Bilgemunky

hey... you know where he is coming from now....

Excellent point! I'll take reading something by a self-admitted activist any day over someone pretending at strict impartiality. At least the activist ADMITS they have a bias, and we can account for it accordingly.

I'm a subscription player, having gotten mildly addicted during the free beta. My understanding is that current free accounts are far too limited, and as you mention, too distracted by popup ads to really give you a proper taste of things.

The thing I like about PotC Online is that it's fairly low-maintenance. I've played other online games where if you don't check in daily, you fall behind. The last thing I need in my life are vitual obligations. With PotC Online I can log off for weeks at a time, and then pick up right where I left off.

A bit more simplistic than some MMOs, but it works for me

It's not the end of the world that the magazine was late due to whatever the reason, who cares... 

Perhaps not the end of the world, but it remains a very big deal to advertisers that paid big bucks for an ad that had no value after a certain point - i.e. festival advertisements that weren't seen until after the event had passed.

Hopefully Pirates Magazine has made it right with those advertisers.

Well mate, you may have a bit more piss and vinegar on the subject than me, and I think PotC 2 and 3 had a wee bit more substantce than Matrix 2 and 3 - but overall, I feel where yer comin' from on that last post.

Non-PotC reinactors are where the money is.

I would disagree - at least in part. Reenactors are a portion of the demographic, but there are other long-term pirate afficianados that have little to do with reenactors. I myself am not a reenactor - not by a long shot. My interests are far more pop cultural. Pirate video games, pirate music of a nontraditional variety, piratical influences on modern fashion, etc.

These magazines need to make their own marketing decisions. I am not amongst the crowd that continues to be impressed by articles on PotC - for me that ship has sailed. But historical, reenactor type articles often fall flat for me as well. A writeup on Cap'n Crunch's pirate nemisis holds far more interest than yet another article on the difference between pirates and privateers - that ship, too, has sailed.

I'm just one subscriber, and one that unlikely represents the readership at large. But I'll take new and different any day over been-there-done that, be it PotC, historical, or any other pirate subject that's already been widely visited and revisited again.

I wasn't exactly thrilled about the Jack Impersonation article either, nor did the Isaac Singleton interview answer any buring questions (indeed, like many, I have few burning questions about PotC at this point), but I would commend Scarlett Harlott for sharing the game "Slap Jack". If you haven't heard of it, it requires no real explanation - just think Slug Bug at a pirate convention, and then fill in the blanks

Regarding NQG, is Jan/Feb 07 still the most recent issue? I know they've been well behind for some time, and I don't begrudge them in the least. But I do occassionally wonder if I may have unwittingly let my subscription lapse.

Hey Bilge, did I actually meet you?

Y'know Stynky - I remember seeing you around several times, but I don't think we must have actually met. Don't I feel like a rude bast'd? Actually, there were so many new piratey faces swarming around, and I only met a tiny fraction of them (and others I did meet while drunk on Friday night - then I met them anew on Saturday morning, having forgotten meeting them the night before. And they just sort of smiled at me and asked how I was feeling.)

Other items - Sterling - my feet did AWSOME! I'll be writing up a full review of my Jarnagin shoes shortly. They weren't perfect out of the box - required some insoles and doubled up socks, but that done, not one blister or sore heel all weekend. And I did a *lot* of walking.

Ahoy all! Made it home, safe and sound.

Airplay on Bilgemunky Radio is also a great way to expand your pirate audience, as is a Bilgemunky.com review. PM me for details (but I head out later today for PiP, so it might be a week or so before I get back to you.)

Yar.

I am happy you are coming ~ look forward to seeing you again! Perhaps you are bringing some fun music? Music that I can wildly dance to?

Aside from a loaded MP3 player for the trip, I hadn't actually planned to bring any music, as I'd assumed there'd be no way to play it (I've tried sticking a CD in a cannon, but alas, no music.)

It sounds like I needn't worry for a place to crash, the Archangel's got my back (poor choice of words, perhaps.) Although I'd best start practicing sleeping with one eye open, it would seem

Can't wait for - not only an awsome pirate festival - but one where I ain't workin and missin' half the fun

Yikes! Sorry to hear that Callenish won't make it - I'd looked forward ta meetin' him!

And this seems to leave me on the "homeless" end of things - does anyone have some space they could offer? I've worked very hard on making a proper, historically accurate outfit, and I've even made a special cover for my air mattress that makes it look like an uncomfortable bedroll. I don't need much - just something to keep the rain off, should it prove necessary.

PM me if you can help!

got mine!

Great find!

I actually put an order in a while ago with Jarnagin - should have them in time for PiP.

I'll let everyone know how they turn out!

"Fenders" might be a more nautically appropriate term.

Count me in as well. Same address as last year - do you need me to pm anyways?

I never did find out who my santa was last year. A lovely compass arrived straight from Jas-Townsend. Since I never ordered it, I assumed it was from my secret santa. I don't think they ever announced themselves in the forum. But it works mighty fine for a mystery compass

Who knew wool was so flammable?

