Cue the sirens.

"Today's the 4th of July/Another June has gone by/And when they light up our town I just think/What a waste of gunpowder and sky..."

I passed a kid on the way to the gym yesterday in an Iron Maiden t-shirt. Do people still listen to that band or do they just sell the shirts at Hot Topic for posers? I mean, I doubt most of the folks in knockoff Betty Boop merchandise have ever seen an actual vintage BB short. And I'm sure that the kids in Sex Pistols clothing wouldn't know the difference between Sid Vicious' corpse and Keith Richards (to be fair, that's a hard distinction to certify without a coroner and a necromancer on hand). Just wondering.

Tonight was the usual pomp and circumstance of lighting the sky. As usual, the hills of Burbank charred a little bit and the fire department had to put out three small blazes. It's always a nice opportunity to bond with my neighbors on the top level of my building - watching the red lights flash and the flames slowly disappear is almost as fun as watching the multi-colored designs of the fireworks. Beforehand, The Princess and I opted for a sushi dinner. Doesn't get much more American than raw Japanese food served by friendly Korean waiters and their Mexican busboys. Personally, I'm not that patriotic and while I like fireworks, I'm far more inclined to be entranced by reflection of the sunset or shimmer of moonlight over the ocean. That or a meteor shower. Don't get me wrong - I'm not exactly some anti-American hippie type but I feel the same way about this day as I do about Mother's Day or Valentine's Day. Like your mother or your lover, your country deserves your love - honest, warm and tough all year round.

So get out and vote and protest and write your representatives and march in any kind of parade you like. And shoot a flare into the sky if it makes you happy. Just don't point it at the flag, anyone's eye or cat. I hear the police don't look to kindly at that.

-J.

This post was sponsored by the Roman Candelabra Committee.