Captain Jim

That would be "just add some spiced rum" but 'e's a wee bit too young for that yet! Welcome aboard, mate. We need more surgeons. So many guns, so many gaping holes and severed limbs.

Thanks. I don't suppose that any one of you could set up a web cam at the Hide for at least one night could you? Maybe even set one up on the fort wall? I know that there are several businesses in Key West that share a web cam page; perhaps they might help? Hurricane, might this fall into your professional sphere? It's not even time for PiP yet and I'm already suffering from withdrawal.

Excellent effort. I, for my part, would like to see more specific punishments added and specified for certain transgressions, as I recall there being some rather gruesome responses. As an example, "meddling with a good woman without her consent" was usually punished by death. Thieves had their noses split, as I recall and not having sources at hand. Of course you could still include the "or as the company shall see fit" language.

I concur with Morgan. A real fun if somewhat goofy romp...

And that's why the water be oily! Have we just pyrated this thread? Sorry, mates!

William "out" as quartermaster? Never, says I! William is the oil on our troubled waters, the salve on our wounds, the monkey in our wrench...no, wait, that last one is kinda strange...Still, William is one of our greatest treasures and he doesn't even require a chest to keep him in. Just chain 'im to a tree...

I love that comparison! Why aren't you coming? I remember Woodstock. My parents wouldn't let me go (I was eleven), so I kept up with the news reports and underground newspapers of the time. The national news reported one thing, the underground papers reported another; the papers had it right. I wish I had kept the papers. I can't come because of some stupid stuff involving my wife's nitwit niece, her violent felon boyfriend (aka "Sponer" short for "sperm donor") their kids (a girl and a boy, ages three and five, whom we have permanent guardianship of now)and lots of drugs, alcohol, felonious behavior, child neglect and various other acts of stupidity. Nothing I couldn't solve with a good lawyer, two private investigators and round-the-clock security on my home. But, since I don't have those things, I'm on the hook at least for the security part. Also the hand-holding part to reassure Patti that we are indeed doing the right thing no matter what side of the fence the rest of her family happens to be on that day. Sometimes her relatives resemble the Grand National Steeplechase they jump the fence so often. So looking forward to next year, even if I have to bring everyone with me (which is not a bad idea except I might come home to my house burned down.) So it's up to you scurvy dogs not to scotch the whole deal with the new management...Savvy? I know I've said this before, but I'm going to miss you guys. I think I'll set up the tent that week in the back yard and play Pyrate with the kids. Fire off the guns and the (little) cannons and cook bacon on an open fire. Throw some Lego's under my bedding and around the yard...oh, never mind, there's Lego's there already...

"I have witnessed many crew members of different groups policing themselves and using the casual caution that makes PIP so pleasant year to year." An example of why we made William quartermaster, his impeccable and seemingly offhand turn of a phrase. "Casual caution" as opposed to the oppressive police states that some venues become. At PiP everyone is looking out for everyone and newcomers feel so welcomed that they ask before doing something that might be out of line. It is truly hard to describe to someone who hasn't been there. Sort of like Woodstock for Pyrates. Even the lines demarcating this crew or that one seem to fade by day two, all of us just pulling together to make PIP work. Mind now that hidden by this outer calm there lurks a collective cast-iron resolve not to have some twit screw this up. Were someone to do something dangerous, stupid or truly obnoxious you would quickly find out how many pyrates could dance on a pinhead.

Jellin' like a 16th century felon...

All hail Tracy! Huzzah!

Aye, an carryin' a badas* repeatin' blunderbuss!

Sorry, Love, but so it is. But to swipe a line from moviedom, "I'll be back!"

As of now I can't go, so someone else will have to step up and take charge of the auction this year. You've still got a whole month so it's still doable. I didn't find out I was in charge last year until the day after I got to PiP! Once the idea of the auction got circulated within the camps the donations just poured in.

This is going to be the BEST PIP EVER! I am counting on each and every one of you to make William and me as sorry as possible that we missed it. Documentation and pictures the lot of you or I'll knock your heads together next year! And you of the Mercury get together, on another thread if needed, and designate your liaisons so as to take up the slack of that miscreant William and my own despicable self.

No, dear doctor, as it seems I'm going to be out as well. As In William's case, it has been a rough year financially as well as some other issues concerning borrowed children, whacked-out relatives and some other stuff that cannot be resolved in a way that will allow me to attend. I haven't been here much lately as I have been scrambling to get things together for PiP but, alas, it just won't happen. My apologies as well to the fine crew of the Mercury, the Bone Islanders and the fort personnel. If it's not too late perhaps one of you will be so kind as to pick up the auction thread while there is still a month left to plan. I'm gonna miss you mates, a lot. Drink one for me and don't kill all the English on the first day. Capt. James Warren, presently away from his ship without leave...

Huzzah for the man and his gun. Having said that here is a bit of a bombshell for you: The Second Amendment doesn't apply to states. That's correct, the second amendment (as well as the other first ten)was instituted to restrict the Federal government and not the States. It was not until Lincoln and the 14th Amendment that some of the ten were applied to the States but the Second has not at this time been ruled to apply. The good news: the Federal Court of Appeals (the Ninth, I think) for California recently ruled that the Second does apply by using the argument of due process. Stay tuned for details as this works its way up to the Supremes. If it is ruled that the Second applies then all State statutes would have to respect the Second amendment rights as outlined in the DC case where it was ruled that the Second applied directly because DC is not a State and is governed by the Federal government.

Happy birthday Silkie! I've been draggin' anchor all year so it figures I'm late on this too. I think I'll have a rhum in your honor.

I think Admiral Finbar would be glad to use him as the WOLF's anchor. Is that close enough? :) -- Hurricane Close enough. Hold yer breath, d'Dogge...

If Master d'Dogge pulls off the hat trick, does he get to keep the boat? Sort of like retiring the trophy and so on...

Happy birthday, mate. Thats one more candle for your trip around the Sun.

I cold-rust blued my blade. Now it is an evil-looking blue-black and needs almost no maintenance. See Foxe's post on his gargoyle head sword for an example of a blued blade.

Happy birthday, Cheeky. what did you get Bess for her birthday?

Merry natal day to ye and many more trips about the sun as well.

Welcome aboard, mate. You have found your way to the best bunch of pyrates never to set sail.

Then you should know what this means: 01010101000101001010101100101010111101 Looks like muck to me. That's because it is. It has no translation. Unlike this, for instance: 01001111 01101100 01100100 00100000 01110000 01111001 01110010 01100001 01110100 01100101 01110011 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101011 01100101 00100000 01100010 01100101 01110100 01110100 01100101 01110010 00100000 01100111 01110101 01101110 01101110 01100101 01110010 01110011 And: 01001001 01100110 00100000 01101001 01110100 00100111 01110011 00100000 01101110 01101111 01110100 00100000 01010011 01100011 01101111 01110100 01110011 00101100 00100000 01101001 01110100 00100111 01110011 00100000 01100011 01110010 01100001 01110000 00100001