Culliford

LOL... without the gold trim, it does look like I've got mouse ears. As soon as the trim is finished, I'll get a new photo for my sig and avatar... but until then...

Who's the leader of this club that's made for you and me?

Welcome to the pub... make mine a Tawny Port... and Master Culliford.. now that be a right smart looking avitar...

Thank ye, Cap'n! My wife has gotten me garb into a state close to finished, so I put it on and had the kids shoot me... err... take a shot of me... umm... well, they captured me image in that light box of theirs.

I just hope the thing doesn't steal me soul!

Me wife, me son, and me daughter and I will be makin' landfall t' peruse this "Renaissance Festival" sometime in November. Arrrrr there any other pyrates in or near Texas that will be attendin' the festivities in November?

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Normally, we go in Medieval garb (I have a suit of chain... wife has a Queen Elizabeth I dress), but now that we have our pyrate gear... we can't pass up this opportunity to let it get some air. :) We'd love to meet some people from the community there!

Welcome aboard, Jacknife!

I be drinkin' the rum tonight, and I be acceptin' free drinks from new members!

Welcome Kenneth!

I've got an empty tankard here... needs some fillin'.

Glad to have a drink with ye, and welcome to these parts!

I found this info....what do ye think?

Origin: The smoking lamp probably came into use during the 16th Century when seamen began smoking on board vessels. The lamp was used to light the smoke before matches were invented.

The smoking lamp was also a safety measure. It was devised mainly to keep the fire hazard away from highly combustible woodwork and gunpowder.

Most navies established regulations restricting smoking to certain areas on board. Usually, the lamp was located in the forecastle or the area directly surrounding the galley indicting that smoking was permitted in this area.

Even after the invention of matches in the 1830s, the lamp was an item of convenience to the smoker. When particularly hazardous operations or work required that smoking be curtailed, the unlighted lamp relayed the message.

"The smoking lamp is lighted" or "the smoking lamp is out" were expressions indicating that smoking was permitted or forbidden. The smoking lamp has survived only as a figure of speech. When the officer of the deck says "the smoking lamp is out" before drills, refueling or taking ammunition, that is the Navy's way of saying "cease smoking."

This term is still used in the US Naval Services (Navy/USMC) today.

As a Marine that has only been "out" for about 8 years now, I recall that term being used EVERY TIME the OIC/NCOIC allowed for a cigarette break, only they used "The smoking lamp is lit." This was even one of the many naval terms that were drilled into us in boot camp.

One benefit of service in the Marines you get to take with you: learning quite a bit about naval terms, history, traditions, and customs.

That's sad... so I guess it's back to modded PotC.

I played Sid Meier's Pirates! tonight for a few hours... gosh that game is fun! I finally got married to an attractive girl even though there was a beautiful one in love with me too... but her father was too darned Creepy (and French)!

Since I'm an English privateer in the game, I couldn't very well marry a French woman!

I sailed back into port late yesterday after a fine time in Las Vegas.

Welcome to the Pub and enjoy yourself!

Thank ye kindly, RumbaRue!

I'll even pour ye a drink personally... but I hope not to miss the tankard and get any on yer blouse.

Oops... too late...

I'm a gamer, and have been playing Sea Dogs and then PotC with the pirate gaming community mods applied (pirate as in Pyrate, not those that steal software). I'm eagerly awaiting Pirates of the Burning Seas which is an MMO based on the GAOP. I've played World of Pirates, a German MMO that is rather simple (much like the old Sid Meirs game) but sometimes fun (PvP is ALWAYS on!).

Anyone else here fancy the occasional forray into the waters on ye computers?

Was listening to Tegan and Sara, but switched over to Metric.

Not very "pyratical," but it's music that soothes me soul.

To Mad Dog: Rum fer me new friend Mad Dog!!!

Cap'n Sterling, I was a Marine Military Policeman and Accident Investigator. I was even an on-air radio DJ in the Philippines for two years on the Far East Network of what was then called the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) which is now just AFN (Armed Forces Network). It was a great gig: I'll have to tell the story some time of how I snuck my way into that job! I loved the Marines, but I felt that my children were sacrificing a childhood near family for my career, and I felt it should be the father sacrificing for his kids instead. I don't regret leaving the Corps, but I miss it every day. It's even harder knowing so many of my troops are in harm's way right now and I'm not there to lead 'em.

I'd like to ask the barkeep to pull out the finest rum he has and pour everyone in the pub a full tankard in salute to those in harm's way; may they get back to their loved ones and then back out to sea so that we can plunder their booty!

Oh, and Red Maria: rum punch without the egg? Very well, very well; I aim to please!

Thank ye, Red Cat Jenny!

'Tis a wonderful reception ol' Culliford be gettin' here! Methinks that calls for another round!

DRINK UP, lads and lasses!!!

Thank ye for the welcome, Saltypots!

Lookin' forward to sharin' sea stories with ya in the future!

After all this drinkin' tonight, me thinks me may be sleepin' with the pigs in the gutter later! Here's hopin' we find our way back to the docks so that we can sleep in our own cots!

I thank ye both fine gentlemen for the welcome!

'Tis a fine establishment 'ere, and the patrons are to me liking!

Fill ye another round, wench! A drink for me hartys!

