A Norwegian friend of mine said that he doesn't understand Americans. In Juneau, on the 4th of July, a city barge travels out into the center of the channel between the mainland and Douglas Island and one by one the firemen set off about a half hour of fireworks, lighting up the night sky and the ocean alike.

My friend says, Townspeople see a rocket go up, say Ah!, watch the next one go up and again say Ah! and repeat until the fireworks are gone and the barge is empty.

Why don't they, he asks, set everything up to all blow at once? All the people would go AH!!!!!!!! and then everyone could go home.