That blowed up real good!

How do fireworks work?

Make your own (virtual) fireworks.

Make your own (real) fireworks. Nope. Nothing there that could possibly go wrong.

Oh. Yeah. Except for maybe that. And that. And that. Annnnd... all of those hundreds of other things listed at stop-fireworks.org's Big List of Fireworks Boo-Boos. For all you readers from outside the US, don't be so smug until you check out your own country's fireworks accident list... On the other hand, it's pretty hard to live down something like this:

Coralville, Iowa - Authorities say a man died in the fire that apparently started with fireworks. Neighbors said they saw the victim shooting off fireworks from inside his mobile home and then they saw flames coming from a window. The trailer was engulfed in fire within minutes.

On the bright side, maybe you will join the ranks of such luminaries as Boris Yeltsin, Jerry Garcia, and other celebrities with missing fingers.

In short, if you're celebrating the 4th tomorrow, keep it safe and sane. Don't let your last words be "Hey guys! Watch this!"

Technorati tags: fireworks, DIY, safety, Fourth of July