Today is a federal holiday in the United States, land that I love, to celebrate the signing, 246 years ago, of the Declaration of Independence. Each year this means people say to me things like, “You’re into sound, so you must love the Fourth of July.” To which I usually respond silently — because I find fireworks utterly nerve-rattling. I’m not much of a dog person, but apparently I’m quite sympathetic to the annual canine plight. Here’s a special holiday edition of This Week in Sound:
▰ “The city issued an advisory on Sunday, noting that on the typical July 4th evening Minneapolis’ 911 operators receives ‘hundreds of calls per hour, most of which are related to fireworks noise complaints.’” ➔ bringmethenews.com
▰ “How to Block Fireworks Noise for Adults, Kids, and Pets” ➔ nytimes.com
▰ “Why some dogs are more scared of fireworks than others” ➔ insider.com
▰ “6 Vet- and Owner-Approved Tips for Keeping Your Dog Calm During July Fourth Fireworks” ➔ cnet.com
▰ “If things that go boom aren’t your thing, the Department of Environmental Management is holding a ‘quiet fireworks’ display Monday at Beavertail State Park in Jamestown.” ➔ providencejournal.com
▰ “Few things capture the obnoxiousness of a certain ‘love it or leave it’ brand of patriotism like Iowa’s permissive approach toward personal fireworks displays.” ➔ desmoinesregister.com
▰ “Traditional Fourth of July fireworks displays are being replaced by large swarms of small drones with colored lights. It reduces wildfire risk, pollution and loud noises.” ➔ npr.org
These above sound-studies highlights of the week are lightly adapted from the July 4, 2022, issue of the free Disquiet.com weekly email newsletter This Week in Sound (tinyletter.com/disquiet).