Ahoy from the Rockies!

[Captain McCool]

Hello all! My name is Michael Sheridan, but folks generally call me Jack. I am very pleased to finally be on these forums. Some of you may recognize me from other pirate related forums here and there, but for some crazy reason I never did get around to joining the Pub. This seems like a fantastic place to hobnob with all you filthy scoundrels, and I'm excited to be part of it.

So, about me:

I was born in San Diego, so the ocean's in me blood. Unfortunately for the pirate in me, my family moved out to Colorado when I was very young. However, I have managed to do quite a bit of pirating out here, in spite of being landlocked.

I will be the first to admit that I am a bandwaggon jumper, and I beg that none of you will hold it against me. I always loved swashbuckling movies, and I've had a special place in my heart for the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland ever since my family and I got stuck on it for what seemed like weeks when I was smaller than a powder-monkey. However, it wasn't until the summer of 2003 that I really started getting into piracy, and that is absolutely, 105% due to Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightly, and Gore Verbinski. And, Y'know, that one movie they made. That Halloween I made a (very bad) Jack Sparrow costume, and the obsession just kind of spiraled from there.

I was actually one of the very first Jack Sparrow impersonators in the country, and long before you could get the stuff all over eBay I was trying to become as screen accurate as possible. Then I got hired on at the locan Ren Faire, which only fueled the fire. It was at this time that I started becoming more and more interested in the actual history of piracy, as well as all the romanticized notions we as a culture have created surrounding the topic. I wanted to branch out from Disney, and I set out to do just that.

At this point I started to put together my own little rag-tag pirate crew here in Denver, calling ourselves the Pirates of Ill Repute (www.piratesofillrepute.org). We're still a work in progress, but I'm pretty proud of what our crew has done thusfar. For this endeavour I wanted to create a unique pirate persona, but so many people already called me Jack that I just stuck with it, because it was easier. I did, however, choose a different surname, that being McCool. I chose this name because of Finn McCool, from Irish legend, since I wanted my persona to be an Irishman. I've always loved the name, and I cannot stress this enough: NO IT IS NOT A PUN. I never meant the name to come off that way, but that's how most people see it. I tried spelling it other ways (MacCuill, MacCumhaill, etc.) but no one could ever pronounce it, so I stuck with the English spelling. Anyway, now you know.

In the last few years I've hooked up with a non-profit (pending) group calle the Sunken Bones Society (www.sunkenbones.com), and we put on a big pirate party in Denver every year to celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day. This year we are planning to expand it into a full-weekend convention, so keep your eyes peeled for that. I've always thought that just because we're landlocked doesn't mean we can't pirate it up just as well as those from the coast! Well, y'know... Minus that whole sailing thing. Minor detail.

Anyway, that's enough blathering for now. I look forward to seeing you all around!

Fair winds and a following sea!

Captain Jack McCool

[Captain Jim]

Welcome aboard, Mate. Busy sort of pyrate, but I suppose you have to be to keep the Rockies safe for pyracy!

[j8ksdad]

Welcome aboard from San Diego!

[Silkie McDonough]

Fearadh na fáilte! Tis a pleasure t'meet one from the McCool Clan.

[Rumba Rue]

Aye, I know o' ye from elsewhere.

Welcome to the Pub!

Oh an' ye can swing through my riggin' anytime!

Rumba Rue

[Badger]

Yurrhh.. th' world be needin' more pyrates, an' more Irishmen, an' more Irish pyrates! Welcome an' welcome, me cully!

Irish Badger

[LadyBarbossa]

McCool... do I know ye from somewheres? Have I threatened ye b'fore? Hmmm... th' name sounds vaguely familiar.

Anyways... welcome to th' Pub, McCool. Glad ye joined we wicked lot.

~Lady B

[Captain McCool]

Ahoy Lady Barbossa! I don't know exactly where you may know me from, but I do know we're on a few of the same forums. I belive you're on Keep To The Code, correct? I've posted on there a little. Maybe also the Pirates Magazine forums? I don't remember if I've seen you on there or not. I used to frequent some of the POTC costuming Yahoo groups way back when, and I know I saw you around on those. I may even be friended to you on the ol' Myspace. Can't recall.

In any case, we've crossed paths a few times. Good to officially "meet" you, though!

[oderlesseye]

Any Last words afore ye be pressed into service eerr?

Welcome Jack McCool...

[iPirate]

Have ye just arrived, then?

I thought you'd been here all along

*shrugs*

*hands you a pipe of rum and points his pistol at yer head*

This is how we used to do it, right? Drink up, Lad.

[Captain McCool]

Haha, I dunno what that is, Oderless... but it kinda looks like Treasure Island's Blind Pew as played by Barney the purple dinasaur... who has taken up smoking. In any case, I am duly disturbed. Thanks for the welcome! I think...

And as for you, iPirate, how dastardly a thing to do to force a teetotaller pirate to drink your rum! But if it's rum or death, I think I'll choose rum ("we're gonna run out of cake rum at this rate...").

In any case... do I know you? Or is that just your way of welcoming everyone, heh...

[iPirate]

I've never seen ya before in me life

I'm just naturally gregar... gray.... jolly, that way

[oderlesseye]

In any case... do I know you? Or is that just your way of welcoming everyone, heh..

Aye ye be gettin off easy here..besides ye still obliviously have ye own rum to share out!

eagh eagh

Edited December 19, 2009 by oderlesseye

[Merrydeath]

ahoy, Mccool.. I was in Denver around July 4th this year, sadly not enough time to visit there, but Pikes Peak captured my heart..

welcome to the pub, and I'll have a pirates blush, extra pirate!