Ransom

Aw, come on, Patrick. You've been immoral and immortal long before you hit post 5K.

I'm kinda in a panic now, 'cause I was thinking I had nothing to wear a costume for. Then yesterday my writer's group decided that since Halloween fell on Friday, our regular meeting day, we should all dress up! Yikes! Nothing like waiting until the last minute. LOL I don't really want to go as a pirate, since I do that the rest of the year, and they have already seen my garb. So, I may have to break out the old SCA costume boxes and see what still fits after twenty years! Especially the equestrian doublets. Elizabethan courier, maybe? That way I can avoid voluminous skirts while trying to drive.

Actually, I was looking for info on the ocelot and the cast response to it a week or so ago. (If you do watch the show, pay particular attention to the way the ocelot behaves. It looks mean to me.) So I Googled "ocelot Honey West" and that came up. Then this discussion came up and the quote was interesting enough that I remembered it. Viola! (Alas, the wizard is always more amazing than the man behind the curtain.) Alas, I am in a TV dead zone. So what shows I do watch, are ones you can rent on DVDs. Currently, I am addicted to House. However, I even remember a picture of Ann Francis and the ocelot on the cover of TV Guide—way back when. (Oh, and I never look behind the curtain. I don't want to spoil the magic!)

In case anyone is interested, the Brass Goggles forum is back up!

In all honesty, I can't imagine anyone wanting to be a teacher these days (Good luck, Bo!). It's the "Not Responsible" age. Parents don't want to be responsible for the way their kids act, (my pet peeve being parents who let their kids run loose in restaurants), kids don't have to be responsible for their own actions, because Mommy and Daddy will bail them out, and even most adults (and I use that term loosely) don't take responsibility for themselves—let's sue McDonald's because I was stupid enough to put a cup of scalding coffee between my legs, and got burned—let's sue the fast food companies, because my little kid weighs 150 lbs and is only in third grade but I can't stop ordering him burgers! I know not all parents/kids act like idiots, but an awful lot of them do, and from what I can see, it's getting worse. The schools have no control over that, and teachers shouldn't have to put up with nasty kids in class just because the principal doesn't want to lose the income from "fees per head" on students. This is even a problem in a private Lutheran school, where Chain Shot's sister is a teacher. She is forced to put up with disruptive, aggressive students (she teaches first grade!), or students who can't speak English, or with severe learning disabilities who should be in a Spec Ed class, because the school doesn't want to lose the money. The biggest losers are the kids who want to learn, because teachers spend all their time dealing with the misfits. This may be one big reason why so many teachers give up, and just kill time until retirement. Who can blame them?

After the Rakehell was secure at anchor, Africa went below to get some well-deserved rest. No one was going ashore yet, and he had made the captain promise to send someone for him, if they decided to do so before he woke. He picked a dark section of the hold, threw his boat cloak out on the grimy planks, and lay down between two rows of kegs. As his eyelids became heavy, and he was close to sleep, the air suddenly became fetid, reeking of body odor, piss, and fear. Gagging and choking, Africa sat up, terrified. The smell smothered him with memories, of pain, hunger, and hours on unending hours at the oars, chained to a bench within the dark hold of a Spanish galleon. With a choking cry, he stood, wild-eyed, and bewildered. For there was nothing around him but the harmless kegs, bales, and casks of goods and supplies. No Spaniards. No beaten men shackled four to an oar. No filth, no pain. Clutching the little bag of corpse powder hanging from the cord around his neck, he bolted back up on deck, seeking the sun and fresh air.

Oh, geez, I'd forgotton all about that show. LOL. Gosh, Mission, where do you find this stuff? (Okay, I know you found it on TV Acres, but...how did you find TV Acres? )

Kinda of a long ways away, for us West Coasters, but it would be a blast. So, Patrick, are you going Steam Punk for Halloween? Oh, and FYI for anyone who is interested, the Brass Goggles forum is back up!

As the Staff person for five cats, I know of their fu quite well. Fortunately, mine don't use it on me very often, and when they do, it's during play — but, play with cats, play by cat rules. As for my current avatar, I put that up for Halloween. It's a picture I took while visiting the old Spanish mission in Santa Barbara, CA (as part of my Ojai trip). The doorway that goes from the cemetery back into the church has three skull and crossbones over it. This is one of them.

Lad, Return to the ship at once! It will take a full broadside just to slow er down! By God, I'd rather face a Kraken than be in her way. Tis many a sailor meet his doom that choose otherwise! Quickly now, I think she may be on er way! -Greydog LOL! Aye, I think the last poor bloke to meet his doom is now riding on the prow of her scooter — naught left but bones!

Oooo, I don't think it tastes like paint thinner (although, Jacky Tar sampled Jill's at Ojai, and said it tasted like caugh syrup, but what does he know!). I have some Pyrate special blended rum, but don't like it straight, so I make mojitos out of it. Another good flask drink was one that Bilge Munkey offered me at Nor Cal. It was REALLY good. When I PMed him later to ask what it was, he said it was a blend of three different kinds, but he didn't know the measurements, because the glass flask had been a gift from a lady friend. Now, if I could just figure out how to get a Pimm's Cup into a flask.....hmmmmmmmm.

