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Why is young-adult fiction such as the Twilight series so popular?Young-adult books are being sold to an audience that can't vote, yet they're being written by people commonly referred to on the Internet as "the olds." We should know. We're two of them. Both of us have made our living writing. One of us in journalism (Grady) and the other in literary fiction (Katie). But then Katie's publisher pitched her on doing a Y.A. series, mostly because she's somewhat immature and teenager-ish anyway, so why not turn that weakness into a strength?

And, besides, there's no shame in Y.A. these days. Since 1999, the market has grown by 25 percent, and all the big authors are doing it: Patterson, Grisham, Bushnell. At this point, the next likely candidate is a Y.A. book from Jonathan Franzen. It would be very meta: The Corruptions. By the time the kid finished it, he'd be 35.

Katie CrouchWriting Y.A. as an adult is a chance to rewrite being a teenager. Our series, The Magnolia League, is, in some ways, the high-school experience we never had, where everyone is witty and good-looking and their problems are more like, "My evil grandmother is torturing my dead mom's soul!" rather than, "I have a lot of zits." It's an opportunity to relive high school in a more perfect manner. Who doesn't want to be 16 and living in a mansion? And hooking up with the hot guy? And having super hoodoo powers? It's totally normal.

It would be creepy if we included explicit sex scenes with glistening young skin and heaving young bosoms, but we keep it on the clean side. This isn't Twilight. No slutty werewolves here. Mostly we pass the rare sex scenes in outline form back and forth between us like a ticking time bomb until one of us bites the bullet and puts it on paper. When it's completed, the other one innocently asks to make a pass "for editing" and then reads it aloud in a mocking voice and turns the most embarrassing lines into an email signature.

It's sort of weird how, at a time when a reliable scare story is, "Are internet predators coming for your children?" that we are being paid good money to be literary predators and come for people's children. Only we do it with a nice marketing campaign and books about Southern debutantes with occult powers, rather than an old van with the windows blacked out. At least we're locked up in our rooms with our laptops and not out there on the streets teaching creative writing or something.

Working in the Y.A. trenches has been eye-opening. First off, although Katie started out the series alone, toward the end of book one she was tired and pregnant, and so she reached out to Grady and dragged him in.

(Grady: Full disclosure, Katie and I went to high school together, and she was my first girlfriend. I actually regard her choosing to write these books together as a tacit admission that she made a huge mistake when she dumped me after six weeks.)

(Katie: Full disclosure, I do not regret my decision in the slightest.)

What neither of us was prepared for was the insane pace. There's a reason that so many Y.A. series are written by collaborators: The timetable is crazy. Katie, having come out of an M.F.A. background where the rule was that good writing requires rumination, pain, and the slow loss of your best years, fought the craziness at first. But readers in Y.A. don't care about rumination. They don't want you to pore over your sentences trying to find the perfect turn of phrase that evokes the exact color of the shag carpeting in your living room when your dad walked out on your mom one autumn afternoon in 1973. They want you to tell a story. In Y.A. you write two or three drafts of a chapter, not eight. When kids like one book, they want the next one. Now. You need to deliver.

But even with two old people typing like crazy, the deadlines are insane. We're literally rewriting the second draft of the second book in the series in four weeks. The average length of time you get to write a Y.A. book is six months. Compared with "literary" fiction, that's warp speed.

In many ways, Y.A. is the lookingglass world to literary fiction, where everyone's jockeying over who got the biggest advance, the ultimate dream is to be anointed by the New Yorker, and you're expected to take two years or more to turn in your next novel that very few people are waiting to buy. The direct relationship with teen readers actually comes as a relief since the literary fiction crowd can get a little full of itself. (No offense, New Yorker "Under Forty" judges. You guys are great! And so good-looking!) It's fun to have kids coming up to you and saying: "Hey, that was cool. When's the next book?"

It's hard to find the same reader gratification as a writer of literary fiction. You have to be thankful to get reviewed at all, even if they pan you. And literary fiction readers are tough. We've both had some really appreciative fans, and when they tell us nice things, we want to make out with them. But readers of literary fiction are also very excited to judge you. Like the woman who turned to Katie at a reading and said: "Your writing is really coming along! Your voice is not really developed yet, but keep at it!"

