Blackbead

The Dante Club by Michael Pearl; VERY good so far!

BY THE GRACE OF GOD AND ALL THAT'S HOLY!!!

I mean, yes . . . quite nice! It is difficult to tell exactly what it looks like because of the angle of the shots. Is it a bicorn?

Blackbead

This is my first attempt to ever write a book, memoir, or anything much more than a letter to a family member or friend. I did try to write a love poem once to a girl but I was ten at the time and the resulting piece, which to my eyes was a work of great art, caused little more than a giggle. Im not trying to write great literature here; Im just trying to record the events of my time. This is a journal, not a novel.

Plato was the first to say that necessity was the mother of invention. If that be the case, then survival is most definitely inventions sire. Perhaps this is why so many of Mans greatest advances have occurred during wartime. I read somewhere that the first kite was flown by a Chinese general to find out how far his army would have to tunnel in order to enter a walled city undetected. Someday, someone will write about flying machines in this same way they were born of war.

To paraphrase the historian, Herbert Wells, no one would have believed that in the later part of the nineteenth century that the Earth was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man. Likewise, no one could have ever foreseen the changes in humanitys technology caused by humankinds response to the most destructive war we have ever faced. I am talking, of course, about the Martian invasion beginning in 1895. Millions have died and the very existence of the civilizations dotted about our planet was put in jeopardy. We fought back but we fought on the same terms as the savage who faces modern man we threw our stones and swung our sticks but the enemy smashed us with weapons we could not even understand.

Heat rays that disintegrated our people and our weapons of war. Black smoke delivered by rockets that killed, almost instantly, anything that breathed. Armored war machines that moved under their own power and which defied destruction by our artillery and small arms. Scarlet vegetation that took root amongst our own natural world and choked out Earths trees and other green, living things. These and other hideous technologies dwarfed the powers of our world and came within a gnats wing of conquering us all.

But they didnt. They began dying at a pace that far surpassed our ability to destroy them and, to date, we dont know why. Wells has suggested to me that they died from a plague caused by the bacterium discussed by Ehrenberg. Wells theory seems as plausible to me as any other especially since, like with our own experience with plagues, a great many of the invaders perished but some have survived. Greatly reduced in number, the Martians no longer completely dominate our world. Furthermore, with our survival-propelled advances in technology, we actually stand a fighting chance against them.

The War has been going on now for almost four years. The majority of the surviving Martians have congregated in four zones the darkest regions of equatorial Africa; the broad expanse of the steppes of Siberia, the wildernesses of central Canada, and the large island north of the Australian continent, called Papua or New Guinea. So far, weve been able to keep them penned up in these last remaining strongholds. I pray that I live long enough to see them completely destroyed.

My name is Hagen Luke and Im an attacker pilot from Phoenix, Arizona. My people are originally from Germany, I was born there, but we came over to America when I was a baby. My brother, Frank, and I grew up in America and I guess we are as American now as anybody I know, except maybe for the Apache kids I used to play football against when I was in grade school. Its been a long time since Frank and I tackled, kicked, and ran our way down a football field. Now, Im afraid that Frank is dead, killed by the Martians, and I play a completely different kind of game.

I pilot a Besler Arabian, the finest steam-powered, propeller-driven attacker in the world. It was designed by Hans Besler and Nathan Price and is powered by a two-cylinder, 190 horsepower, reciprocating steam engine. Shes a double-winged design with an Improved Maxim gun slung under each upper wing and a brand-new Bolden 20mm rapid-fire cannon shooting through the engine drive shaft. She can also carry three 200 pound bombs under each lower wing and shes covered with the new reflective armor that helps to blunt the effect of the Martians heat ray.

At the end of the first phase of the War, we discovered that the Martians were working on flying machines. We also discovered that the metal bars that they were somehow refining were not intended as building materials but were a slow-burning fuel that produced incredible power. Using the information gathered from the Martians progress toward flyers and the power of this new fuel, Besler and Price were able to fulfill one of mans greatest dreams powered flight of a heavier than air craft. No more would we be constrained by reliance on hot air filled balloons driven by the wind. For the first time, man could direct his flights wherever he wished and carry heavy loads without much effort.

