hurricane

I'd have to side with your crew on that one. Shanties are fine for the tourists... but I'd have to throw anyone overboard who burst into South Australia at sea... -- Hurricane

That's a great idea! I'll tell the crewe about it. Much better than a bright orange life preserver. -- Hurricane

That's what was good about the old days. Didn't matter if you were prettied up, had booties on or looked good jumping in... you were going to drown anyway... that was the purpose. I can't help it if modern day pirates know how to swim... The mooring changes from year to year. The first year it was held off the shore of the fort along the beach line. The wind was fierce that day so it was tough to anchor the boat and we almost lost two swimmers who didn't understand that the currents were strong there. The second year we moved over to the Pier House. That was an ideal place. We anchored so the jumpers went inland and everyone could watch from the wharf area. Last year, the Pier House was under renovation, so we moved it next to the Mohawk. Securing the vessel safely required us to dock up on the quay. This year, we hope to move back to Pier House. It gets maximum exposure to tourists, has good viewing and the swim to the beach is an easy one, as there's no current to deal with. It's like a big bath tub there. We will know sooner as the event grows near. By the the way, the first year our group donated the first prize - a complete outfit from Cutthroat Island. A little trivia for ya'll. -- Hurricane

Ahoy all! I just posted the tentative schedule for the 2008 festival on the PiP site. This year, the entire festival runs Sat. Nov. 29 through Sunday, Dec. 7. Check it out at: http://piratesinparadise.com/schedule/index.html -- Hurricane

You're pretty much spot on Mission. Putting a mark on an item isn't branding, it's putting a mark on an item. Branding is a much more modern concept and it's how you think about a product, a service and company. Yes, the logo plays a small part in this process. But it is also tied to the value proposition of a firm, it's ability to deliver on this proposition as well as it's promise, it's reputation with customers over time and the stickiness of the brand in the marketplace. There's a huge difference between creating a brand and creating a mark so someone knew where the item came from or who it was made by. -- Hurricane

Some color inside the lines, others like to color outside the lines, still others like to blur the them. I'm always on the side of the last two. -- Hurricane

Based on our own pub last year and this coming year, I would recommend several bundles of small towels (Walmart has an 18 pack - we used 36 and dirtied them all), a couple large tubs to do the wash in as well. Double up on serving ware so you don't have to run to do the dishes after each meal. That was an absolute pain last year. A big ice cooler (disguised) with lemonade or water is essential. We had ours in a barrel to keep it out of sight. Most visitors will assume you're serving so you need obvious signs to let them know you're not. Even then you're going to be asked constantly if you're serving food or booze. Not a big problem, but it happened a lot last year, even with the signs. Oh, and cutlery - not the flatware but good knives for cutting bread and meat. I think that's it off the top of my head. Lessons learned in our own pub presentation that we plan on working on for this year. -- Hurricane

Good question. We've canned our trip to Hampton because of the price of gas. Just too darned expensive for an exploratory trip. It was cheaper to let our prepaid hotel go than to pay for the gas to get there and back. The other gigs we participate in offset the cost with dough, so we don't see any other changes, even if it goes to $10 a gallon. The majority of our local gigs are less than 10 miles, we only do two cross staters (John Levique and PiP and the rest of the time we're doing client stuff in the Caribbean and up the east coast. So not much affect for our crewe, except for the occasional desire to explore new events. -- Hurricane

No...your house, job, wife, friends, and crew are all in Florida. This explains why you don't live in California. Hey, I lived in California for a whole month, in San Mateo. But I missed Seattle too much. But you're right, Florida is one sweet place to live and my new crewe beats all hell out of the one I had in Seattle (of course, two of them moved here as well to follow their leader, right Animal?). -- Hurricane

That explains why I don't live in California... :) -- Hurricane

Boy, you had me until you said they can't be made active. -- Hurricane

Anne Bonney and Mary Read have been spotted at their old haunts in Black Sound here in Green Turtle Cay. They are here to interrupt the Island Heritage Festival and possibly make off with the jewels and trinkets destined for the children of the island. Heartless lasses... Governor Woodes Rogers is hot on their tails after their escape from their shackles at gun point at the Amy Roberts Elementary School. The Sergeant of the Guard gave noble chase but they made away by carriage. Quite the fun here in Green Turtle Cay. Gots ta love pirating in a place filled with pirates past. -- Hurricane

Uh, it's 'ad' not 'add'. Can forgive one misuse but the writer in me forbids me from ignoring three in the same missive. Especially from some an esteemed publication... :) -- Hurricane

I'm always available to lecture on Port Royal, past and present. I can also adjust it and just go with past, from the town's humble beginnings, the role the buccaneers played in the town's growth, trade and commerce, what was where, the political climate (eventually, the planters won out over the merchants regarding trade and piracy), the tryals, the great earthquake and the aftermath. All the people, players and places of the times. -- Hurricane

So true... I originally thought late September, since it is getting a little cooler but still nice weather... Good thoughts everyone! -- Hurricane