Y.A. is fast and loose, the readers will write excited messages about you on Facebook, the marketing is amazing, and it's a lot easier to communicate with fans. And, unlike a lot of literary fiction writers, we love teenagers. No one's forced them to sit through college lit courses yet, so they're still fresh and unjaded. Of course, we know that eventually they'll turn on us. But right now Y.A. is hot hot hot, and it's like the older you are, the cooler it is to watch teen movies and read Y.A. books.

The two of us were ahead of the curve in that respect. In college we were both dedicated viewers of 90210 (which dates us horribly), and in our late 20s we went to see Varsity Blues together on opening night in the theater. At the time, people thought we were just old pedophiles, but who's smart and hip now?

Alas, we both know this cultural moment is much too good to last. Soon people will just be calling us creepers again. But for now, we're spending way too much time stealing the best lines from our old high-school diaries, both of us just a couple of years shy of 40, writing about first love, unrequited crushes, and Southern debutantes slathering their faces with rejuvenating wasp semen. It's way better than prom.

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Pud: +1 for the pilot

0/10

BRING ON THE SEXY STEWS, YEAH!

/None on those flights, apparently

"A continuous stream of gays and grannies and grandes," the pilot said.

Oh my!

"Eleven (expletive) over-the-top (expletive) ass (expletive) homosexuals and a granny," the pilot said as he complained to his co-pilot about the lack of flight attendants who caught his interest.

He could have at least tried being clever, e.g. "Fags fly free!"

thismomentinblackhistory: "A continuous stream of gays and grannies and grandes,"

new band name

JerseyTim: Could have been worse...

Hahahahahahaha!

How does this:

"A continuous stream of gays and grannies and grandes," or "Eleven (expletive) over-the-top (expletive) ass (expletive) homosexuals and a granny," or "Now I'm back in Houston, which is easily where the ugliest base is. I mean it's all these (expletive) old dudes and grannies and there's like maybe a handful of cute chicks."

equal this:

Cece Cox, the CEO of Resource Center Dallas, which advocates for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues in the city where Southwest Airlines is based, said, "This individual has made statements that are anti-woman, anti-age, and anti-gay in a way that can't be disputed and they're hateful and they're damaging to the employees of Southwest Airlines as well as consumers of Southwest Airlines."

Was it in poor taste? Yes, But anti-woman, anti-age, and anti gay? Hateful? Not in the context of women he'd like to "date" (i.e. bang). In this case, context is everything.

slayer199: In this case, context is everything.

You're right.

His co-pilot then responded inside the cockpit about one of those groups, but his response could not be heard on the recording. It is unclear whether the co-pilot refers to people who are gay, or people who are older, or people who are overweight, and the pilot is then heard responding, "Well I don't give a (expletive). I hate 100 percent of their (expletive)."

Contextually, he just hates dating their (expletive). This is all one big misunderstanding.

JerseyTim: Could have been worse...

Came for this. Leaving satisfied...after taking my lavelor mic to the bathroom to urinate....

"Pretzels, Mr. Bond?"

slayer199: Yes, But anti-woman, anti-age, and anti gay? Hateful?

"Pilot answers: "Well I don't give a (expletive). I hate 100 percent of their (expletive)."

What's not clear?

That was worth easing back on NoScript so I could listen to audio.

Ah, Houston, SkyWest 685 we're 19,5 for 230 and that was not us Lulz

thismomentinblackhistory: "A continuous stream of gays and grannies and grandes," the pilot said.

Oh my!

I LOL'd

BKITU: ... so he says, "Hey, sweetheart, you forgot the coffee!"

Heh, excellent.

Quasar: "Well I don't give a (expletive). I hate 100 percent of their (expletive)."

That said, based on my understanding, he wasn't live to the cockpit, he was live to air traffic control (and a few minutes is maybe dozens of miles, not "hundreds", subby). I don't understand the suspension. Personally, I think people have a right to be assholes in private.

RminusQ: Quasar: "Well I don't give a (expletive). I hate 100 percent of their (expletive)."

That said, based on my understanding, he wasn't live to the cockpit, he was live to air traffic control (and a few minutes is maybe dozens of miles, not "hundreds", subby). I don't understand the suspension. Personally, I think people have a right to be assholes in private.

