Mission

Ah, now this is interesting in regard to fish. It's from Emily Cockayne's Hubbub: Filth, Noise & Stench in England (which Hurricane recommended): In seventeenth- and eighteenth-century England much vegetable matter (including the humble potato) was routinely overlooked, and although most animal flesh, from slug to human, would nourish, most was taboo... Readily available common crude foods such as offal [the usually unused waste parts of a butchered animal], cabbage and salted fish were at the bottom of the food hierarchy." (Cockayne, p. 84) [Emphasis mine.] This may explain why salted fish was not typically included in shipboard diets and may even explain why fishing was not more popular. (Although nearly every sea-journal I've read records episodes of fishing, usually while at anchor or when nothing was going on ship-board.)

Something else that sometimes works is to select the text on the forum using your mouse. It negates all the colors. Of course, selecting can be a bit tetchy and if you click your mouse again, you usually loose it, making it harder to use for long posts. (This does not help with complicated fonts, though.) Perhaps the best thing would be to try some color combinations and see what we fossils can read best? (Just a thought.)

I like the ninja. (He's cool.) I have no flipping idea what he symbolizes, but I like him. However, if we bring the huge pyrate with crossed swords that Iron Bess likes so much back, the ninja will get replaced by the pyrate - based on the code - and most people should be reasonably pleased. (Particularly Iron Bess, who will (I imagine) currently find all her old posts ending with wide-eyed ninja at this point.) As for fonts, they are neat, but with font colors, dark backgrounds and all those screwy serifs, I can't read some folk's posts without studying them intensely half the time. So if communicating clearly is your goal, you're missing me at least. If having your posts look cool is your goal, you're bang on. They look magnificently cool, even if I have to study them to figure out what they say. (But it may just be me.)

I'm actually all in favour of different colours. I'm just asking to stay away from the stupid dark brown background with black text (I think it was black text.) I find it hard to read on a laptop and my poor eyes...well. (I really liked the colours at Syren's Tavern, which were very much in-line with the old pub. ) What will become of the swoopy skull and swords that William painted on that gi-normous flag at PiP? Maybe we could use it in the PiP forum or something if it isn't going to be the primary banner? (Just thinking out loud while we're thinking.)

I like the colors better. I could not read the text on the dark brown background on my laptop. Drove me to distraction, it did.

More on the multifarious uses of coconut (as well as some on the banana and other "green trade") from Francis Rogers journal in Three Sea Journals of Stuart Times edited by Bruce Ingram. “[May 28, 1702] There presently came off to us several canoes, with green trade. This Island [either Saddle or Johanna Island in the Comoros] is high land and very woody and pleasant, and affords good cattle, but small; plenty of goats __ and fowl, very cheap; but no sheep or hogs, I think, they being a sort of Mahometans. Here is likewise abundance of fine fruit. As first Pine Apples the most delicious of fruit. It grows from a plant out of the ground on a high stalk like an artichoke, and is shaped just like those which we call pineapples which grows on the pine trees with us, but they are as large almost as a small sugar loaf. When ripe, we cut off the outer rough side, and eat all the inside, which is firm, mellow, and juicy, and hath the delicious flavour of strawberry, raspberry, peach, or any fruit you shall think of while eating it. When they are cut green, if they are hung up by the stalk, they will keep several days and ripen as they hang. May 29. Next the coconut is a very good fruit. They are generally about the bigness of a small cabbage. The tree they grow on is a tall straight tree, without any branches or leaves till at the top, where the fruit grows on clusters; the leaves are very jagged and large, more like bows (Footnote 1: Boughs) than leaves. This tree affords meat, drink, lodging, and cordage to them. As thus; the inside of the nut will have a pint, or more perhaps, of a cool pleasant liquor they call milk, which is mighty pleasing to drink, and within the hard shell (it being like a walnut) sticks all round a firm pleasant substance about ¼ of an inch thick called the meat, which is sweet and pleasant to eat, and very filling. Without the hard shell (which serves for cups to drink out of) is the green shell, which is tough and stringy, and of which, with the bark of the tree, they make ropes (which they call Bass ropes) for their vessels, etc, and with the leaves of this tree they cover their houses, which they call Cajan leaves. They make ropes or withes fast to the foot, and so swarm or run up the tree for the Fruit. Water melons is a very pleasant cooling fruit; they are larger than our Musk melons, and much pleasanter, full of red or black seeds intermixed all over; the outside green as a pumpkin. Then the Bonano or plantain, this a long fruit (almost like a cucumber) growing in bunches at the top of a small tree. When they are ripe, they are yellow, soft and mellow, and as pleasant as a fig. The body of the tree is of a leafy green substance, not hard, the leaves are large and broad enough to cover a man. __ Here (are) likewise Oranges, Lemons, Limes etc., all growing wild about the Island. Purslain (Footnote 1: Purslane) grows here about the seaside, in great quantities. Here (are) likewise Sugar Canes of which they make a sort of Molasses; and divers good roots, the chief of which is their Yam, a large thick root, which, boiled, serveth them instead of bread; tis very rough and harsh to the tongue till boiled.” (Ingram/Rogers, p. 157-9) “[Fall, 1702] From the coconut or palm tree they draw a liquor called Toddy or Nero, very pleasant; our sailors will some of them get drunk with it. The way of gathering it is thus: of an evening they’ll slit or cut a branch at the top of the tree and make fast an earthen pot or jar under it, which, but morning, will have wept 3 or 4 quarts of the said liquor. It won’t keep well a whole day, the hot weather turning it sour.” (Ingram/Rogers, p. 182-3)

