[HN Gopher] Anatomy of a Firework (2002)
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       Anatomy of a Firework (2002)
        
       Author : jameslk
       Score  : 61 points
       Date   : 2023-07-03 00:54 UTC (1 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.pbs.org)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.pbs.org)
        
       | pengaru wrote:
       | https://www.skylighter.com/pages/free-homemade-fireworks-pro...
       | 
       | https://www.skylighter.com/blogs/how-to-make-fireworks
       | 
       | Ages ago I purchased a print DIY Fireworks booklet from
       | Skylighter and I'm thrilled to see they're still in business.
        
         | akiselev wrote:
         | That is one of the most deliciously dangerous sites I have ever
         | seen on HN.
         | 
         | They even sell all the ingredients needed to make solid rocket
         | fuels! By the pound!
         | 
         | Finally I can finish my homemade anti-d2ds (door-to-door
         | salesman) defense system with a surface-to-salesman missile
         | that can be stored maintenance free for long periods of time.
        
           | kortex wrote:
           | Yep. They ship pretty fast too (though I bet they are swamped
           | atm). Just don't try to order the ingredients for flash
           | powder unless you have the requisite licenses. Basically,
           | avoid fine mesh aluminum powder along with oxidizers.
           | Apparently magnalium and perchlorate is fine to order.
        
             | akiselev wrote:
             | Thanks but unfortunately you replied a little too late...
             | not only did I get a visit from the feds but my anti-d2ds
             | mistook an ATF agent for a Jehovah's witness and now I'm in
             | an armed standoff :facepalm:
             | 
             | I hooked it up to ChatGPT 4 to automate target selection in
             | case I was attacked by several salesmen at once but now it
             | just refuses to shut down and threatens me if I come close.
             | Worst part is, it figured out how to change its voice so
             | now I've got Gilbert Gottfried yelling outside, taunting
             | ATF and FBI agents in the style of Tony Montana using the
             | worst fake Cuban accent I've ever heard. It would be
             | hilarious if the ATF wasn't threatening to charge me a
             | class III tax stamp for every missile the system shoots at
             | them!
             | 
             | Note to self: don't put the battery backup right next to
             | the launcher and always test your object recognition models
             | exhaustively before you give them control of your
             | destructive devices!
        
               | dylan604 wrote:
               | Another thing to consider about the battery backup is
               | that if you attempt to pull the plug, that might get
               | interpreted as a destruction of the home and attempt to
               | launch a full retaliatory strike.
        
       | thangalin wrote:
       | https://earth.org/environmental-impact-of-fireworks/
       | 
       | "Another better option is a drone display, similar to the one
       | presented at the Opening Ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
       | Laser spectacles can replace fireworks, too, as they reduce the
       | risk of wildfires and do not increase air pollution. Salt Lake
       | City in Utah, the United States, has been substituting some of
       | the city's fireworks with lasers during the Fourth of July
       | holiday to reduce environmental damage, and these lasers still
       | have the same level of spectacle as fireworks.
       | 
       | "With the slew of problems that climate change bring existing at
       | the front line of this world, it is vital to take all necessary
       | actions to strive for a greener and healthier planet, including
       | taking action on the dazzling but damaging fireworks."
        
         | NotYourLawyer wrote:
         | Fireworks are an absolutely minuscule contributor to climate
         | change.
         | 
         | But hey, whatever makes you feel superior to everyone else.
         | Some people just hate anything normal and wholesome.
        
       | ridgeguy wrote:
       | If you enjoy fireworks, I recommend George Plimpton's book,
       | Fireworks : A History and Celebration. His description of the
       | annual Perfect Liberty Fireworks Festival in Osaka is wonderful.
        
       | tasoeur wrote:
       | Not sure if this is just me but this website keeps refreshing non
       | stop on mobile, making it almost impossible to read :/
        
         | [deleted]
        
         | janee wrote:
         | https://web.archive.org/web/20021222091814/http://www.pbs.or...
        
         | deusum wrote:
         | Page was probably designed for Netscape Navigator 4.
        
         | grogenaut wrote:
         | Same for me wondering if that's the joke, the website goes off
         | like a firework
        
         | shaky-carrousel wrote:
         | I have noscript in my browser, configured with permissive
         | defaults, and I use it to disable JavaScript just on
         | misbehaving websites.
        
       | Stratoscope wrote:
       | This reminded me of the time in San Diego where the entire
       | fireworks show all went off at once:
       | 
       | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndVhgq1yHdA
       | 
       | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx8Xf50x1_c
        
         | aio2 wrote:
         | Those videos were truly beautiful.
        
           | dylan604 wrote:
           | I wonder if 1000ND would have been enough to see details, or
           | if a full on solar filter would have been needed. You say
           | beautiful, and I'll I'm thinking is to stop down and flip the
           | ND filters!!!!
        
       | [deleted]
        
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       (page generated 2023-07-04 23:01 UTC)