Off hand, I would say late August is a good time... of course, it depends on the hurricane season and how active it is. But the kids are still out of school and it's a good last huzzah before they return. The education component would be key. Not only about the activities of the day or the trades, but the customs, culture and society at large. There are so many misconceptions that can be addressed. If I see another slap happy renn fight again, I'll go mad. What I'd like to see if fighting and weapons classes, history of the places pirates inhabited and called upon, classes on period cooking and recipes, navigation, the science of the times... basically, go back to school to learn what was known then... what was high tech, what was new in the world of technology, medicine, etc. That sort of stuff. Then allow people to play within the parameters of this environment. Kind of a submersive environment that would draw re-enactors, those wishing to be more effective in their presentations and the general public who can view it as it unfolds. Perhaps a week of classes and a Friday, Saturday, Sunday when it's all put together and played out for the public. The rest of the time, it's coursework, training and "living the life" out of view of the public. Just random thoughts... so much fun to think what's possible. -- Hurricane

Well, it wouldn't be Port Royal if it's GAoP. Pirates were hung in Port Royal in that time period. The rabble wasn't welcomed. Plus the town everyone thinks of as being the haven for pirates was actually a haven for buccaneers pre 1692. By the time of the earthquake, the tide had already changed, even against the buccaneers. Otherwise, sounds like a fabulous opportunity. I would say the best option for growth and expansion are grants... The educational component would be grand, particularly as the careening camp slowly expands to being a full fledged town. The natural progression of a port town coming to life is pretty cool. I don't think the lack of big ships is a problem - many ports had the ships anchor off and the smaller boats did all the transit to and from town. Port Royal was unusual in having anchorage right up to the docks. I think the opportunity to create a GAoP facility would be great so people can separate the fact from the fiction and understand the rigors of the real life of a pirate, the townsfolk and even honest seamen. Properly done, it could draw not only the public, but re-enactors from all over the world to come play and portray there. Does local law allow for black powder demos? A very exciting prospect it is. -- Hurricane

That is some might fine riggin' there. Someone's going to be a lucky new owner, that's for sure! -- Hurricane

Diosa, Sulley and I are confirmed and will be in attendance, representing the nare do wells of the Pyrates of the Coast. Woo hoo! Road trip #4 of the year... -- Hurricane

That's amazing! Great work! -- Hurricane

So true, so true. Many are called, but few are chosen in the trade, I find. I've seen more than half the ranks turn to honest pursuits while those who have a truly black heart remain. The new recruits did well. The pub was briefly overtaken by a mob of drunk revelers from aboard a booze cruise bus. The newbies dove right in tossing beads, posing for photos and working the crows. Our articles are very strict on public drunkenness, but even on their initial outing, they were grand and not over libated. As for meself, the barmaids were amazed I went through four pitchers of astoundingly bad beer. Tasted like swill it did. Thank god for a stout liver and the promise of transplants on the horizon. The new wenches (from left to right... Deadly Aim, Siren, Stormy (Diosa), Bailey and Port (far right, Sheila and Red Handed Jill are old hands at this). The new mates (from left to right... Starboard, Coastie and Dangerous (then me, Bootleg and Mizzen, the old hands). -- Hurricane

Mutiny, ye say? For what reasons would ye want to mutiny? Are you doing so because you want to be named Captain? By all means then, sir, try yer hand at mutiny. For I am only a simple able-bodied seaman and will perform me duties for whomever the crew elects. Yer more than welcome to assume all the duties, headaches, politics, dealing with hackers that come with the running of this ship. Nay, lass. I would never stand for leading any motley band of rogues that I can't actually wrap my two hands around their miserable necks. Thankfully, I have me hands full enough with the Pyrates -- took eight new recruits out last night for their first adventures -- gotta loves those $10 all the beer you can drink nights here. I just loves a good mutiny and will vote for it at every turn. Come to think of it, I think that's why me own crewe keeps me their captain, knowing that I would turn on any of them who aspired to be captain in my stead... It's hard to control politics properly without being able to run someone through or simply rap them on the skull with a belaying pin. . . now, if we could only figure that out on the Pub. Hey, wait, I'd be one of the first to have his head split open... -- Hurricane

Oh, I remember him. He was in Galaxy Quest... -- Hurricane

Mission is dead on. We create our own reality. The Great Depression occurred primarily because of panic. A run on any bank, if not all banks, creates a shortage of cash in the system. If we want to believe a recession is on the way and spend accordingly, it will manifest itself. It's a trickle down issue. We curb spending, business runs short of cash because of reduced sales, they layoff people, people spend less because they've been laid off. A simplification but basically, that's how it works. My wife and I keep buying, threat of recession be damned. I could hold onto the money but with the increased inflation that comes with a recession, it's worth less anyway. If I would have kept a dollar in the 70s when the gas crisis hit, it would only be worth 50 cents today. Even if it was in the best savings plan possible, it couldn't have made the dollar it was initially worth. We create our own futures. Sure gas is overpriced. So is flour. But there are areas to cut back on that is pure waste rather than contributors to the economy. Every family wastes money. By cutting a little here and there ($4 lattes, perhaps) you can still fuel the economy and your car at the same time. Again, lots of simplification here. But we do create our own realities. Want a recession, panic accordingly. -- Hurricane

With so many away, don't you think it's a good time for a mutiny on the pub? I loves a good mutiny I do... -- Hurricane