That seems an entirely signature-worthy quote. Or maybe I'm just drunk.

Probably a little bit of both.

Much has been discussed in these forums about how to dress and what sort of tents to use, but I haven't seen much on two important topics...

1) How to sleep. Well, in tent for most, obviously. But are folks just hiding their Coleman sleeping bags during the day (I doubt it), or are they doing something a bit more period? What should us newbies consider bringing for sleeping? A small light wool blanket? Some sort of period sleeping mat (does such a thing exist?) Etc. For that matter, what other camp necesities would be considered bare minimum for personal items? A small lantern maybe?

2) What are the "facilities" like? We'll be staying here for four days, does anyone shower? Or is this an extended break from showering, teeth brushing, etc? I imagine port-o-potties are available at the very least.

Like most folks, I can be pretty flexible, but it's good to know what to plan for. Any advice in either of these two respects is greatly appreciated.

What kind of plaster? I made some medallions a few years back using plaster paris, and the results were unpredictable. It took a lot of molds and tries to get one or two good quality medallions. The molds themselves were prone to breaking all too easily. And they seemed to hold moisture no matter how long I left them in the oven.

Indeed, Patrick - your shoes seem about as close to what I'm looking for as anything else available. I would have hoped that my next pair of shoes would have been exactly what I'm wanting, rather than just pretty darn close. But such is life.

I do hear that Fugawee is awsome when it comes to customer service and exchanges in case they don't fit. Did your own Concords match your normal shoe size? (both my current shoes and my boots are actually smaller than what I would normally expect to fit.)

OK, before anyone asks - yes, I've searched for old and new shoe topics. And I found several. And I read them. And it seems that shoes are more of a frustration for everyone than I'd ever realized.

I have a great pair of pirate boots, but come PiP this winter, I'm opting for the "when in Rome" approach, and am going to try and look passably authentic. I actually have a decent pair of buckle shoes from Flying Canoe - not perfect, but decent. Problem is they have no impact cushioning at all, and they're way too snug to allow for the inserts that would make it possible to last for several days in these shoes. I'm trying to stretch them, but it's looking like it might be time for me to "trade up." But if I fork out more dough, I want it to be the right shoe that I'll really be happy with for years to come.

And therein lies the problem. The shoe I like best - visually speaking - is on Gentleman of Fortune's site. I love the look of these:

But after checking the manufacturer referenced (http://www.kmgarlick-shoemaker.co.uk/), I see two problems with ordering these. First, the exchange rate is in the crapper. And second, the manufacturer's image looks a bit different - maybe it's just that they're too new and clean, and have huge buckles. But either way, the exchange rate is still rather prohibitive. So moving on something more domestic - the Jarnagin shoes look pretty good too (http://www.jarnaginco.com/FIcatframe.html), but it seems nobody here has had any luck with that company - not returning emails to several. And those those they do respond to, refusing to manufacture the straps to size for GoF's smaller buckles (I've seen lots of concerns that trimming the straps might not look right in the end.)

So with that in mind, it seems the only real option for a large tongue, small buckle, square toe shoe would be Fugawee's Concord (which also needs some triming, and which I don't think is actually all that square if memory servers.) But if I'm going to invest in another pair of shoes, I'd hoped to make it a "perfect" pair, which the Concords aren't quite.

So, have I described the situation accurately, and am now sharing in the frustrations of all, or have I missed some options, in which case please smack me upside the head and point me in the right direction.

Yar.

Take it seriously? You mean it's not real?!?

Crap - I guess my ebay purchase of a Cessna was bit premature

OK, I know that Iron Bess has insisted again and again that there is nothing yet in the works for Pirates of the Caribbean 4. But who are we going to believe - a woman that works at Disney and has been a Pub regular for years? Or how about a poorly written, gramatically challenged article failing to cite a single source? I know which one I'd pick!

www.product-reviews.net

Great article, although the closing comment is amusing. Would anyone be well advised to read a management book written by Captain Kidd? Seems to me his inability to manage his own crew - or his own affairs for that matter - is what got him hung

I hadn't heard of this movie so I went to amazon to check it out... must be pretty rare on DVD, only available used and the cheapest is $67.00, VHS starting at $1.54, guess I'll have to dust off the VCR.

Don't forget Ebay, mates! I just bought a new DVD(still factory sealed, according to description) of Pirates of the Plain for $6.75. Shipping was another 6 bucks, but at $13.75, that's still less than I would expect to pay for a new DVD in a store.

There were a few more available for comparable prices. I know Ebay is always buyer beware, but by carefully reading descriptions for any irregularities, I've always had pretty good luck.

Twist, I did not catch that part..hmmmmm 

The "next week on" clip alluded to the pirates confronting something from their past - my guess is the old castaways have formed a competing crew. Afterall, pretty soon current system will break down - the officer trio will outnumber the crew and whatnot, so something has to change.

The previews also indicated lots of new discontent amongst the officers themselves, and even talk about mutiny.