PyratePhil

And I heartily agree:  More Kari Byron!  Pick your personal favorites, but I think she is the best looking woman on television.

She IS a cutie...

Who said anything about "Fighting" with an eyepatch on folks?

It would make sense for nightvision yes.  But unless those of you forget to separate your fact from fantasy, there weren't epic sword duels everyday.... so to say that it wouldn't work for a fight is a moot point.

The original poster did.

...The idea is that when night-vision was needed, the "prepared" pirate in question would close the unpatched eye, and uncover the "protected" eye to gain immediate strategic advantage over the un-prepared foe...

So if Patrick did indeed mean that the pyrate would remove the patch prior to meeting a foe, then it isn't a moot point for discussion.

Dunno about the eyepatch myth... it's possible they may find that briefly covering one eye lends some assistance in night vision. When I was in basic training many many years ago, they taught us to close one eye when firing flares or doing something that would cause a flash... but that was to avoid momentary flash blindness in both eyes. I think Capn_Enigma is right that over a longer period of time it would actually have a detrimental effect.

Night vision, yes...avoiding flash blindness, yes...and yes, a pyrate patch looks cool on a kid (or an adult) -

-but I still maintain that for actual hand-to-hand fighting, you're at a decided disadvantage. As part of my martial arts training we did both dark-room (no lights at all) and one-eyed fighting (eyepatch), and let me tell you that it's almost impossible to keep your bearings.

Don't believe everything TV tells you.

... it appeared that they also tested whether eyepatches were actually worn to keep one eye night-sensitive for heightened vision in total darkness. The idea is that when night-vision was needed, the "prepared" pirate in question would close the unpatched eye, and uncover the "protected" eye to gain immediate strategic advantage over the un-prepared foe.

So, what, the pyrate would fight his enemy with one eye closed?

Closing one eye gives you severely reduced peripheral vision as well as distorted depth perception - neither of which is exactly useful in a fight.

I understand the need to preserve night vision - but would that really be a valid method?

Great Pumpkin

Look at the increase of members in re-enactment groups and ren faires. It really is all positive despite being over-merchandized to death.

I suppose you're right - I hadn't thought of it in those terms.

Already done, m'lady.

Nugent

Fran, I'm so very sorry. Love and sympathy goes out to you.

Blue Man Group

I'd leave milk and cookies out for her...

As usual, the History Channel has a great premise for a show; they present the facts in an entertaining and educational fashion, complete with wonderful footage of skilled re-creators; then at the end of the show, they get preachy and claim how pyrates are basically scum of the earth or, as I believe they put it from a quote, "the enemy of all mankind".

To me, this is like having a group of scientists run a controlled and well-designed experiment all the way to the conclusion, only to present their summary as "although the data claim X, we believe it's really Y".

Is it just me, or does anyone else notice this?

Well..darn I've been alone so long

...

On his body that is, head is obvious but i adore a man who doesn't wax..hair i says!

Um, I guess I've been alone longer than you, m'lady -

Do MANY men wax these days?

This is nowhere near as good as Christine's, and there's no voice, but if you want nightmares...

Elf Phil

Christine, you have a far better voice than any Asian male I've ever met...

...and I've met a lot of them. 

I'm not even going there....

What?

Just because I used to hang out in karaoke bars in Chinatown, don't get all crazy on me...

Oddly enough, it just so happens that both Christine and several male Asians have sung "Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh" to me, and I most assuredly prefer Christine's version...

:)

ruins

Christine, you have a far better voice than any Asian male I've ever met...

...and I've met a lot of them.

mouth-watering

regimental stripe

Richard Kiel

Typically weird weather here in northeast PA - it was 50 today, very foggy this morning, yet last night was clear as a bell - in fact I watched a meteor shower.

...until it pulled the curtain closed...

Shark!

You and me both, bro...

Thank you, m'lady - wasn't sure if I was going to make it back, what with all the petite ladies chasing me...

Robin Williams still gets my vote as funniest all-'round comedian ("Who I'd Most Like To Be If I Ever Grow Up"), with of course his mentor Jonathan Winters getting big kudos as well.