hooray for the red, white and blue!

Some fabulous facts about the fourth of July:

• 1. Outsource it! $207 million worth of fireworks and $4.3 million worth of American flags were imported from China last year.
  
• 2. Blow it up! The CDC reports that nationally, more than 10,000 people needed emergency medical care for fireworks injuries last year. 
• 3. Eat it! More than 25 percent of hot dogs and sausages eaten on July 4 come from Iowa, about a sixth of the steaks and burgers are from Texas, a little less than half of the baked beans originated in North Dakota, and over half of the taters in your potato salad were grown in Washington or Idaho. 
• 4. Open the windows! After eating all those hot dogs, beans, burgers and taters and perhaps a couple of beers for good measure, July 5 could be pretty explosive as well. Patricia Raymond, a gastroenterologist at Eastern Virginia Medical School suggests some less combustible choices, such as chicken, summer veggies (like zucchini) and nectarines.
• 5. Keep it local! Around here, nothing says Independence Day like a patriotic penguin appearing on your neighbor's front stoop.

Sources: this morning's Oregonian.