We used Boring’s Not-A-Flamethrower to burn away the worst of 2018

As 2018 comes to a close, it’s hard not to look back at the year with some bitterness.

Okay, okay, 2018 wasn't complete trash for everyone. But for all the highs, there were an equal amount (if not more) lows that made the year kind of suck.

We're not here to be a Debbie Downer and dredge up all the bad moments 2018 threw at us, so instead we're using this very last day of the year to cleanse the past and ring in 2019 in Mashable style: by burning it all away 🔥.

Armed with our new little friend, the Boring Not-A-Flamethrower, we torched some of the year's worst times — trends and products that rightfully deserved to be incinerated.

Let the 🔥🔥🔥 begin!

The Boring Company Not-A-Flamethrower

$500

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The GoodShoots fire!Comes with cash money to buy propane cylinderIt's a nice collector's item!The BadLimited run (no longer sold)It's just a roofing torch in an airsoft rifleWay overpricedCan't use it publiclyThe Bottom LineThe Boring Company's Not-A-Flamethrower is an overpriced joke product by Elon Musk, but there's no denying it's a cool toy to play around with.

SAFETY FIRST

Sure, you could toast marshmallows with Boring's Not-A-Flamethrower, but what fun is that? It's so basic.

Because we're Mashable, we turned the fire up. Like wayyy up.

It's easy to get carried away when you're wielding what's essentially a roofing torch modded onto an airsoft rifle. Elon Musk may have masterminded the Not-A-Flamethrower as a joke, but it's definitely no toy.

Our Not-A-Flamethrower (yes, we bought it with our own money), No. 18,473 of the 20,000 units The Boring Company made, came late — we had to shame the company into shipping it to us after waiting an entire summer — but we finally got to put it to good use. (Whether it was worth spending $500 is a separate discussion!)

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Muawahahahaha!

I have to admit, I was a little scared to "play" with the Not-A-Flamethrower. Who wouldn't be? It's a friggin' gun that shoots fire! The Not-A-Flamethrower itself feels very high quality. Everything from the stock, to the trigger, to the nozzle and valves, make it clear it's not a plaything for children.

My nerves calmed down once I made sure safety was my first priority. That meant reading the instructions and making sure I understood how to properly operate the Not-A-Flamethrower, as well as having a fire extinguisher (we also bought Boring's for $30) and working hose at the ready to put out my paper victims.

Once I had everything set up — the only thing I needed to purchase was a 14.1 oz. propane cylinder from the hardware store with the included cash Boring mailed with the Not-A-Flamethrower — burning 2018 away was a breeze.

SAYONARA!

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Unnecessary stress

Trump needs to cool it with his Twitter. Can an actual responsible adult take his Twitter away from him? His tweets are gonna destroy the world.

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Leaving Facebook

Facebook had a good run, but it's clear the social network doesn't really value our privacy. Best call it quits before more bad shit happens.

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