might Not Actually Be A Brain Disease.
I should note, though, that the beta-amyloid focus wasn’t a “rut.” It was malfeasance.