While the plane itself may have only traveled "dozens of miles" in the few minutes, his broadcast was heard by people hundreds of miles away.

RminusQ: Personally, I think people have a right to be assholes in private.

"While at work" is now considered private?

JerseyTim: Could have been worse...

CSB: My grandpa was an airline pilot after his navy pilot days... one of his best stories was flying with a copilot afraid of thunderstorms (I know).

They're going through a storm, he goes on the intercom and says "Ladies and gentlemen, we may experience some turbulence. If you could all buckle your seatbelts, we'll be through the worst of it in a few minutes."

Before he lets go of the button, lightning flashes in front of the cockpit, just as the plane is gut-wrenchingly rocked by turbulence. The co-pilot yells "OH SHIAT, WE'RE FARKED" for the entire plane to hear.

RminusQ: Quasar: "Well I don't give a (expletive). I hate 100 percent of their (expletive)."
That said, based on my understanding, he wasn't live to the cockpit, he was live to air traffic control (and a few minutes is maybe dozens of miles, not "hundreds", subby). I don't understand the suspension. Personally, I think people have a right to be assholes in private.

Farking radios, how do they work?

RminusQ: I don't understand the suspension. Personally, I think people have a right to be assholes in private.

FTFA: "Pilots within certain altitude guidelines over that entire geographic area were unable to communicate with Houston Center air traffic controllers for the entire four-minute duration of his conversation since his headset microphone was stuck."

You might want to just double check your dictionary, it appears to have a very odd definition of "private"

"Eleven (expletive) over-the-top (expletive) ass (expletive) homosexuals and a granny,"

Well he's right. Stewardesses used to be hot chicks, now it's fat ugly broads and flamers. Not that there's anything wrong with being flaming.

"A continuous stream of gays and grannies and grandes," the pilot said.

Are those the new sizes at starbucks?

RAW AUDIO: Pilot Tirade (Warning: Language)

Oh really? So the pilot was there bleeping himself? Does anyone know of a link to actual raw audio?

Lets play... FILL THOSE EXPLETIVES! Tonight a Houston pilot gets his mic stuck on recording. He then makes the dreadful mistake to harass the crew members. The first three to correctly answer move on to our weekly whirrple round. Lets play!

'"Eleven (expletive) over-the-top (expletive) ass (expletive) homosexuals and a granny," the pilot said as he complained to his co-pilot about the lack of flight attendants who caught his interest.'

BKITU: ... so he says, "Hey, sweetheart, you forgot the coffee!"

I was going to go with "Take your time, honey, he said he was going to take a shiat first."

The classics never get old.

Was it this guy?:

BKITU: ... so he says, "Hey, sweetheart, you forgot the coffee!"

Came to say this.

sexy stew:

4 chicken boobies make it so hot.

Should have been a pilot back in the good ol days.

RminusQ: "I don't understand the suspension."

Because he tied up comm traffic to the controllers for four minutes?

That's the perfect SWA commerical:

After he says it all, the voice over guy says their slogan:

"Want to get away?"

Mad Scientist: Should have been a pilot back in the good ol days.

Bring back the hot pants!

/And the hot women.

jesdynf: Personally, I wouldn't fire the guy either. The worst punishment I could possibly dole out to him would be making him continue to fly those routes and see what dates he can find now.

Well he's certainly not getting any action from the old people, homosexual men, or fat chicks! That will teach him properly! I feel that the airline had cause to fire him and do the flop-and-twitch apology; PR is PR after all. I think his preferences on dating are not a matter to be considered hateful... I'm sure the homosexual flight attendants are uninterested in dating him as well. Nobody likes to have sex with old people if they have a choice, and fat people likewise.

Kankikr2: '"Eleven impressively over-the-top hunky-ass f*ckable homosexuals and a granny," the pilot said as he complained to his co-pilot about the lack of flight attendants who caught his interest.'

I don't think this is right, contextually speaking.

So, wait, are his terrorist ties with the Muslim side or the Fundamentalist Christian side? Is he blow up people in the desert kind of terrorist or shoot a doctor in church kind of terrorist?

/DRFTA

What's the deal with these fake ex-terrorists? Walid Shoebat is another. These guys have a quite a cottage industry for themselves.

