Graydog

Yer fergiven and fer what, I nay care, but fergiven ye be. Ye have a special manner in askin fer fergiveness that brings a tear to ol' Greydog's eye. Fair winds, and may ye ask fer fergiveness on a regular basis! -Greydog

An Armed Merchantman has an actual navy detachment with heavy weapons. For it to enter port is the same as a naval ship entering port. See- US Naval Armed Guard Service of World War II fame. The scheme that has been discussed internationally would have ships pick up a navy dectachment of agreeing nations before entering the pirate area and then depositing them at a nearby port when leaveing the area, they rotate from ship to ship as a military force. This is a military operation with weapons as heavy as TOW's. Two major issues- funding (the biggest bug a boo of all this) and host nations for pickup/drop off locations. Merchant Sailors with arms is a different kettle of fish and presents all the problems described.

Spoken just like a local gang leader who saw a fellow gang’s operations get busted, that, or maybe a four year old. Go ahead, kill hostages, see how much that impacts arming of merchantmen, ransoms, and pirate safe havens. In fact that course of action probably will solve the piracy problem, because it will force the world to stomp it out. On an also how sweet this is note- The USS Bainbridge named after Capt Bainbridge USN. From the USS Bainbridge webpage a bit of history about Capt. Bainbridge: Then on 20 May 1803, he was ordered to command the PHILADELPHIA, of 44 guns, of Commodore Preble's squadron, fitting out to cruise against, Tripolitan corsairs. On his arrival in the Mediterranean, he captured the Moorish ship-of-war MESH-BOHA, of 22 guns, and recaptured the American brig CELICA from Barbary corsairs. On Bainbridge's arrival off Tripoli he gave chase to a Tripolitan corsair and struck an uncharted rock, on which the PHILADELPHIA was wrecked. Surrounded by Tripolitan gun-boats and forced to surrender, Bainbridge, his officers and crew remained captives in Tripoli for nineteen months. PHILADELPHIA was floated off the rock by the Tripolitans and carried into the port of Tripoli, where she was later burned by American forces led by then Lieutenant Steven Decatur. When peace was restored Bainbridge was acquitted of all blame for the loss of the PHILADELPHIA. So in 2009 the ship named in his honor was the platform from which modern day pirates were defeated and the freedom of a fellow American restored. Is this not just wonderful? I hope that the crew paints three skulls and cross bones on the bridge, just as if the ship had shot down enemy planes. An upside down broom on the radio mast would also be in order upon return to port. Hoorah for the Capt Phillips! Hoorah for the Crew of the Maersk Alabama! Hoorah for the US Merchant Marine! Hoorah for the US Navy SEALS! Hoorah for the crew of the USS Bainbridge! Hoorah for the US Navy! Fair winds -Greydog

The “Bring ‘em near” was actually a low cut bodice. This was used as a training aide by female instructors to teach captains and navigators about the dangers of reefs and other such nautical hazards. It was primarily used as a topographical ThreeDee display training tool. One had to learn to traverse the canyon without running aground of the mountains. Their training objective was to learn that through a direct approach it was possible for them to see the advantage of proper navigation, to avoid hazards, and to properly find their way to items that lie just blow the surface. This was critical hands on training eagerly sought out. This training was often taught at night, to also allow for stellar navigation classes, and as such a light was posted out front of the training location. Since this was a light to the “port” of instruction a proper red light was hung to indicate the location. These training locations were expanded to include not just captains and navigators but all other members of the ship to allow for cross training incase of death or injury of these primary crew leaders. In fact this instruction became so pervasive that entire red light districts were established to enable this most fundamental consideration of seamanship instruction. Or It could be a telescope.

Nope. Just pray it's not Tim Burton. How about George Lucas? The last movie suffered from way to much plot and not enough special effects. George can fix that.

<-- Apparently one of a very few people on this planet that liked the show. Well me and the wife that is. I have very much enjoyed talking about the show and reality TV in general with all the cast members when I have run into them. To me its been fun to get some insight to the inner workings of these things and to get a participant's view point vs. the aired directors view point. Fair winds, -Greydog

There is a joke in there about a sword swallower working in a sword shop about eating your profits, but I shan't go there. We fly out to the event Thursday next week and are looking forward all around. Fair winds, -Greydog