I'm so sorry, Lily. You have my condolences. And the story of the star you saw the night your father passed is so very beautiful, and one I am sure you will hold in your heart always.

If I had a flask (I found some really kewl ones at Nor Cal, but they wanted $80 for a decent size), it would have to be Pyrate Pistol rum — thank you Red-Handed Jill! Although, the Lemoncello that MerryDeath had at Port Washington last year was pretty danged tasty!

Wow, Mission, you have a velociraptor in your back yard! That is just SO kewl!.................I want one. LOL Do you have pictures of it?

Gosh, I really miss that show!

What makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up is the when people say things like: Pitcher, when they mean picture Calvary, when they mean Cavalry I seen it, when they mean I have seen it, or I've seen it. I'll stop there....

Asp (The slithery kind)

You have left out one of the main monkey wrenches in any school system — the parents. The schools can construct the best plans, curriculums, testing methods, etc, but if the parents don't take part of the responsibility for helping their kids through that system, then the system will likely fail. I have a sister who has been a grade school teacher for twenty years, with a MA in teaching reading skills. Her biggest complaint is that the schools have become unpaid babysitters, or are expected to teach kids morals. If the kids misbehave in class, their options for discipline are almost nil. On the rare occasion when a child is disciplined, most often the parents are outraged, and blame the school for whatever "Little Johnny/Jane" has done. I realize most of the "No Child Left Behind" concept is an attempt to help kids with uncooperative or nonexistant parents through the system, but teachers are teachers. A lot of them terrible, or bored, or killing time to retirement, but they can't teach and "parent" at the same time. The schools must take responsibility for what they are meant to do, but the parents also must take responsibility for their kids. Where there are no parents, or responsible guardian, then some other system needs to be put in place to help those kids, but the schools and teachers can only do so much. ( I know this opens up that whole "Society did this to me" can of worms.) Irregardless of what system is eventually put in place, teachers have a huge influence on how, or if, a kid learns anything, or how enthusiastic they are about a subject. From my own long ago experience, even with subjects I hated, if the teacher was good, showed interest and patience, then that subject, if not exactly fun, was at least interesting and I learned something. For me, the biggest problem with teachers was that they were boring and I knew they didn't give a damned if I learned anything or not. I had a few wonderful exceptions, thank God, and they are the reason I managed to graduate from High School. But that's as far as I went. By the time I graduated, I hated school, and couldn't imagine going back for another four years of college. It's that kind of attitude in their students that teachers and "the system" need to change.

I stared at Jacky a moment. I'd seen him act in a lot of different ways, but fishy had never been one of them. However, that was exactly how he was acting now. Fishy. And what the hell was with the royal wave all of a sudden? Drumming my fingers on the rail, I replied, "Too much sulphur in the gunpowder my arse. Those cannons worked just fine when you were firing them at me! What are you up to? Why are you acting so evasive? What are you hiding? Jacky didn't seem inclined to answer my questions. "Fine! Have your little secrets. I'll lay off a bit and drop anchor, then see what new repairs we can make." I pointed to the open tract of ocean around us. "But that's a lot of ocean. Let's hope your little secret is where we're supposed to start looking."

Today I received Callenish Gunner's and Lady Cassandra's books. Guess I know what I'll be working on this week!

I live in a pyrate no-man's land, so for me, it's only 2 — Nor Cal and Ojai.

You shed your tears for a good friend. Nothing wrong with that. Only natural. As you said, he died with his boots on. Beats slowly wasting away in a hospital bed. You have my condolences, Bo.

I saw Jacky come up on deck, and he didn't look too thrilled. Too bad, I thought. "Oi, Jacky. Is this the place?" I gestured to the inhospitable spit of land that stretched out in front of us, then cocked an eye. "And why is the smell of brimstone wafting in the air?"

Ummm....what would I wear? Okay, I have an original WWI British Woman's Land Army coat in a lovely army-brown twill, that comes a bit lower than my knees. I could steam that up. Add my brown swade (?), 4 inch-heeled knee boots that scrunch at the ankle, black pantaloon pants-with maybe a vintage-type design (about the weight, feel, and design of a heavy linen table cloth, only black), black tank top, Victorian type corset/cincher, lots of jewelry, and my short top hat, with black lace and feathers. Add my worn pyrate belt, cutlass, and pistol, and I think I'd be getting close. Maybe add some interesting facial tattoos? (Temporary ones!). Don't know, but I could sure have fun with it!

I don't know, Patrick. You might also be able to play off the pirate thing by choosing dark colors for your clothes. Naturally, black comes to mind, but also maybe dark green, maroon, and red. Not Santa Claus red, but coagulated blood red. Might give you a more ominous look. Add one iconic pyrate symbol, to give people the hint, like your death head patches. Then add weapons, and the goggles...........That might work. Or, it just might only make you come off as an evil overlord. Buwahahahahahahaaaaaaa........ Or, think Pyrate Charles. They don't really dress anything close to PC pyrate, but you still know they are pyrates....sorta. Especially the guy in the top hat. Check out the movie Sky Captain for some ideas. It even has air ships. But with a more 1930s vibe. Lots of fun ideas, choices, that's for sure.