It seems to me that the same people who say that Muslims can't be trusted because the Koran says it's OK to deceive the nonbelievers in jihad are also the same ones that embrace these so-called ex-terrorists. Why wouldn't these converts be deep undercover?

xanadian: There's a difference?

...and we're done here.

They had a nutjob like this visit my mother in law's Baptist church. The people were shocked and wanted to know how they can help to stop the 15 million Christians that were beheaded last year in Saudi Arabia and so they gave him lots of money. They also learned that the best way to stop Islamic terrorism was to convince the Government to eradicate all non Christians from the face of the Earth. That got applause from the crowd.

At time I hate this hick town.

Well, as a pagan, I have to say I'm rather happy that Christian ministers have moved on from being ex-evil-witches to being ex-evil-Muslims.

/my condolences to the Muslims

And while Liberty Baptist Seminary officials found Caner made "factual statements that are self-contradictory," the chairman of the panel that investigated him says, "We never once found that he lied."

You see, that's the problem, you have to know what a Southern Baptist lie means. If you put it in a small paper bag it becomes something else.

Onkel Buck: Wow! Those terrorist don't do anything half ass even conversions

It doesn't really seem like all that big a change to me.

The theists in the United States have no world wide credibility.

THIS

At least he's not gay.

/sarcasm

I KNEW he looked familiar...

JerseyTim: What's the deal with these fake ex-terrorists? Walid Shoebat is another. These guys have a quite a cottage industry for themselves.

It seems to me that the same people who say that Muslims can't be trusted because the Koran says it's OK to deceive the nonbelievers in jihad are also the same ones that embrace these so-called ex-terrorists. Why wouldn't these converts be deep undercover?

It's the same as the "former 33rd degree Masonic Satanist Priests" and "former witches" who claim to have served Satan (the "prince of lies") but were saved from damnation by Big G and the JC Boyz. They tell ridiculous, impossible, laughable lies because to the faithful it's like hearing a play-by-play of their favorite football team winning against their rivals. They either rationalize the lies as righteous because, "It helps show kids where (insert bad thing) leads, and leads them back to God;" or they simply smother any guilt under piles of money.

Note this also occurs with preachers telling filthy liesstories about their days of drugging, whoring, and/or fabulousing (having lots of gay sex) all over the place.

This is the first I have heard of a fake "former muslim" but I have no doubt they've been around just as long as the rest. The improbable stories of, "Savages being civilized by the great white European colonial penisesmissionaries," make this trope older than dirt.

This is typical Christian Fundy theatrics. They all need to have a narrative of sin and redemption and they love to work a crowd into a frenzy over the work of Satan that they have, with their own eyes, witnessed.

Baloney.

Do Christian fundamentalists realize how gullible and easy to manipulate they are? Spiritual warfare!!@! YEEEEARRRRRGH!!!!!!

FTA: And while Liberty Baptist Seminary officials found Caner made "factual statements that are self-contradictory," the chairman of the panel that investigated him says, "We never once found that he lied."

...wait, what?

And while Liberty Baptist Seminary officials found Caner made "factual statements that are self-contradictory," the chairman of the panel that investigated him says, "We never once found that he lied."

Behold! The magic of doublethink!

LeglessDog: I read this book, by him and his brother. It's very detailed and (from my amateur prospective) unbiased. Any person who still has hope there's such thing as a devout Muslim who's "moderate" and doesn't hate all the "infidels" should read this book . . .

Unveiling Islam is a series of half truths, misrepresentations, and specious arguments. Speaking as a moderate Muslim, I have to disagree with their representations of Islam. If you have specific questions, I'm glad to answer them either here or at the email in my profile.

abb3w: FTA: And while Liberty Baptist Seminary officials found Caner made "factual statements that are self-contradictory," the chairman of the panel that investigated him says, "We never once found that he lied."

...wait, what?

Ooh fancy font!

Aarontology: And while Liberty Baptist Seminary officials found Caner made "factual statements that are self-contradictory," the chairman of the panel that investigated him says, "We never once found that he lied."

Behold! The magic of doublethink!

Could God make self-contradicting yet factual statements without ever once lying?

Thorndyke Barnhard: I think "converts" help people feel ok with the fact that they are a member of a faith most likely only because they were born into a community of that faith and not because they rationally chose it or subjected it to any vetting for truth. They benefit vicariously from the example of the convert and think it makes their religion more credible if they can point to someone who chose it freely and consciously.

