Playing with Fire(Works)

My husband and I watched the fireworks from across the street at the postage stamp-sized tribal property.  The parking lot was filled with those who bought fireworks to light off, and employees of the smoke shop/bar and grill.  There were some lovely displays of colors shot into the cloudy nighttime skies, with an orderly crowd of spectators who reside inside and outside of our neighborhood.

While sitting in our lawns chairs wrapped in blankets and sipping on rum and Cokes, something really odd occurred to me.  The Native Americans can sell and shoot off fireworks, but no one else in our city can.  Because they are a nation separate and apart from the United States, they are allowed to write their own laws which govern their community.  And seeing as though Native Americans were the first oppressed race in America that are now celebrating the way we used to celebrate felt kind of surreal.   We will be cited if we're spotted setting off any type of firework.  With us being only feet from reservation land, it's really, really weird. 

Don't get me wrong as I'm not saying that as a nation the Native Americans shouldn't be able to celebrate July 4th, but it's somewhat disconcerting that no one else in our city can celebrate the way we used to:  With fireworks!  Yes, I know they can be dangerous, but we were perfectly fine losing a finger or two at the cost of a truly spectacular pyrotechnic display.  (LOL)

Sometimes the powers-that-be can over-emphasize safety over tradition.  I remember when my Father would buy the BIGGEST box of fireworks in the neighborhood, and then shoot them off for everyone to see.  Nothing burned down, no one was hurt.  Maybe we were lucky?  Nonetheless, it was an important part of our July 4th celebration.  Our own city didn't put on a fireworks display.  What the hell's going on?  Yet again, another example of the Graying of America.

Hopefully our officials will let up on some of the restrictions which limit our use of fireworks (i.e., reduce the height of aerial displays, allow ground displays, etc.).  We can't lose EVERYTHING which makes us "us."  Our customs are being lost to practicality.  Can you be reasonable and still enjoy life to its fullest?

I shouldn't have to be live vicariously from my lawn chair.

rainwriter jones

Urban M.I.A.s (where are the bongo boys)...

As of late, it's been awfully quiet.  No migraine-inducing ultra-bass-playing mofos to be found ANYWHERE!  I wonder where they all went? 

I think that funds have ran low; baby's mamas have finally decided not to finance the foolery; their own moms have put them out of the basement; they're incarcerated; aliens took them?  (LOL)  It's been bliss to not be awakened whenever one of these idiots think it's time for the slumbering neighborhood to be startled awake to a barrage of n____ this or n_____ that.

My husband and I had a chuckle at some young lad that thought he was jammin'.  We pulled up to the stoplight next to this dude, and then what he construed as music started.  Huh???  No bass???  Well, I glanced over to my left to see he had a laptop riding shotgun in the passenger seat.  The fool was playing rap music from a laptop!  N_____ this and n_____ that all muted and sh*t!  He's just bobbin' his head in time like:  "I'm bad...I'm bad!!!"  (LMBAOOO)  At least he spared us all from that hideous noise which he calls music.

I haven't even heard The Bongo Boys roll past my building.  Summer usually brings out the worst in these young wannabe gangstas, but...nothing.  Hmmmm...where did they all go?  Not missing them:  Just asking.


rainwriter jones