Captain Jim

First sign you think too much about Pyracy...Starting to plan an all-male buccaneer camp while at a Boxom Wench contest...

Aye, now go to bed! I just found a bottle of Pirate's Choice in me sea chest! Who knew?

Oh, stuff it, mate. If I had a tent like that I would 'ave 'ad the devil's own time keeping the ladies out...tempurpedic...silly puppy...Choice: tempurpedic on the ground or that tent with a feather mattress? Damn, my wife saw the picture...doomed, I say, doomed! No longer will the Oar House be a landmark in the Old Village in Tayloristan...

It absolutely never ceases to amaze me that people think you can kill a terrorist by shooting him. Shoot one and you create ten more out to avenge the injustice. Absolutely the only way to kill a terrorist is to get him a job, a wife, two kids, a dog, two car payments, a mortgage and a a decent job protected by an honest government. In short, see to it he has what you've got. Sure, there will be zealots espousing one government or religious ideology or another but if you take away the downtrodden, they have no army, no suicide bombers, no soldiers. They will spend all of their time gassing at each other and looking for the next injustice to exploit. Deny them that injustice and they will shrivel up and die. Call in Blackwater and its ilk and you get Iraq. Six years, two trillion dollars, over a million Iraqis dead and no end in sight. Yeah, kill the terrorists. Great plan. It's worked great so far. I'm done here.

How about a note from the Commanding General of the Conch Republic Army? I'd be happy to put it my official stationary, too. Yet another of my roles in this wacky world... Aye, that'd do. Just tell them that 'e's been conscripted in the War on Terriers (Madd Dogges all.)

AKA William Red Wake. Stop trying to convince me to come to Hampton; I'm sold already. Now to work out the logistics.

'Tis the same as with most terrorists and pirates: Give 'em a good job, one that they will be proud to have and that pays the bills. Get them married, and the wife will not let them stray into pyracy, because she wants to see the steady paycheck. Let them have children, so that they have a reason to want to live and see their children grow up. Give them a steady economy, stable government and laws that will not be rewritten or overridden at every chance. See to it that the busses run on time and that the sewer works and that there is clean water in the tap. This is how you kill a terrorist, stop a pirate. You simply take away injustice.

Dutch, a thought. Look at what was on ship, especially in the captain's quarters. In keeping with the whole "careening camp" model, one would expect on shore what was already on ship. The "cabin" ranks would have had tables, chairs, desks, writing boxes, candelabra and a whole plethora of what we "yacht-minded" moderns would not think of as ship stock. Today we think of "built-in" furniture as shippy but I seem to remember period paintings and recreations of cabins with dining tables and side chairs in them. As for a cooking box, I think that "kitchen" is more the operative word as to what the galley would have looked like, especially on a larger ship. Still, I'm not saying don't make a galley box (it would be very convenient) just that you would need to rationalize it somehow. I think that Mr. Brand has a pattern for a cook's box. And all that lovely campaign furniture? Used by those unfortunate landsmen, I think, not us fortunate sailors. So what we need on the beach is more period dining tables and chairs, china and glassware. And a huge cast-iron stove "brought in from the ship." Did I just highjack your thread? Sorry, mate. And yes, that stuff from Drake is expensive and, except for the wood itself, not all that well-made. Drake puts up a lot of really large picture files so one can get up close and detailed with the joinery. Some of what I saw in the tables that they chose as representative I wouldn't send to a customer.

No, you get a (sterling) silver bell hanging from a red ribbon.

Ummm...does bucky have his skeletal right hand on his, ummm...well, look for yourself.

*Looking around all innocent-like* Yeah, that damn crew! Bilge rats all, says I! Yeah, that's it...

I just love the Lewis Drake site. Look over thier antique guns for sale. I use this as a research source for my gun cases as there are no better pictures anywhere. I don't think you'll see a cook box though: these pieces are meant for those that sit back and sip Scots whiskey while someone else cooks the elephant. The guns are at drake.net.

Take a picture of the empties and we'll hang 'em up...

OK that first post is a place marker that will be the virtual case. I'll build an actual case for the medal and post it there soon. If at any time any of us win any recognition for our good works, good looks or great physical prowess as representatives of the Mercury Crew we can post it here.

This shall be the place to hang our medals and display our trophies so that no matter where on earth the actual thing resides it shall be on permanent display here.

Sounds as if it's time for the press gang to go out...

Not quite... I could recommend that a master carpenter build his crew a lovely display case...we already have the prettiest display case... Maddogge ye can't miss him or his first place medal... Alright I should have said perhaps the only pick-up crew. As for a display case, we don't have anything as magnificent as a Madd Dogge (and neither do you, any more; have you seen that haircut?) to hang our swag on, so a case will be forthcoming. Ah, I have an idea...

Remember that this is the state where the Whyda Pyrate exhibit couldn't come because the ship used to be a slave ship and it would be insensitive to display artifacts from a slave ship in Florida. It seems that the mentality is that if you ignore history it will go away or if you claim victim status at every possible turn people will give money to your cause/attend your church/vote for your guy. To deny history is the basest form of censorship, to rewrite it the worst form of injustice. OK, off soapbox: this sort of thing does get me rolling, though.

Here's to the Mercury crew: the best pick-up crew in the world. OK, the only pick-up crew in the world. No dues, no rules, no officers save the Quartermaster and only one scheduled meeting, PiP. Has anyone mentioned yet that we, the Mercury, won second place in the first annual Pyrate Olympics? Next year we organize a little and win the damn thing. Can't let that scallywag crew of Sterling's win everything, y' know. Now where shall we keep the medal?

Many returns, mate. So when ye goin' t' get t' PiP?

Captain Jim, why is that? IS it the distances or the terrain? Pretty much a mixture of both... and this year the sand from the beach washed up where the camp was... when time permitted walking barefoot in the sand wasn't too bad, but with buckled shoes that too can add to the discomfort... But mostly it is the incredible number of small (1-3 inch size) coral rocks spaced at the perfect interval so that its not "gravel" but individual rocks exactly one-half a foot's width away from each other. Can't walk around 'em, can't shuffle through 'em. Not big enough to adequately spread the load to suppport your weight. Even on walkways, there is one with your name on it.

Speechless I am...who knew that pole hugger had a chin? Mind you this photo was taken ten minutes after the shave and he already has a 5 o'clock shadow...

Congratulations Jessi! Now tell us all you were wearing pyrate garb 'neath those robes...and good on ye for finding a job so quickly; no small feat in today's market.

Thanks Abbie, Chrispy. As far as PC materials goes right now I'm as big an offender as anyone, a situation that I plan to change over the year. Still, I know what is right, I just havn't gotten around to sewing up a new kit. I won't make St. Augustine I don't think, but Hampton may be possible. Must...get...gun...case...business...off...ground....

Got the gel inserts early and wore them about the house and shop to "re-educate" my shoes. Except for one coral bruise (big chunk) no injuries to report. A much better year for feet, overall. Still, as events go, this one is still the leading foot killer.