A SPARKLER IS NOT A CANDLE: Memo to birthday party organizers: If you light a sparkler during the day, no one can see it. There is a lit sparkler on that cake.
PARALYZED BEFORE A SPARKLER CANDLE ON FOURTH OF JULY
Surrounded by friends in a backyard in Fremont, we saw you staring down at your birthday cake. You weren’t focused on the sprinkles or the white icing or the chocolate cake beneath. Your eyes were glued to the star-shaped sparkler candle freaking out above the confection. Granted, it was not freaking out as beautifully as it would be if, say, the sun weren’t still shining brightly over Fremont. With a traditional candle, you know what to do: You block out the chaos of your friends singing “Happy Birthday” and try to focus on making your wish. But how can you make a wish on a sparkler? It doesn’t blow out…