Glad you like it! (You can carry my book on GAoP surgeons if I ever actually get out of the research phase and sit down and write it. )

Ah, once I find a topic to watch for I can't resist finding material about it... “[June 1704] the finest women [in Aveiras, Portugal] that generally appear to common view are the courtezans, who will get by their doors well dressed, and barefaced invite men to them with a glib tongue, but are said to be generally dangerous and hot as their country is; as indeed several of our sailors experienced, but a clap is little regarded there, whether not so dangerous, or from the commonness, I don’t know.” (Ingram/Rogers, Three Sea Journals of Stuart Times,p. 209)

Did anyone keep a count of pub members? There were many who came and went...there were 44 people I found in the 2007 Pub Photo(s), but not all those people were pub members and not all the pub members were in those photos. (To make it more complicated, the number last year (as every year, I'll wager) fluctuates from the number who sign up here on the forum.

There's a much easier way to make ship's biscuit. Check out this link.

Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled period shoes yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming closet. Send these, the worthless, tempest-tost to me... Anyone have a pair of worn out buckle shoes I can dress my skeleton with? Size matters not.

William, perchance did any of those photos I tried to get of Harry taking the bottle away from Callahan at the trial of Mary and Anne come out? Also, do you have any photos of Willie's final display at the camp. I have the photo you get when he was just setting it up, but he had a whole bunch of stuff out on the second day. I take it there were no photos of Boo, either? At least we have shots of his campsite... (I'm still working on my secret project. )

Found the answer for this one! You either a) rolled them over a barrel or b ) inverted them (hung them upside down) and then gently released them (unless you didn't like the person, I suppose). Captain Jim recommended this book called Revolutionary Medicine and it is quite the guide to 18th century medicine. I also may be able to lay my hands on a copy of Woodall's The Surgeon's Mate which is essentially THE medical book that would have been in widespread use during the 17th and early 18th centuries on the sea.

God love ya', Fayma, but how do we find the images to vote on them? (We pirates are a lazy lot during off hours - post links. )

"Why's all the rum gone?"

Does anyone have a photo of Bilgemonkey's garb? Post it! Post it! I thought it was really cool. (And the way he handcrafted that worn look in his jacket. That's another good story I forgot to tell. Oh well.)

Me mug and me mug. (You are obviously much more sober than I, Stynky.)

Ok, friends and fellow posters...the spam is back. The registration was closed for awhile, so the spammers were cut off. However, it has been re-opened and this forum is one of their targets. So the simple fact is we're going to get spam. No one is more distressed than the guy who has volunteered to do clean-up in this forum. It's easy to spot - the username is usually jibberish, they always put a smiley icon in the title and the title itself is usually a dead giveaway. (If you see spam that doesn't fit this format, feel free to pm me or report the offending post (using the report button) just in case I don't see it.) I suggest you just ignore it and don't increase the post viewed count. You can report the stuff that fits the profile if you like, although there really is no need. I usually check in two or three times a day and delete it. Weekends are tougher for me because I don't have access at home. Whatever you do, please don't post to it and pop it back to the top of the forum. In fact, do post to other posts and sink it down. I promise it will be deleted as soon as I can get to it.

