Americans like big things that go boom. Maybe we didn’t invent gunpowder-infused color rockets (the Chinese did), but we’ve certainly embraced them. While some of you will be trekking long and far to backyard gatherings of sparklers and smoke bombs (like me), others will be lacing it up real high with truckloads of illegal morning glories and whipperwhils and devil cannons and nerd hunters. Boom boom boom.

If you’re one of the explosive at heart or lucky enough to live close, you might even seek out one of Americas’s top ten fireworks shows, from Thunder Over Louisville in Kentucky to Welcome America! (I wonder who they’re welcoming) in Philly. Should be some outrageous, color-me-brite cartoon-eccentric Americana bliss-blast. Don’t forget to wear protective goggles when handling mini-sticks of dynamite.

What’s the deal with all these fireworks? Regulations vary from state to state. Annually, the US imports nearly $200 million worth of fireworks from China and Japan, of which, nearly 60% go off on the 4th. Those numbers don’t even factor in the booming illegal market. Fold in the 10,000+ injuries per year and you have once spicy enchilada of American Freedom celebration, yeah!

Keep it safe. Enjoy the view. R.O.C.K in the U.S.A.