That's an interesting theory. But I have to wonder how many of the kind of faithful that so love these "conversion stories" are actually capable of that level of introspection or understanding of indoctrination, even subconsciously.

But I may just be too prejudiced.

Stile4aly: LeglessDog: I read this book, by him and his brother. It's very detailed and (from my amateur prospective) unbiased. Any person who still has hope there's such thing as a devout Muslim who's "moderate" and doesn't hate all the "infidels" should read this book . . .

Unveiling Islam is a series of half truths, misrepresentations, and specious arguments. Speaking as a moderate Muslim, I have to disagree with their representations of Islam. If you have specific questions, I'm glad to answer them either here or at the email in my profile.

Given that TFA talks about the guy having immigrated from Sweden I suspect Legless Dog is either guzzling the kool-aid or trolling.

LeglessDog: I read this book, by him and his brother. It's very detailed and (from my amateur prospective) unbiased. Any person who still has hope there's such thing as a devout Muslim who's "moderate" and doesn't hate all the "infidels" should read this book . . .

Well my bias is certainly confirmed. As long as it's in a book that means it's okay, though.

Dingo Pictures presents James Cameron's Titanic

tags: dingo pictures, phoenix games, vhs transfer, disney, bootleg, knock-off, german

This Week on Something Awful...

Yeah. THANKS JAN BREWER AND THE REST OF THE ARIZONA LEGISLATURE. For recently legalizing fireworks in the middle of the driest, hottest season in Arizona. Heckuva job.

It's going to be 110° today. Firework stands on every street corner in Tucson.

Nothing says love for one's country quite like burning it to the ground.

/TO THE GROUND!

ArtosRC: Nothing says love for one's country quite like burning it to the ground.

/TO THE GROUND!

Eh, most of it was like that when we got there...

Godscrack: Yeah. THANKS JAN BREWER AND THE REST OF THE ARIZONA LEGISLATURE. For recently legalizing fireworks in the middle of the driest, hottest season in Arizona. Heckuva job.

It's going to be 110° today. Firework stands on every street corner in Tucson.

Banning things because morans exist isn't the solution to things.

Here's a brilliant one for you:

My Arizona city has banned the use fireworks within city limits. So what does one do? One can go to the supermarkets and drug stores and Targets and Walmarts and the fireworks stands within the city limits and buy them. Who goes to the stores? City residents. Hurr durr!!

Helloooooooooooooo....

AnubisMan: Godscrack: Yeah. THANKS JAN BREWER AND THE REST OF THE ARIZONA LEGISLATURE. For recently legalizing fireworks in the middle of the driest, hottest season in Arizona. Heckuva job.

It's going to be 110° today. Firework stands on every street corner in Tucson.

Banning things because morans exist isn't the solution to things.

That's why we should ban morans... DUH!

AnubisMan: Godscrack: Yeah. THANKS JAN BREWER AND THE REST OF THE ARIZONA LEGISLATURE. For recently legalizing fireworks in the middle of the driest, hottest season in Arizona. Heckuva job.

It's going to be 110° today. Firework stands on every street corner in Tucson.

Banning things because morans exist isn't the solution to things.

It's not because morans exist, it's because there's essentially no safe way to use a flying incendiary device in Arizona during the dryest part of the year. If you don't have your own off-road capable fire department, you shouldn't be allowed to set off fireworks.

Godscrack: Yeah. THANKS JAN BREWER AND THE REST OF THE ARIZONA LEGISLATURE. For recently legalizing fireworks in the middle of the driest, hottest season in Arizona. Heckuva job.

It's going to be 110° today. Firework stands on every street corner in Tucson.

Uh....that bill was passed LAST YEAR dude....

AnubisMan: Godscrack: Yeah. THANKS JAN BREWER AND THE REST OF THE ARIZONA LEGISLATURE. For recently legalizing fireworks in the middle of the driest, hottest season in Arizona. Heckuva job.

It's going to be 110° today. Firework stands on every street corner in Tucson.

Banning things because morans exist isn't the solution to things.