There is a great deal of science which is required to design and build one of these flying machines. In essence, it is the shape of the wings, combined with the rapid flow of air across those wings that result in the lift that is needed to make the thing rise. This is a concept that has seen application as far back as Sir George Cayleys glider. Most people dont know this but a man flew almost fifty years ago without any hot air at all. But he was still a prisoner of the wind.

The steam engine that is the power plant of the Arabian is a product of modern science with a little help from the Martians. Nathan Price was already known for his work on compact steam engines for use in the rail transport business but, using the incredible power of the new fuel provided by the invaders, Price was able to swiftly convert some of his earlier work into an engine that produces enough steam power to provide the horsepower-to-weight ratio necessary to make these ships feasible. The engine that resulted operates without the destructive vibration of internal combustion engines, reduces fire hazards, operates at a greater efficiency than any internal combustion engine, and, very valuable tactically, operates in relative silence. In the first flying tests of these machines, pilots were able to call down from the air and could be heard by spectators on the ground.

On more than one occasion, I have snuck up on our enemy and the first indication they had of my presence were when my bombs began raining down, bringing death and destruction to these merciless invaders. Of course, that was before they knew we had taken to the air in our War against them. These days, not only are they more vigilant but they have, with their own limited resources, begun to attempt to build flying machines of their own.

I have come to hate the invaders from the Red Planet. Theyve destroyed my family, turned my world into a burning battlefield, and taken away the life I once knew. My delight these days is seeing their bulbous, octopus-like bodies torn to pieces by my weapons and their machines burning from the effects of my bombs. If I die fighting them, so be it. But I will send as many of them to Hell as I can before I go.

Although it is a HORRIBLE movie, actually ranks close to number one of worst movies I have ever seen, the Timothy Hines' version of "The War of the Worlds", http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425638/, is an attempt at a faithful rendition of Wells' novel. The film is set in 1895 and tries, in vain, to present a version that is period correct. I bought a CD of this flick and proudly display it as "the worst movie I own." If a few more million dollars was spent on it then it might be a good Steampunk movie.

TO give you an idea of how bad it is, when they show people riding in a wagon or carriage up close, the majority of the shots show slack reins and it is obvious there are no horses pulling the vehicle. The long shots show these TERRIBLE CGI horses pulling the wagon. And the CGI Thunderchild scenes are so bad as to be laughable! 5-inch, open guns firing without crews. The water flowing in the wrong direction. As Leonard Plinth-Carnell would have said, "Deliciously bad!"

Are you looking for a perfect Valentine's Day card for your pirate beloved? Check out Blackbead's Treasure Chest to see what we have THAT NO ONE ELSE IN THE WORLD HAS!

Excellent! Congratulations, my friend! Perhaps YOU will play the doctor in the next "Master and Commander" film! As Mr. Wilde once said, "the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about!"

Blackbead

The power of music is amazing - first of all, that was extremely well done, mates, and I beg ye to keep me infomred of the arrival date of that CD! But, what prompted me to write this note was the fact that, sitting here in my small office, listening to the harmony between the fiddles, I was transported back to the summer of 1998 and Gettysburg, Pennsylvannia. I was there with 26,999 of my close friends and we were commemorating the 135th anniversary of the great battle there by reenacting the event.

One evening, the unit I was in welcomed some "wandering minstrels" into our camp - two guitar players, two fiddlers, a dummer and a spoons player. They put on a show for us for two hours that had us all singing and cheering before the night was over. And there, in the midst of those thousands of soldiers in their 99% authoentic camps, with the period music playing and the fires burning and all of us in our impressions, I had one of those "reenactor moments." If you've ever reenacted, you know what I mean - your eyes blur a bit and suddenly you are back in time, getting as close as it is possible to feeling what they felt back then, seeing what they saw, experiencing what they experienced, and, in our case, hearing what they heard. It was truly a magical moment.

Thanks for letting me relive it. And please do let me know when the CD comes out!

Blackbead

AKA Stephen Sanders

Private, Co D

1st Regiment of Infantry (US)

Have you found an agent, yet?

Hmmm, something's amiss here . . . let me try this again . . . if ye be interested, go to . . .

BLACKBEAD'S TREASURE CHEST on Zazzle.

