One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Epic Fireworks Fail May Be Due To "Computer Code Virus" (Skynet?!)
As the world continues to enjoy the Big Bay Boom's Fabulous Fireworks F*ckup which resulted in all the fireworks for its 18-minute show to go off at once, the NJ-based fireworks company is insisting that this was unintentional. August Santore of Garden State Fireworks told CNN, "This is very uncommon .... there was nothing in the pyrotechnics that went wrong. It was the electronics."
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, "The nation’s fireworks industry is watching the fallout from the San Diego show as Santore tries to isolate what he said appears to be a virus in the code that synchronizes the firing of shells." The USS Midway Museum had charged $15 to 3,500 people to watch the fireworks from its deck. Only 10 people asked for refunds; its marketing director said, "Disappointment, but understanding, is the fair way to characterize it." And U-T columnist Matthew Hall thinks San Diego should just own it, "What we lost in fireworks, we gained in legend, we gained in urban myth."
Santore said, "Thank goodness no one was injured," he said. "Precautions all worked 100 percent. We are a good strong company, and we rely on technology. We’ll take the ridicule as long as no one was injured." He added, "We did last year’s show, and this one was to be even bigger. We did this show in 15 locations around the country last night, and this was the first time this has happened. No one is more saddened than we are." He also offered to put on another show for free, "I’m very confident that whatever happened, we’re going to get to the bottom of it and make sure it doesn’t happen again." Wait, but what if San Diego wants another Super Big Bay Boom Fail?
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
