A Cautionary Tale for 4th of July ....

They're Great To Watch, But Be Careful Tonight ..

Happy 4th of July everybody! I hope you're having a good one. I did what every red-blooded American doe son Independence Day - I pressure washed my house. Actually, I did it with a hose, a bucket of soap, and a ton of armpower.... Hey, it's the only exercise I get... I did have plans to run into Earl today, but his priest's wife passed away. Our condolences to all involved...

If you're like most people, you'll celebrate today in the usual fashion - BBQ, Swimming and Fireworks... Being the Salmon that always swims upstream, we want to ask you to be careful, so that today is alway a day you remember for good reasons.... THIS JUST IN - JOEY CHESTNUT HAS WON HIS 3RD STRAIGHT CONEY ISLAND HOT DOG EATING CONTEST, BEATING KOBAYASHI 68-64 1/2 ........ALL OF AMERICA IS PROUD !!!

If you're by the pool, be sure to keep an eye on the kids, don't drink and drive, and most importantly, be careful with the fireworks. I once played a 4th of July party in New York with a homemade fireworks show, when a stand holding up a rapid fire rocket display tipped over, and shot about 100 rockets at us just after we finished - it was like the scene in 'Forrest Gump' when it finally stopped raining... But that's not the worst I've heard of.

Michael Goldberg was a guy I went to Junior High and High School with. I didn't know him all that well - he was a year ahead of me, and he didn't live in my neighborhood. A few years after graduation I read about him on July 5th in the newspaper. Apparently, an M-80, which I think is the equivalent of a half-stick of dynamite, he was lighting detonated prematurely, and killed kim. I think he was 23, but he'd be 42 today. That's a lifetime of missed opportunities and memories...... Be careful tonight.

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