Are ye looking for mugs that say, "I'd rather be raiding the Spanish Main!"? How about a mouse pad that reads, "It's In Me Blood"? Or a t-shirt or bag or buttons or bumper stickers or more! How about a t-shirt that has an image of a cannon on it and the caption - "Beware Me Long Nine!" Or a Mother's or Father's Day card that is perfect for a pirate! Or how about a sexy, spaghetti strapped t-shirt that reads, "I AM the booty!"

If so, then drop by Blackbead's Treasure Chest on Zazzle and search through the lovely items ye'll find there! And from now until January 30, 2010, when ye check out, just use the code "GIVEZAZZLE2009" at checkout and ye'll receive a nice 10% off your final purchase! Or so the nice people at Zazzle tell me! Give it a try and see what happens!

Blackbead Books is taking part in Lulu.com's January sales contest! They've given us a code for all to enter at checkout to get 10% off their purchases! Go to www.lulu.com/Blackbead to order copies of Raising Black Flags: Original Poetry By and About Piratesor Echoes From Other Worlds, enter READMORE2010 at checkout, and receive a ten percent discount when you buy the books! If you've ever thought about buying either of these books, now's the time to do so!

Here's what Bilgemunky had to say about Raising Black Flags: "Close your eyes and picture a pirate sitting on a beach. Let your brain relax and let the pirate be himself and watch what he does. Does he take a swig of rum? Start singing sea shanties to himself? Shout peculiar-yet-salty insults at whoever happens to walk by? Read from a book of poetry?

Odds are that final option isn’t one that sprung into your mind – pirates, as a rule, aren’t really considered to be history’s great poets, nor were they exactly patrons of the written arts. In fact, letters – save those of 'marque' or 'x' – were generally pretty useless to them. But this is probably because it wasn’t until 2008 that someone got around to collecting an anthology of pirate poetry. Had such a thing existed in the 1700’s, I’m sure many pirates would have taken their literary studies far more seriously.

Raising Black Flags: Original Poetry By and About Pirates is a collection available through Lulu Press. Edited by Stephen Sanders (a.k.a. Blackbead), it features 39 original pirate poems contributed by 16 pirate poets. Most of these names will seem unfamiliar until you read their biographies, at which point anyone familiar with the online and real world pirate communities – especially the Pyracy Pub – will recognize may familiar nom de plumes.

I freely confess that I don’t often read from books of poetry, as I’ve the attention span of a jelly fish. But I’d also suggest that if you are to read poetry, pirate poetry would seem the way to go. And Raising Black Flags clearly has much to offer. Poems range from the long to the short, the silly to the somber. Some speak of real world situations we modern pirates face, such as 'A Pirate’s Life For Me: Being a Pirate at Renaissance Faire' by Melody Sanders. Others tell of historical pirate realities, such as the wonderful 'The Captain’s Coat', which really ought to be put to music someday. And many others blend the real world of pirates with the worlds of ghosts and mythology – poems of mermaids, sirens, and specters.

Raising Black Flags would seem a fine gift for the pirate who has everything, or make for an excellent waiting room or coffee table book. Reading a poem here and there would seem an excellent way to add a little extra dose of piracy to our modern lives – and that’s always a good thing."

So, come buy a copy of these books and use the code to get your 10% off! Heck, at these prices, buy three or four of each! They make great gifts!!

Blackbead

And The Brotherhood of the Gulf will be heartily represented at this event! We'll be tell ing tales of the sea (readings from Raising Black Flags and Echoes From Other Worlds) all over the Faire and Blackbead's Treasure Chest will be open for business! Come see us!

Blackbead

And don't forget, depending on the period you're focusing on, Klaus Stoertebecker, the Victual Brothers, and the Hanseatic League! The North Sea was a wild place to be in the late 1200's/early 1300's! I know there was a German production in the last few years about Stoertebecker but I've never seen it and the stills I saw made it look like "Braveheart Sails the North Sea."

Schwarzekorn

I came up with several goals for the year but I don't really have any resolutions. "Resolutions" are those things that you "resolve to do"; "goals" are things you set your sights on and try to achieve. Give me goals, any day. I've never kept a single resolution that I can recall but I've accomplished many of the goals I have set for myself.

Welcome home! I noticed ye be a pirate poet. Glad to have ye aboard as we poetic types need to stick together for protection!

Blackbead

And, THANK YOU, Coastie! For whatever it was you sent me . . . which, of course, just makes you that much more of a PIRATE!