Oyyyy....far too much rum tonight . (Fyne single-malt rum what I bought for Lily and Kieth only to pass it 'round to me new mates.) I've only just arrived in and if the misspellings flow freely...well, maybe I'll fix them on the morrow. We (William, Lily, Keith and I) got back from dinner at Abondanza's (I think) where the waitress was the same as at Blue Heaving this morning and what called out to me. Lily assured me that she was sweet on me, but I demurred. Your own ship's surgeon (or the Mercury's own ship's surgeon) is saving 'imself for his second marriage. Or something. Anywho.... We went to the Pyrat Pub and...folks...you have to see it to believe it. The POTC 'set' for Tortuga (Aye, Tortuaga!) has nothing on this. It was like being in the Pirate's own cave with singing, dancing and revelry far beyond what you think it might be. Mercury's old sawbones Mission found his own self joining in the singing, much against his upbringing. The mood, the candle lighting, the singing and the noise compelled one to join in. I may even post in Sea Shanties...probably not, but you never know. We then repaired to the Mercury camp where we proceeded to abolish several bottles of rhum. I had a rather lengthy discussion with Patrick and some people from the Tortuga Pirates (or some such) by the name of Weird Beard and Leather Back and some other well-met fellowe. Weird Beard (all the colors had been taken) sold me a mug and gave me the whole tale of the glass bottomed tankard (bloody English rapscallions) which included a draught of spiced rhum which I readily accepted. The frivolity lasted until...sometime before now. Then your poor ship's surgeon found his vision swimming and his gait listing and headed for the safe confines of the hotel room. Water's all around; belay that hangover. Hum. I haven't got to why I missed the battle. Tis a long tale, but I'll try to tell it later. Right now, the screen is squeamish. Wish everyone on the pub were all about for a look at the tavern. It was truly incredible - the sights, sounds, smells and drink to be experienced. It was like being transplanted right into the pyrate era. XXOOXX from a drunk Mission staring at a swimming screen. Wish you were here, if only to see how it probably was.

Oh, please keep me posted about what you find out on the aspect of medicine. How exciting. I hope Every One is having a Wonderful Time. Hugs to All! Here is what I've learned: Read the book Rough Medicine by Joan Druett. While it's about 100 years past GAoP, it gets a lot of its info from the John Woodall's book The Surgeon's Mate which was written in the mid 1600s and was used up through the late 1800s on the sea. (Perhaps when I get home to my full-sized keyboard, I will share some of the things I have rehearsed - I picked the most fantastic, gory and typical topics: scurvy, shipboard wounds, things that happen as a result of being in port (quite a bit of VDs, that's what), how an amputation was done, mercury poisoning...but I digress from the thread topic. Today was the first full day of the event. It was very sunny and pleasant weather. The camp looked very periodey until this crew from who knows where came in and set up a circus tend and a series of pup tents...with electric lighting. Oh, well...notes for the rules for next year. Mary Diamond, her husband Mark and a friend I don't remember the name of arrived. She had my wonderful little mini-Medicine Chest with her and I proceeded to paste labels on the bottles and weather them in preparation. (I will post pics as soon as I get back to home port.) Haunting Lily generously gave me a haversack for my bandages and medical instruments - which it turns out I didn't really need today. More on that later (I beat you to the pub, William). We found Stynky Tudor walking up the path to the fort, so Keith (Haunting Lily's husband) gave him a lift. He joined Patrick Hand, his boss and myself who had been rescued by Keith on the way back from the sundries shop. There were a dozen or so vendors inside the fort selling all manner and sorts of things from food to candy to jewelry to ren-faire type clothing to a wonderful little shop that had these cool green onion bottles that seem to be all the rage. With knotted twine encasing them, you have a nifty replacement for a mug. There was also a neat booth that is a hodge-podge of stuff that is sort of like the Pyrate's Own Garage Sale. The Pyrat Pub run by the Port Royal crew officially opened at 3pm to much bell wringing and noise - which was followed much bold singing and noise inside the Pub. It closed at 5pm, but is scheduled to unofficially re-open later tonight (and may be open now for all I know because I'm sitting here writing posts and deleted spam) for all the folks staying in the park (and those of us who know the combination to get in the front gate. Heh.) I met several people from the Port Royal crew including Hurricane, Diosa and Master Studley. Turns out MS makes props for a living so we had a nice chat. At 5pm, all repaired to the docks just outside the park for the Plank Walking contest at the End of Hurricane season party. Several of our fellows participated in the event which was put on by the Pirates of the Coast (Hurricane's group). Our QM, William Red Wake, decided to join in much against the surgeon's suggestion, with his wool waistcoat on - very much against the surgeon's suggestion. I took many photos with his camera, so you may get to see that. (Note: he said he really should have followed the ship's surgeon's advice and removed the wool waistcoat. Captain Sterling and Amanjiria also participated and I got a bunch of photos of them as well. The prize winners wound up being M.A.D.Dogge and his brother who forwent the pleading for their life ceremony and sword fought on the plank before both fell in - swords and all. (Polish them blades tonight me boys. There's a battle tomorrow.) Speaking of battles, there was one today that we retreated back from. Not that I would know because your humble, pressed-into-service ship's surgeon was missing. (I plead my belly...oh, wait.) Anyhow, more on that later - it's time for dinner with some members of the crewe.

