Nelson Cooke

The situation in Somalia is not unlike that in the Caribbean in the second half of the seventeenth century. As most of you know, piracy in the Caribbean had swelled to the point that the European governments effectively threw up their hands and adopted a policy of “if-you-can’t-beat-’em-join-’em.” Pirates were designated “privateers” when they bought or were otherwise granted a “letter of marque and reprisal” by their own governments. These were essentially licenses to prey upon the ships of nations with whom the issuing nation was at war, which, often as not in those days, was just about everybody. Somalia is similarly unable to stop the pirates, NATO help notwithstanding. But privateers might have fiscal motivation, to go with glory. If Somalia issued letters of marques and reprisal, would you consider being part of a privateer crew? Do you have piratic-minded chums who might. In any case, what do you think of the privateer idea? Honest or otherwise quote-worthy responses may turn up in an article proposing the privateer solution in my blog on The Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/keith-thomson).

This was on the air today. Click to station's web site with insta-mp3 or (if it's already too loud on your brig) there's a transcript: today's review of Gus Openshaw's Whale-Killing Journal

I'm pretty sure Howard's got no beef with you, Bloody Jack.

I like your style, shipmate. Keep it up!

Pirate an icebox.

Mimi: Burnie says if you like music, walks on the beach, playing cards by the fire, or just drinking rum, send him a b-mail.

My self-portrait done on a cocktail napkin (medium of all self-respecting artists):

Thanks to certain fast-talking pirates among you, my publisher was convinced to put this festival on the reading tour for my new book! Of course, by Saturday afternoon, when I'm supposed to go on, I expect none of us will be in either book-reading or listening-to-a-book-reading condition. The challenge now is to contrive a way for my publisher to pick up our grog tab.

Dashing, shipmate. And it hides blood, I bet!

I appreciate it, Foxmorton. This suds for you:

Enigma, by authentic, I mean something about which there wasn't much suspicion that it was fake. Foxe, I plan to look into both the Rogers and Shelvocke. Daniel, the Blackbeard entry makes me wonder if in fact they ran out of rum. Interesting either way. Thanks, bloaks, a rum for each of you:

Has any authentic pirate's diary ever been published?

Skull, getting published isn't hard. It took a week. Writing the suckers, well that's another story.

Thanqs, Mimi. Aye, I am also to blame for Pirates of Pensacola. I was in Pensacola over the weekend and wanted to see the ship, but decided to drink instead.

Jim-sib, I am going to Charleston, thanks. As for the others, my wench is due May 11, so I'm looking for stuff post-June 1 or so. I should've said that before. They both seem like great fests.