There are limits. Banning really really really dangerous things because morans exist is a good idea.

raptusregaliter: Here's a brilliant one for you:

My Arizona city has banned the use fireworks within city limits. So what does one do? One can go to the supermarkets and drug stores and Targets and Walmarts and the fireworks stands within the city limits and buy them. Who goes to the stores? City residents. Hurr durr!!

Helloooooooooooooo....

So, you have two options.....

A) Go light em off in Gilbert
B) Go light em off in a county island. Tons of em around

ArtosRC: Nothing says love for one's country quite like burning it to the ground.

/TO THE GROUND!

Or, another way to say it:

"Celebrate the independence of your nation by blowing up a small part of it. "

So is this the thread where we plan a Phoenix Fark party on the 4th of July?

/because it seems like everyone from AZ is posting here

raygundan:
It's not because morans exist, it's because there's essentially no safe way to use a flying incendiary device in Arizona during the dryest part of the year. If you don't have your own off-road capable fire department, you shouldn't be allowed to set off fireworks.

Fireworks in arizona aren't allowed to "fly".....

raygundan: It's not because morans exist, it's because there's essentially no safe way to use a flying incendiary device in Arizona during the dryest part of the year.

Well, there is. But most morans don't know about it

kidgenius: raygundan:
It's not because morans exist, it's because there's essentially no safe way to use a flying incendiary device in Arizona during the dryest part of the year. If you don't have your own off-road capable fire department, you shouldn't be allowed to set off fireworks.

Fireworks in arizona aren't allowed to "fly".....

Yes, but you can buy them here. And the article refers to them as "flaming projectiles," so he either had flying fireworks, or was throwing them.

raygundan: AnubisMan: Godscrack: Yeah. THANKS JAN BREWER AND THE REST OF THE ARIZONA LEGISLATURE. For recently legalizing fireworks in the middle of the driest, hottest season in Arizona. Heckuva job.

It's going to be 110° today. Firework stands on every street corner in Tucson.

Banning things because morans exist isn't the solution to things.

It's not because morans exist, it's because there's essentially no safe way to use a flying incendiary device in Arizona during the dryest part of the year. If you don't have your own off-road capable fire department, you shouldn't be allowed to set off fireworks.

I am probably thinking of the California style fireworks that are just cardboard tubes that shoot off sparks in a localized area. You just have a hose ready and put them in a bucket of water after they are done.

Now those mortor shells, and roman candles that actually fly large distances, then yes I can totally see banning those.

They should really take a hard stance and say no to whistlin' bungholes, no spleen splitters, whisker biscuits, honkey lighters, hoosker doos, hoosker don'ts, cherry bombs, nipsy daisers, with or without the scooter stick, or one single whistlin' kitty chasers

badhatharry: We should just ban fire.

I think that's already been done. It usually starts in may and runs through the summer.

raygundan: Yes, but you can buy them here. And the article refers to them as "flaming projectiles," so he either had flying fireworks, or was throwing them

No, no you can't buy them here.

All the tents sell are cardboard tubes that shoot out sparks. No projectiles of any kinds are legal for sale within the state.

So, either he didn't buy them here, or the story/witnesses are incorrect.

kidgenius: raptusregaliter: Here's a brilliant one for you:

My Arizona city has banned the use fireworks within city limits. So what does one do? One can go to the supermarkets and drug stores and Targets and Walmarts and the fireworks stands within the city limits and buy them. Who goes to the stores? City residents. Hurr durr!! Helloooooooooooooo....

So, you have two options.....

A) Go light em off in Gilbert
B) Go light em off in a county island. Tons of em around

Let's see how busy my city fire department is on the 4th. Any bets?

Please, people don't care.

//I have been tempted, just for the hell of it
/as a former wildland firefighter/EMT, I just can't bring myself to do it

raygundan: badhatharry: We should just ban fire.

I think that's already been done. It usually starts in may and runs through the summer.

Camping without a campfire sucks. At least they still let us walk around freely. Mostly.

They passed this law during a drought. A motherf*cking drought. Not a wet year, or a wet period, or even a wet season.

WE DON"T LIVE IN CHICAGO, DIPSH*TS!

kidgenius: raygundan: Yes, but you can buy them here. And the article refers to them as "flaming projectiles," so he either had flying fireworks, or was throwing them

No, no you can't buy them here.

All the tents sell are cardboard tubes that shoot out sparks. No projectiles of any kinds are legal for sale within the state.