Aye Red Maria, the real Culliford was quite a bit more flambouyant than I be!

I took the name because aside from displaying a proclivity towards certain deck boys (which I assure ye I do not), he was quick witted, ruthless, and had lots of charisma. Maybe it was the jazz hands...

Pull up close to ol' Culliford and fill yer tankard or mug with some of the tasty rum punch I had made just fer this occasion! I made sure we got the freshest eggs to put in it, too!

Havin' such a lovely lass as yerself joinin' me fer a drink warms me heart as well!

When yer mug is empty, raise it for more!

As a wee lad, I spent many a summer in the "Upper Peninsula" of the state in which you find yourself ported. Beautiful country and great sailing up in those parts!

Aye, welcome Kate! I too be a new pirate to these parts, but find the fellow sailors friendly and the drinks tasty!

Hold yer mug up fer some rum punch... I'll call the serving wench over to fill it fer ya!

Last night was crab stuffed flounder... tonight I think it'll be some sort of baked or grilled orange roughy with a plum-chipotle sauce served with potatos and carmelized onions.

I do all the cooking in the galley aboard me ship... I know it's unusual for a cap'n to do the cook'n, but me first mate is also me seamstress. If I am want'n to have a beautiful and accurate coat, vest, shirt, and breeches, I have to leave her to her sewing while I do the cooking. (I do all the cooking as she does the laundry... kind of a great deal, 'cause I love cooking and she doesn't mind laundry as much as I do and she prefers not to cook.)

If you want historical openly gay pirate look no further than Robert Culiford the bane of Capt. Kidd's existance. He even had a partner named John Swann who was called his Great Consort (or was that Grand Consort ). Took half of Kidd's crew away from him too. :)

This is true according to the sources I've read... but that's not why I go by the name "Culliford" (in case anyone was trying to put two and two together...). I go by the name "Culliford" in some online pirate games I play, and it's interesting to me how this REAL pirate, the guy that did most of the things Kidd got blamed for, is so unknown and forgotten. He was ruthless, bloodthirsty, and yeah, probably on the gay side. He was also a very witty speaker, and was able to talk his way out of trouble on more than one occasion. (I was going to say he had a slippery tongue, but... well... double entendres and all...)

I have no problem with people being involved in relationships with other people... whether they are same-sex or not. I have a few friends that have gone "both ways," and have relationships with people in general, and not with members of the opposite sex. It seems like a way to broaden the pool of perspective soulmates... but that's not for me. I looooooooooooove the ladies!

As a historian, there's one thing that troubles me with quotes like "It's not in contemporary literature..." Social or cultural taboos are rarely in contemporary literature. Many times, the things that went on but against cultural mores were not discussed openly, and especially not in literature. To do so would be to call attention to oneself and the unacceptable behavior. I think that there was probably a lot more "deep sea lovin'" going on than we will ever know, although I'm certain that ships were not floating disco ships with crews on deck singing "YMCA."

I've brought with me the finest rum punch a pirate has ever tasted... so drink up, me hartys... drink up!!!

Who knows what tomorrow holds, so I may as well spend this pocket full of dubloons on the pirates here in the pub!

DRINKS ARE ON ME!

Greet'ns!

'Tis me, ol' Culliford, the pirate that snuck away as Capt'n Kidd took the fall for all me crimes and plunderin'! No-one knew for sure where I went after his trial, but now I am back!

Rob't is me name, but ye can call me Culli or Culliford. Just don't call me late to the pub!

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Hello everyone!

I've been lurking here for a while as I read up on lots of posts and learned a bit about the GAOP reenactors and the community. I was a history major in college (University of Houston for those interested) and have always been fascinated with sea stories and maritime history, including the history of piracy. I was a U.S. Marine for 12 years, eventually leaving the Marines to take my kids "back home" to Houston to be close to their grandparents. I miss the Corps, but it was the best thing I ever did for my family. I'm a technical writer and voice actor, and am currently in the process of looking for a sailboat to sail around the Galveston area in (I have a few leads on some fine sailing vessels!). I'm married with two great kids, and my wife loves making period costumes. She's made some very intricate and detailed clothing for the entire family for the Rennaisance period as well as Roman period. Currently, she is finishing up our 18th century pirate togs, and as soon as they are complete, I'll be posting a picture in the appropriate forum. I'm an avid photographer (semi-pro), and I collect ancient coins and fly R/C aircraft.

I look forward to "meeting" you all here on the forums, and hope to bring some useful knowledge or information to the forums whenever I can.

I'm amazed at lots of the garb people here have assembled: it's great to see people striving to be historically accurate! As a historian, that makes me tingle all over!

So... in a nutshell (a rather large one, methinks), that's me!

I've found that doing a search on the word "Shanties" in iTunes yields a treasure in great ol' songs to learn and sing with me mates, the best of which is (in this ol' pyrate's opineen) Foc'sle Singers & Paul Clayton's "Foc'sle Songs and Shanties." This recording was apparently made back in the '50's, and is of very high quality and sounds as authentic as I could imagine.

Another great collection is "Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys" with artists like Bono, Bryan Ferry, John C. Reilly, Lou Reed, Rufus Wairight, Sting, Stand Ridgway, Nick Cave (and more) singing old sailing shanteys.