US Crew Overpowers Pirates on ShipBy KATHARINE HOURELD, AP Kenya (April 8) -- The American crew of a hijacked U.S.-flagged cargo ship retook the vessel Wednesday from the Somali pirates who seized it far off the Horn of Africa, Pentagon officials said. Capt. Joseph Murphy, an instructor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, told The Associated Press that he was called by the Department of Defense and told the crew, including his son Shane, the second in command, had regained control. "Speculation is a dangerous thing when you're in a fluid environment. I will not confirm that the crew has overtaken this ship," he said. A U.S. official said the crew had retaken control and had one pirate in custody. "The crew is back in control of the ship," a U.S. official said at midday, speaking on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak on the record. "It's reported that one pirate is on board under crew control — the other three were trying to flee," the official said. The status of the other pirates was unknown, the official said, but they were reported to "be in the water." Another U.S. official, citing a readout from an interagency conference call, said: "Multiple reliable sources are now reporting that the Maersk Alabama is now under control of the U.S. crew. The crew reportedly has one pirate in custody. The status of others is unclear, they are believed to be in the water." The ship was carrying emergency relief to Mombasa, Kenya, when it was hijacked, said Peter Beck-Bang, spokesman for the Copenhagen-based container shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk. It was the sixth vessel seized within a week, a rise that analysts attribute to a new strategy by Somali pirates who are operating far from the warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden. Cmdr. Jane Campbell, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, said that it was the first pirate attack "involving U.S. nationals and a U.S.-flagged vessel in recent memory." She did not give an exact timeframe. The top two commanders of the ship graduated from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, the Cape Cod Times reported Wednesday. Andrea Phillips, the wife of Capt. Richard Phillips of Underhill, Vermont., said her husband has sailed in those waters "for quite some time" and a hijacking was perhaps "inevitable." Joseph Murphy, a professor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, said his son was a 2001 graduate who recently talked to a class about the dangers of piracy. Somali pirates are trained fighters who frequently dress in military fatigues and use speedboats equipped with satellite phones and GPS equipment. They are typically armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers and various types of grenades. Far out to sea, their speedboats operate from larger mother ships. The U.S. Navy said that the ship was hijacked early Wednesday about 280 miles (450 kilometers) southeast of Eyl, a town in the northern Puntland region of Somalia. U.S. Navy spokesman Lt. Nathan Christensen said the closest U.S. ship at the time of the hijacking was 345 miles (555 kilometers)away. The Combined Maritime Forces issued an advisory Wednesday highlighting several recent attacks that occurred hundreds of miles off the Somali coast and stating that merchant mariners should be increasingly vigilant when operating in those waters. The advisory said the "scope and magnitude of problem cannot be understated." Douglas J. Mavrinac, the head of maritime research at investment firm Jefferies & Co., noted that it is very unusual for an international ship to be U.S.-flagged and carry a U.S. crew. Although about 95 percent of international ships carry foriegn flags because of the lower cost and other factors, he said, ships that are operated by or for the U.S. government — such a food aid ships like Maersk Alabama — have to carry U.S. flags, and therefore, employ a crew of U.S. citizens. There are fewer than 200 U.S.-flagged vessels in international waters, said Larry Howard, chair of the Global Business and Transportation Department at SUNY Maritime College in New York. AOL Article

Mail order and try this fellow: Goex Black Powder

Welcome back

With that much topping it be startin to look like a spotted dick.

You can get the above coat at: The Quartermaster General Look halfway down the page, it runs about $200.

Uh...no. It is impossible to actually produce cat-rabbit hybrids as they are genetically incompatible despite their similar number of chromosomes. True, but with modern technology we could gene splice them together. "Cabbits, smooth and fluffy. A half cat half rabbit. Gentlemen, we can build them. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world's first bionic cabbit. Poofy Poopy Pants will be that cabbit. Better than they were before. Better, stronger, faster." Of course the only known countermeasure to a cabbit is a deasel, half dog, half weasel. Which of course can only be controlled by Manbearpig, half man, half bear, half pig. Not to mention Jackelopes, which I won’t.

A buddy of mine was in one of those Gaelic preservation areas (or whatever you call the areas where they are really pushing language preservation) in Ireland. He’s in a pub when a tourist he was with asks the barkeep: “How do you say tin whistle in Gaelic?” The barkeep says, “I don’t know, but I can say it in Irish.” Tourist, “Oh, really? How do you say tin whistle in Irish?” Barkeep, “It’s a f**kin tin whistle”

The website says this event is under the operation and direction of Mitch Toles, ask him the next time you see him. About this event

The proper way to address a Lady: Use a 3x5 inch commercially available label. The label should have name and address of destination in the center. There should be a by name return address placed on the upper left of the label. Then the mailing label should be glued with a non-binding cement directly on her forehead, plainly visible to the mail carrier. If she wasn’t a lady you could put it elsewhere, but visibility must be maintained. (Further etiquette note- You should mail the Lady based on an estimation of weight or via a scale she does not see. Remember, even if it may save postage a gentleman doesn't ask a lady here weight.) P.S. Kidding aside, Capt. Sterling that was a great link and an insightful document you posted.

Welcome Lad. It be nice to have a new person to parley with. Now I notice everyone here has been remiss and not informed you that the newest member buys a round for the pub. If you’d like hand me your purse and I’d be happy to assist you with this matter. Assez de bavardage. La nouvelle personne achète le rhum. Je deviens assoiffé ici pendant que j'attends. (Oh, and by the by this is via a on line translator my French is near non-existent.) Fair winds, -Greydog

The Alliance of the Double Cross will be there and fully prepared to giggle and laugh if the parking lot catches on fire again.

The Sage Lion (Pyracy Pub Member) sells goggles for Steampunk here's his website: Sage Lion's Goggles He does good work and can be depended upon to deliver by agreed to dates.

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hifalutin

There's no such thing as a tough child— if you parboil them first for seven hours, they always come out tender. -W.C. Fields

After you have read the history you can see the movie: "I was an American Spy" which is the story of Claire Phillips aka "High Pockets", made in 1951. It plays on late night TV every now and then. Movie Info

Well fer the record I do use funny shaped soap. It's shaped like a brick, but you can't use it like a brick because yer wall would melt in the rain.

MacDonald's (A splendid little Scottish resturant, maybe you have heard of it?)