So, either he didn't buy them here, or the story/witnesses are incorrect.

I'm not a lawyer, but Arizona's law as amended last year appears to include an exemption for the sale of non-permitted fireworks that are to be taken out of state. I assumed this was the same as similar provisions in the midwest-- you can sell anything up to and including giant mortars, they're just not legal to *use* here.

Also, to add to your "didn't buy them here or witnesses are wrong" choice, we still have the possibility that he was throwing the stupid things.

How does someone go hiking in Arizona, which is already like 80% in flames, and think an explosive is a good idea?

Joseph Viganola of New Jersey told officers that he was hiking the trail with a group of his friends when he decided to light consumer fireworks he had purchased.

Ah, that explains it. Firework probably ignited the axe body spray can he had in his bag as he pretended to be a real man for a day.

orezona: So is this the thread where we plan a Phoenix Fark party on the 4th of July?

/because it seems like everyone from AZ is posting here

I'm down. I vote for The Bikini Lounge to be the spot.

/No, I have no monetary intrest in the place unless you consider getting cheap PBR to my financial benefit.

kidgenius: All the tents sell are cardboard tubes that shoot out sparks. No projectiles of any kinds are legal for sale within the state.

Nuh?

Yo! This is Joey from Jersey. I'm coming to your state and I'm gonna burn it down.

JoeyVigz (new joisey)

badhatharry: raygundan: badhatharry: We should just ban fire.

I think that's already been done. It usually starts in may and runs through the summer.

Camping without a campfire sucks. At least they still let us walk around freely. Mostly.

I backpack and camp in the summer here, and I can assure you that there is no way you'd want a campfire. Warmth is not an issue. Camping without a campfire in, say... October in Kentucky would suck. It's 110F already. You don't need or want a fire. And I'm getting tired of carrying extra water so I've got enough to extinguish the ones I find.

ArtosRC: Nothing says love for one's country quite like burning it to the ground.

/TO THE GROUND!

Damn you Ghost Crawler, stop nerfing Arizona

Who knew?

trappedspirit: kidgenius: All the tents sell are cardboard tubes that shoot out sparks. No projectiles of any kinds are legal for sale within the state.

Nuh?

They only like snakes and sparklers

/you tryin' to tell me you don't got one whistlin' kitty chaser?

special20: Yo! This is Joey from Jersey. I'm coming to your state and I'm gonna burn it down.

JoeyVigz (new joisey)

LMAO his last post:

Joseph Viganola
Left Vegas, now in scotsdale arizona
Sunday at 12:37am via iPhone

And one to show how smart the guy is:

Joseph Viganola
donald trump, im sold i may actually vote for you
April 18 at 2:26pm

I wish I could write on his wall

Jake Havechek
Right now Jan Brewer's quickly hiding the state's firefighting funds so she can beg the Fed for free money to line her pockets

I wish you would let up on Jan. It wasn't easy for her growing up in Marcia's shadow and living in a house without a toilet.

Obviously they caught the wrong person and coerced a confession. That's the only logical explanation since he's not an illegal immigrant.

scottydoesntknow: Any person that willfully lights fireworks in a known dry area prone to fires should be tied to wooden board, surrounded by fireworks/gasoline, and pushed into the center of a large lake. I would then want the Fire Marshall to shoot roman candles at the raft until one connected and the entire thing goes up in a blaze of safe, colorful glory.

I think there's a good chance we could get that passed in the next legislative session.

AnubisMan: Godscrack: Yeah. THANKS JAN BREWER AND THE REST OF THE ARIZONA LEGISLATURE. For recently legalizing fireworks in the middle of the driest, hottest season in Arizona. Heckuva job.

It's going to be 110° today. Firework stands on every street corner in Tucson.

Banning things because morans exist isn't the solution to things.

No but it does a great job in preventing forest fires being created by fireworks.

/fires created by illegals or lightning strikes...not so much
/we should outlaw lightning in Arizona

themanfromlamancha: trappedspirit: kidgenius: All the tents sell are cardboard tubes that shoot out sparks. No projectiles of any kinds are legal for sale within the state.

Nuh?

They only like snakes and sparklers

/you tryin' to tell me you don't got one whistlin' kitty chaser?

I stick with the spleen splitters and whisker biscuits