Just adding my New year's experience to the mix. I almost lost my hearing one afternoon when a bunch of kids fired a BOGA (Exploding) Canon into my ear. The cannon is made from PVC pipes and can be as small as a hand held gun or as large as a military issued bazooka. They have handles on it that allow you to hold it like a real fire arm. The explosion is caused by alcohol swabs that were saturated by denatured alcohol, shaken to heat up and then the cotton wick is lit up and you wait for the BANG.
Well, I was walking home one afternoon and unconsciouly walked slow enough to be their moving target. The next thing I knew, I was reeling and hearing a constant BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING in my ear that stayed for a whole 2 days. I was so mad I threw a straight punch at the kid aimed in the face. Then I hit him with my umbrella. He dropped the canon and ran!
I can hear better now. But I probably lost hearing capacity in my left ear permanently because of these stupid people who think blowing things and people up is FUN.
Anyway, things got so out of hand with the BOGA because drunks and adventurist people started putting projectiles into the cannon and injuring people throughout the country. So the police stepped in and started confiscating the offending pyrotechnic instrument and arresting anybody who used it. That made my New Year's Eve
Watching them get rounded up on TV was the best sweet justice justice I could have asked for.