Blackbead

I was the Secret Santa for Vintage Sailor - and I hope you enjoy the book and the "little extras", my friend! Poetry be good for the soul!

I'll add my knot to those already tied - HAPPY NEW YEAR! May auld aquaintances ne'er be forgotten, may well-aged spirits be all that ye be drinkin', may your lovers be plump in all the right places, may all your plans come to perfect fruition, may ye be safe and sound in all that ye do, and may we meet again on the morrow, ready to start the best damn year ever!

Blackbead

Mike Leach has become a symbol of the pirate mystique down here in Texas. His cover photo for the September 2009 "Texas Monthly" featured him sporting an eyepatch and included a piratey quote he gave about pirates beating soldiers. Well, he got canned today after a whirlwind disaster involving an injured player. The facts are flying, along with the fur, and we'll have to see where this ends (Leach and his lawyer are talking lawsuit) but, in the end, at least in Texas, pirates take another hit. I can hear the jokes now - "Well, doctors are now saying that instead of requiring the player to sit out practice in the 'offensive garage' that Leach should have make him walk the plank."

"Why didn't Leach just bring out the leeches like they did in 'pirate days'?"

"What do you expect from a pirate? At least he didn't hang the kid from a yardarm!"

Okay, maybe this is why I'm a poet and not a comedy writer!

Blackbead

Out of touch with the modern world, I agree. Which is especially funny since he's the owner of the nuclear power plant. But dead on, pun intended, with his Scottish ancestor!

People didn’t always say “hello” when they answered the phone When the first regular phone service was established in 1878, people said “ahoy.”

Actually, the story I heard is this: When the telephone was first coming into use, there was some popular disagreement about the proper thing to say when answering. Bell (inventor of the telephone) was consulted, and, being a Scot, suggested, "Hoy, hoy." (Brits who drop their aitches say "Oi," we say "hey" - same word, same meaning, different accents.) Bell is said to have answered his phone that way, but it never really caught on.

Oh! I see now why Montgomery BURNS always answers his phone "Ahoy, hoy"!

It's the superstitions of the sea that I've always found fascinating. Wren's feathers, not beginning a voyage on certain days, women on board ship, whistling aboard ship, that sort of thing. There's so much history and a sense of tradition to these stories and the resulting beliefs. That sort of thing appeals to me and brings a feeling of order to the life.

Blackbead

Beautiful workmanship! Now, how many more do you think you're going to make?

Dear Secret Santa,

I finally returned home last night after a long sail to the east and south that took me from Bonham, Texas, to San Augustine, Texas, to Beaumont, Texas, and back. What a delightful surprise to find, waiting on my doorstep, a package from YOU! Inside was a bottle of the most exquisite-tasting lemoncello that I have ever laid lips to! It will definitely be a part of my New Year's Eve celebration and the special friends that I plan on sharing it with! Also, while I haven't tasted it, yet, a packet of the most delicious smelling coffee my nostrils have ever had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with! Whomever you may be and wherever you call home, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and from the center of my taste buds! This was the first year I've been involved with this wonderful tradition but I hope to be celebrating Christmas this way EVERY year from now on!

Blackbead

Well now, let me see . . . my extended family is finally understanding that I am desirous of all things piratical so while my beloved bought me a turntable which will allow me to convert my old vinyl into a digital format the rest of the family and friends got me a skull and crossed bones throw which will look great hanging in the booth, some pirate coasters, some pirate napkins, and my in-laws, God love 'em, tried to go out and buy me a sword and I wound up with a rather neat looking wakizashi with a dragon headed pommel which is leading me into the creation of a new costume - 黒いビード: A renegade Korean fisherman who has taken to piracy against the Japanese. The Japanese give him his pirate name because of . . . well, I'm still thinking about that, but it's a start!

The gas to get to my ancestral hometown and back: $89

Acquiring an extra copy of Sid Meier's "Pirates!": $9.99 (At BestBuy)

Buying dinner for the family instead of cooking so we'd have some extra time: $140

Standing between my granddaughters (9 and 14) as they play "Pirates!" on two different computers and finding out they think their grandpa is a big deal because he knows a thing or two about the "Sweet Trade": utterly and completely priceless

I can only hope that ye all had as incredible a Christmas as I did!

Blackbead