You can get it used on Amazon or you might find it on eBay. Search for "Polanski Pirates." However, when buying a foreign DVD, be sure it is compatible for Region 1 or all regions or you won't be able to play it. Of course you can always find it for cheap on VHS...no region encoding there.

Addams Family 2. Good ol' Wednesday, the realist/cynic. (BTW, Pubert's theme in the movie is a hoot!)

Apparently "Farm" is short for "Pharmacy" in that person's world. (He heard "Pharm" on the radio and tried to look it up in the dictionary.)

Bravo! The next line (which I left off on purpose because it's searchable (little devil icon goes here)) is: "They say opportunity's only got one hair on his head and you gotta grab it while it's going by and dog it down or you mightn't get another chance." You're up.

Interesting! (I'll set the semantics that follow aside as I think they're misleading and rather straw mannish.) I maintain that all the components are natural, ergo, the actions are likewise - proceeding from nature. From Freedictionary.com: nat·u·ral, adj. 1. Present in or produced by nature We are thus. We ascribe traits to ourselves as being beyond nature because that is (heh) our nature. If we are components of nature (which I maintain we are), then what we produce is also a component of nature. Curiously, the notion that we might produce "unnatural" conception hints that we are stealing a trait we (naturally) ascribe to God. Thus, for it to be "unnatural" our definition of God must also be "unnatural." Which I do not believe. (Alas, beliefs are impossible to argue, so we are most likely at an impasse there.) Now, you could successfully argue with me on my classification if I had chosen definition 4a. To wit: 4a. Not acquired; inherent: Love of power is natural to some people. Hopefully, I have made it clear that I am not using that concept. Well, "malice" is an ascribed trait. It's a concept we have created. We could argue all day about whether animals experience "grief" or not. (Any pet owner will maintain a view on this ranging from "impossibly so" to "impeccably so.") However, consciousness as a physical trait of humanity is still beyond the grasp of science, let alone what might be going on in the heads of our allegedly "dumb friends." So I don't see where we can incontrovertibly say one way or the other. We can say that animals are capable of planning actions that we would call "malicious" if we were to perform them however. Observe any cat preparing its pounce and mercilessly toying with it's victim to extend the malice. Natural, no? ...as far as we understand them through observation and interpretation. Lest we forget, white mice actually run the Earth. Again, as far as we know. A couple of decent catastrophic earthly events (or even once choice one extra-earthly one) and the ULOitU ceases to exist. Perhaps the earth is the UNLOitU...until you get to our Sun, black holes, the Universe itself and who knows what else. (And even they are only "Non-Living" by our definition of living. Which we conveniently made up.