Hester

A friend of mine has a life-size stand-up of Han Solo (space pirate) in her living room. I always find it a little startling as I walk in (he's shooting a blaster). I'm not sure if it's actually hers, or her husband's. Cheers, Hester

I'm looking forward to this collection of traditional songs of the sea, performed by contemporary folk and alternative artists: http://www.anti.com/catalog.php?id=67 It's due out on August 22. I'm particularly intrigued to see that it has a contribution from the elusive and eccentric chanteuse Mary Margaret O'Hara ... not to mention Nick Cave, Eliza Carthy and Lou Reed! Cheers, Hester

I haven't read it yet, but you might try _Pirates, Ghosts, and Coastal Lore: The Best of Judge Whedbee_: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/089587295...glance&n=283155 Whedbee collected folklore from the Outer Banks of the Carolinas, and began publishing stories based on this research in the 1960s. Cheers, Hester

Well, if you're offended by honestly acquired music, perhaps you'll prefer this plundered version of "Haul Away Joe" by the Clancy Brothers, which I promise I stole in true pirate fashion: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?acti...8BE63792A448838 You can download the file anytime during the next seven days. Free -- but only quasi-legal (since I'm Canadian). Cheers, Hester

I've also recently read _Pirates_ by Celia Reese: The book is categorized as "Young Adult", as the key characters are two teenaged girls -- a British-born heiress to a Jamaican sugar plantation and the slave she befriends. I thought the writing was excellent. Indeed, I enjoyed Rees's book even more than Christopher John Farley's _Kingston by Starlight_, which is a fictionalized account of the life of Anne Bonney and her relationship with Mary Read and Calico Jack: Another novel that creates a fictional story for a real-life female pirate is Alan Gold's _Pirate Queen: the story of Grace O'Malley, Irish pirate: Cheers, Hester

I've just finished _Fan Tan_ by Marlon Brando (yes, the same) and Donald Cammell: Unlike most pirate novels, which are set on the Spanish Main in the Golden Age of piracy, this one is set in the South China Sea in 1927. The book is great fun. Cammell (who was the real writer) enjoys wordplay and provides some evocative imagery of life on the sea and in the ports of Asia in the not-so-distant but still romantic past. The main characters are a washed-up Scottish-American sea captain/gun runner (a role Brando envisioned for himself, but which I'd rather give to Kris Kristofferson) and a proud and deadly Pirate Queen descended from a Tanka pirate dynasty. The book is a surprisingly good read. Cheers, Hester

My next choice would be Stuart Townsend: He could just recycle most of his wardrobe from Queen of the Damned into pirate gear -- lots of brocade and lace. Hmmm... why not make it a Vampire Pirate movie! Cheers, Hester

I'm hoping the success of PotC123 will inspire more pirate movies in the near future. If you were making your own pirate movie, who would you cast as your Pirate Captain? My first pick would be a young Kris Kristofferson: Then again, even at 70, he's looking pretty good. If Keith Richards can play Jack Sparrow's dad in PotC3, then why not have Kris as Jack's American uncle in PotC4: Anyhow ... looking forward to seeing other's dream choices for casting a pirate king (or queen) in a hypothetical movie. Cheers, Hester N[ow] P[laying]: James Yorkston, "I know my love"

I wrote: >>>And Bill Nighy was a perfect pick for Davey Jones in PotC2<<< Indeed, Bill Nighy is one of my favourite actors. He's great, and has a real sense of camp. He was terrific in _Love Actually_ (which was not a great movie) and he obviously had great fun in the goth-horror Underworld: The sequel, Underworld Evolution, was pretty disappointing, though. Cheers, Hester

I prefer this "Davie Jones" ... David Bowie, born David Jones, who changed his name in 1966 to avoid confusion with the Monkee. Great pirate gear he's got on there! And Bill Nighy was a perfect pick for Davey Jones in PotC2, Without seeing the credits first or any mention of him in pre-movie publicity, I recognized him under the squid-head! My one quibble is that his accent should have been Welsh, not Scottish. But then again, it's hard to sound scary in a Taffy dialect. Cheers, Hester N[ow] P[laying], James Yorkston, "The Snow it Melts the Soonest"

What I'm listening to right now: James Yorkston and the Athletes, "Shipwreckers" ... like the Pogues on Valium, with a faint Scottish brogue and lots of seashore imagery. His cover of Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren" will give you shivers. Download it, free & legal, here: http://www.jamesyorkston.co.uk/listen.htm Cheers, Hester

Ahoy, me lovelies! I notice that there's quite a few other women among the pub members, and I thought it might be nice to have a place to discuss girly things (with pirate overtones, of course). After all... the sea life can be tough on a grrrl! The sun and salt wind can wreak havoc with your skin and hair ... not to mention what haulin' ropes does to your nails. Happily, the sea also provides some lovely spa treatments to soothe our bodies and souls: bath salts, natural sea sponges, seaweed facials, etc. Personally, I suspect I'm part mermaid. I love to soak in the bath! And, I noticed that Lush Cosmetics was also aware of many women's pirate fantasies, coming out with their "Black Pearl" bath bomb just after Johnny Depp appeared in PotC1. Here's the description of this bizarre little spa treat: >>>The Black Pearl is a dark, a mysterious Bath Bomb named in honour of Captain Jack Sparrow's ship in Pirates of the Caribbean. This bath bomb is studded with crystals of sea salt and scented with lavender and blackcurrant. Inside each one there's a wise saying, a "pearl of wisdom" to enlighten you in your search for treasure. <<< It smells great, but it turns the water an odd dark grey, as if Capt. Jack had washed his dirty socks in it before you got in, and there's an intense amount of silver glitter in it, which sticks to everything. I had intended to give it as a Xmas gift to a friend, but after testing one out, I figured she wouldn't thank me for the extra cleaning her tub would need afterwards. Looking forward to hearing other women's favourite pirate/ocean themed spa treats. Cheers, Hester

Hi, all: Over the summer at my cottage, my husband and I have been enjoying playing Pirates of the Spanish Main. It's great for stormy nights when the satellite TV is subject to rain fade. We started out with only a few packs of PotSM, and a blue plastic table cloth from the dollar store. I quickly realized that the game could be customized with make-it-yourself terrain, crew & rules. I've added mermaids, sunken treasure and vampires to my mix. We've also been playing 7th Sea CCG -- which is a bit complicated to get the hang of in the boarding attacks, but I think we've got it figured out now. I've got the PotC2 CCG and Monopoly yet to open. Cheers, Hester