Matty Bottles

Thank ye, Cap'n Roberts. I heard it from a fat man in Havana wif a convincing face, and knew that Baron Samedi magic worked wif knotted hemp cords. To tell the truth, now I'm a bit disappointed that Blackbeard never did practice voodoo, tho I suspected I was wrong when I couldn't find any sort o' evidence. Ah, well. Disappointment is why they invented rum.

What can I say, mate? God designed wimmim like a good engine. Tho' here are two rules to remember. The first one has dual purposes and applies to manual transmissions and wimmim: If ye can't find it, grind it. And here's another rule one of me shipmates lives by, which I've never had the misfortune to test: If she don't know yer name, ye ain't the father.

Pirraps I'm not looking 'ard enough (Hell, I KNOW I'm not looking 'ard enough), but it seems to be as tho' there be a dearth o' reliable patterns for the 'inbetween' periods. I mean, I can find what I hope are historical patterns (as opposed to costume patterns, which might take short cuts and may not be all that historical) for Sea Dog Age, and the Golden age insofar as it overlaps with colonial dress, but I for the life of me don't know where to go for a historically accurate rig for, say, 1675. Like I said, maybe I'm not looking hard enough, but I would like to be as accurate as possible, and an older anachronism is always more forgivable than one from the future. I'm really just getting started, so I just try to look good. But it seems for some of these events, if they're set around a specific time frame, you'd want to match the time. Of course, seeing how expensive this hobby can be, I can't believe anyone could honestly expect someone to skip an event because of the spector of anachronism. The space-time continum doesn't hang in the balance, no matter how excited some people might get over variances in dress.

Wolfy, I believe young Mr. Boyd was the helmsman. He's also the fella who tilts the burial platform.

Well, thank ye, Jack. Our ilk 'ave to stick together. Remember, they called us 'knaves' before they called us 'Jacks.' On the moment I get the Kodak-Eastman devil paper developed, I'll post a picture of me in me kit, not in me venician mercenary uniform.

Me favorite lubricant is hers.

Now, it's true that I'm new to this forum, and 'ave tried to avoid stepping on toes, wif me weakened condition an wot, but if I may, I'll make a case for gin. As it has been well-noted by the notorious city pirates Milk & Cheese, gin makes a man mean. And as I've discovered, gin and turpentine are close cousins. And if ye absolutely must treat yer malaria, quinine is the classic mixer for gin. And when ye've had so much to drink ye sweat booze out yer pores and smell like a distillery, at least ye'll smell like a distillery AND a pine air freshener. And that's me twopence.

I don't mean to be abusing the general good nature of ye blaggards and braggarts I 'appened to 'ave been lucky enought to stumble over, and none of ye seem to resent the ransom of yer ears much, but I'm 'aving a pirate birfday party, and one element of this party is pirate movies. Now, winter on the great lake michigan being what it is, I don't expect all me guests to carouse out on the docks with a bottle o' rum. Those wif milder constitutions will probably stay inside, and so I wish to compile a great collection of movies to show, the cream of the pirate crop, so to speak, or the best pieces or pistols of the prize. Any suggestions of movies available on DVD would be much appreciated. Alas, Captain Blood has yet to be released, I believe. And while yer thinking, let's us 'ave aother round, shall we?

Now, I would hate to think I were the victim o' a common misperception, but one thing that lingers in me still-too-sober memory wuz the notion of Blackbeard as a practicing voudun. Indeed, I 'ad heard the burning hemp he wore in his hair wuz a call to his spirit servants. This surprised me no more than hearing Black Bart mandated Sabbath service on his ship. Pir'aps I be wrong, and if so, whisper in me ear so I can fill me mouth wif rum instead of filling another's head with falsehoods. But truth be told, it was Blackbeard wot inspired me to add a little black magic to me own pirating.

Just so ye know, Ghosty, I ain't promersing a thing, but I 'ave this friend, a graduate from th'Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, a fantastic illustrator making a killing in advertising. She may pick up this project jes' for fun. She's busy, wif a lot on 'er plate, but I'll see if she' int'rested.

I've wundered meself wot it might be like to read a book, me own education being of the pragamatic sort, wif no time for books, but I've 'eard Tim Powers' "On Stranger Tides" is an interesting read, an' a fictionalized account of Blackbeard's actual, real-life vodun practices. I 'aven't read it meself, of course, and I hear it's out o'print, wotever that means. The world of literature is a frightening and mysterious one indeed.