Capn Bob

You mean...*expensive* ones (gasp!)? I haven't seen others...I'm sure there's others out on the net, maybe trying "reproduction astrolabes" in google

I *still* wants the redhead...

Tankards? We don' need no stinkin' tankards! I guzzle me grog outa this... Oh dear, I'm at work and cannot post a pix of it, so this link will have to do...sorry http://www.eparks.com/store/product/41841/...le-%28Green%29/

Celestaire.com has mariners astrolabes for $18.00. Here's the link... http://celestaire.com/catalog/products/1703.html I know this because I'm in the slow process of picking up items to learn a bit of celestial navigation, just to be able to say I can do it...besides, if Blackbeard did it, so can I!

Um...pardon me, but are Goon Show quotes also allowed? If they are, then I submit: "I *do* know a man with a hairy bald head!" (H. Crun) If not, then I did not write the above, and you can't prove nothin', yer honour...

The issue of accents is one that has always got my goat. Y'see, I grew up in the Army...spent a year here, a year there...six or so months someplace else...long enough to pick up that particular region's accent and dialect, but not long enough to completely lose the previous accent. Before long, it all gets blended together. So I've been told its English, Irish, Scottish, French, Australian, Norwegian, German, and I'm sure I've forgotten some. When my father retired from the Army and we entered that strange place called Civvie-Land, we moved from Oklahoma (Tulsa) up here to Ohio...and did I catch it from kids when I entered junior high school regarding my accent. To this day, "What's your accent" or Where are you from" is my absolute least favorite question. Esp since the family's been here since the 1630's Still, stick on some Pyrate-Speak onto it, and I can *really* confuse people. I already do that by using "Aye" for "yes", but that's become more compulsive than deliberate.

Well now, I be right glad you ask that. Cuz at this very moment, I have dived into "King of the Pirates: The Swashbuckling Life of Henry Every", a famous pyrate who is lacking in the modern biography department. Author is E.T. Fox, curator of the Golden Hind Museum Ship, who should know summat of what he writes, despite being a Brit, belike. Just placed on order is Terry Breverton's "Admiral Henry Morgan"

Currently reading the Konstam bio of Blackbeard, and also Pratchett's Interesting Times...

What, right *now*?! But I'm at woik! Still, I got a bit of cold tea in the back...hang on a minute...(shliiiiiip). That's better. I got me some sample bottles of Myers Dark Rum I got in, yes, Disney World...at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Enough of that stuff and I'd be actin' like an animal, ye may lay to that.

Why, thank'ee, mate. I love you too...but only after a sufficient amount of rum, or when I have me glasses off and can't tell the difference (yes, me deadlights be that bad...)

BBC reports that Patrick McGoohan has died at the age of 80. Here's a link to the story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5083460.stm Let us all hope he finds his way to Fiddler's Green, and let us all find a way to commerorate this great actor. For myself, I shall play (again) the Scarecrow tomorrow, And will take out a bunch of the Prisoner series from the library next week.

Is this anything like Wow Wow Sauce? Sorry, been reading Terry Pratchett again...

And that Arctic Air thingie is here even as I speak. Been bloody cold, and I've stayed inside all day. Watched some movies, played a game (Gallic Wars, if ye must know), read some Pratchett, sipped a toothful of rum (Myer's Dark), and looked at my just arrived today copy of Pirates Magazine. But how can I be feeling proper piratical when the *high* was 5 degrees?! Anyway, m'lady, I hope you enjoyed yer food. I might make me long way down to Azteca to eat tomorrow...its all of maybe 3-4 minutes from here. For some reason, Akron Ohio has a fairly decent selection of some fairly decent Mexican restaurants. Yeah, Cap'n Bob, that Arctic Air Mass heading this way was definitely an inspiration for my choice of cuisine tonight! Add a margarita, and maybe I can pretend I'm in Baja.

I wish it *were* going to be hot tamale, instead of the bone-numbing cold that is predicted...

