Fireworks are for kids and idiots. Pride in america is disgusting and a cornerstone in perpetuating capitalism, surreal consumerism, overconsumption, and the glamorization of striving to live in utter excess.
what you say goes and your sight beats everyone elses.
Merciel wrote:I like big awesome fireworks shows, especially when they're sponsored as a civic display for the public to share in a big, pleasant public space (that bit always feels very democratic to me), but I could do without yahoos setting off their own amateur fireworks and scaring people's pets and blowing themselves up every year.
I've never been super into summer bbq as a social event (too hot, too much sun, don't like to eat that much meat and I have never cared for the traditional sides except for baked beans) and I'm way too old to have fun day drinking anymore.
So yeah it's a pretty mediocre holiday that appeals to a bunch of the worst people.
It still can't be anywhere near the worst of the major holidays though. St. Patty's is worse for annoyingness. Columbus Day is worse for cheering colonialism. New Year's is worse for reminding you of the failures of your past, the futility of attempting change, the inevitable toll of age, and the swiftness with which your remaining years are eroding. Plus it's always cold and bleak as fuck, which I guess is appropriate, but still makes it an extra shitty holiday.
So those ones are all worse.
having the Mummers in Philly makes NYD extraordinarily worse than anywhere else in the country. also it's usually the last day of a long break to end the previous year for me, so it's definitely the worst holiday, if not the worst day of the year period.
It was never a big deal when I was growing up; we'd just go to the town's fireworks and that was it. To me it's an excuse to hang out with friends and drink all day. But in my wife's family it's as important as Christmas and there's a standing expectation that everyone should be willing to travel cross-country to get together. This stresses me out every year. One family "must travel" holiday commitment per year - Christmas - is enough for me.
The fireworks and parading Shriners and silly dogs were usually amusing, but the way the town swelled from two to three thousand residents to twenty to thirty thousand people for a few days was always a bit much, honestly.
Eric Roberts wrote:Hipinion. Hipinion? Hipinion...is hip.
mcwop23 wrote:this is the only holiday jacksonville (well the beach) does well in non pandemic years
i bet the beach is still a shitshow this year especially since it’s a weekend holiday
This time last year I spent the weekend at my then-gf's place, which happened to be at the beach. The brief time we spent outside on the day of was just a cavalcade of drunken yahoos.
It's easy enough to avoid most of the worst aspects of the holiday, but assholes setting off fireworks on my street well after midnight when it isn't even the fourth really steams my beans
mcwop23 wrote:this is the only holiday jacksonville (well the beach) does well in non pandemic years
i bet the beach is still a shitshow this year especially since it’s a weekend holiday
This time last year I spent the weekend at my then-gf's place, which happened to be at the beach. The brief time we spent outside on the day of was just a cavalcade of drunken yahoos.
I've always found it a somewhat lonely holiday. It's like everyone is at some vague acquaintance's bbq, and I'm rarely invited. Perhaps this is just a me problem.
I saw them live a couple of times, the second time being in...I think it was in a museum? It was in a city I didn't live in and I'm blanking on the specifics now but it wasn't a traditional music venue.