Currently I'm reading the Angus Konstam bio of me main man and hero, Blackbeard

I just made up some bbq ribs, baked beans, and bunny grub (salad). I would like to say I grilled the ribs outside, in utter defiance of the winter weather we had last night and today (about a foot of the Evil dumped upon us from the heavens, and what did *I* ever do to annoy the gods?)...but if I said that, I'd be telling a lie. I cooked the ribs under the oven broiler. But let's *say* I grilled it outside, because I *thought* about it... And a fine time my snowblower picked to go fin out. ("Stop working", in lubber-talk)

Listening to the kitty on me lap puurring *and* as an additional bonus (at no extra charge), I'm watching my Time Team dvd

I dunno...this time o' year, it be kinda hard to find any mosquitoes, at least in these parts...and they're a bit on the small side...not much meat on them skeets... Now, if ye be shooting Texas skeets...I could relate stories about them critters...

Fire the guns, swabbies, I now be a Ship's Master! Woo-hoo! Bring forth the rum, Darby! That be a right handsome stein ye got there, Cap'n. I got a non-piratical stein from Germany, back when we were stationed there (Army brat, ye know)...glass it be, and dated to 1870. Got no idea how much, if anything, it be worth...I'm sure it's worth *something*, just got no idea how to find out...

Herein I shall relate of me vasty plunder over Christmas and me venture into the Mouse Empire...and issue a complaint. The complaint first, knowing there's naught anyone here can do about it, just a general spouting off. Here in Akron Ohio, the city hosts craftsmen from a city in eastern Germany over the holiday, and puts together as authentic a Christkindlmarkt as can be found in these parts. But for 2008 (I'm still in "this year" mode for 2008), the city had a Chriskindlmarkt instead. Now, I'm not religious by any means, but I'd like to know just who the Chris kid is and why he's so important? After all, this *couldn't* be a case of Political Correctness, could it? A case of causing offense in order to avoid causing offense? But enuff of that bilge-blather. I got me a set of new books for Xmas. Two I've read already at work (which is a library, ye'll mind), one is new to me. These titles being: Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean-Edward Kritzler (thats the new one, and I've just started reading it) If a Pirate I Must Be...-Richard Sanders (Black Bart's bio) Blackbeard-Angus Konstam (bio of Guess Who) From DisneyWorld: The Best Book of Pirates A Pirates Life for Me The World of Pirates And gobs of pins, including PotC pins (But they didn't have a Jolly Roger worth a damn for getting...) All three titles being kiddie books, basically, but some very good illustrations, including some by Angus MacBride On Order is the new bio of Henry Avery (Long Ben as ever was) and a very beginning book on celestial navigation. One of my endevours for this new year is to learn at least somewhat of the art of navigation, as best I can here dryside. Celestaire has an el cheapo sextant, a nautical astrolabe, and gobs of books. And being close to Hartville, when the weather improves and the outdoor flea market season starts up again, I can look for a proper sextant there, if I'm so inclined.

I'm back, and I did enjoy the stay in the semi-tropical paradise called Florida. Further detail and maybe a photo or two will likely appear tomorrow. But is Europe in such a state of base poverty that they can't even afford *fresh* zombie flesh, but must resort to the rotten stuff? Good times. Enjoy the trip =) I've never been to disney world. Just land and euro. Euro actually had rotting zombie flesh on their haunted mansion ride. I was impressed.

70 degrees? Dang, I missed that! That was the day I was on the way to Florida. It was only in the upper 70's when I got there...

So, tell me...are you planning an expansion of your domicle anytime soon? Like...rilly soon? Ok, so we have an extra bedroom and live literally at the edge of a Florida swamp (back yard slopes down right into it) so we have rainforest humidity as well as bananas, mangoes, coconuts, sugar cane and such in the yard... can't get much closer than that without being on an Bahamian island... :) We're 12 minutes from the beach as well.... My house could help your bronchitis and you could help my sewing skills :)

Well, what be more important...the Voices or yer wife? Aye, the rules be sayin' the wife is always right, but we'm pyrates, scupper me...what use have we for rules? Especially the rules we didn't make up ourselves...

I'll help...since I'm getting things packed up to catch the tour bus (Anderson Coach and Tour) tonight whut be takin' down to Disney World... Anyone else care to comment so I can stop seeing my post about screaming like a little girl? anyone?