Speaking of pirates...

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 7:36 pm

As I understand it pirates drank an awful lot. An eyepatch would serve to keep a plastered captain from seeing double which would be especially useful in a swordfight I would think.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 9:47 pm

I tend to agree with Doug's point that the patch could have helped with going into dim light and the pirate would be no worse off that he would have been without it going back into the sun. The article paulbrewer posted said that airplane pilots really did do this---so it seems possible other people might have thought of the idea too. I think the depth perception problem would be serious---perhaps they just flipped the patch up if it came down to hand-to-hand fighting. But it also isn't hard to imagine a lot of eye injuries. The article also said something about eyepatches being common among blacksmiths because they had a lot of eye injuries. There's a reason we wear goggles and safety glasses I suppose. Well, it's certainly an interesting idea.

I look at pirate pictures quite a lot, I'll have to be more observant about how many are wearing eyepatches in the first place. Still, even with old engravings in books which are intended to give a true account of pirates, you don't know how much of the picture (or the text) is based on accurate reporting and how much is based on imagination or rumor.

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 9:53 pm

Cynth wrote:I look at pirate pictures quite a lot,

Do you now, dear?

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 11:40 pm

Lambchop wrote:
Cynth wrote:I look at pirate pictures quite a lot,
Do you now, dear?

Well, yes, it's really very interesting. As you can see, neither of these two pirates has an eyepatch.

WyoBadger · Post by **WyoBadger** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:57 am

Hmmmm...

I never pictured pirates being so...pretty.

T

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 9:01 am

Arrr, Jim, me lad, it be them long sea voyages, ya see?

djm

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 9:24 am

djm wrote:Arrr, Jim, me lad, it be them long sea voyages, ya see?

djm

... yes, and whose turn it is to be in the barrel.

gonzo914 · Post by **gonzo914** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 9:30 am

Cynth wrote:
Lambchop wrote:
Cynth wrote:I look at pirate pictures quite a lot,
Do you now, dear?
Well, yes, it's really very interesting. As you can see, neither of these two pirates has an eyepatch.

That would be Cap'n Radley Firecrotch's dear brudder Geoffrey Firecrotch, a fierce-some pirate in his own right, on the left and Cap'n Firecrotch himself on the right. Note that Cap'n Radley is a special bargain at $3.99 ($5.99 Canadian).

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 9:36 am

Joseph E. Smith wrote:
djm wrote:Arrr, Jim, me lad, it be them long sea voyages, ya see?

djm
... yes, and whose turn it is to be in the barrel.

fresh water at sea is precious...

looks ta me like they've been invited to dine with the captain.

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 9:36 am

JES wrote:whose turn it is to be in the barrel

Hey, sailor, did you bring the talcum powder?

djm

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:08 pm

Cynth wrote:
Lambchop wrote:
Cynth wrote:I look at pirate pictures quite a lot,
Do you now, dear?
Well, yes, it's really very interesting. As you can see, neither of these two pirates has an eyepatch.

Ah, it's an academic interest you have! Coincidentally, I do, too.

Look closely at those two pirates. They're the same dude.

If you peruse the covers of romance genre novels, you will find the same hunkacious men appearing over and over. In fact, I have seen not only the same man, but the same picture of that man appearing on more than one cover.

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:33 pm

Lambchop wrote:I have seen not only the same man, but the same picture of that man appearing on more than one cover.

Which only goes to show you have to catch him on a good (hunkacious) day.

djm

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:34 pm

gonzo914 wrote:Note that Cap'n Radley is a special bargain at $3.99 ($5.99 Canadian).

I did note that. I also noted the lovely rosy cloudiness of the fiery pillaging occurring in the background.
Lethal explosives, Barbara Cartland style.

I would like to add that I don't believe Geoffrey has a convincingly business-like grip on that sword.

It may be worth pointing out that Radley can be had for .48¢ from Amazon...truly a bargain if you can get over $3.99 for s&m. I mean s&h.

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:55 pm

emmline wrote:I would like to add that I don't believe Geoffrey has a convincingly business-like grip on that sword.

He's also heading for a particularly rocky lee shore, with the wind gusting dangerously, judging by the way that sail is billowing in the wrong direction. And he seems to be perilously close to another vessel whose deck we can see behind him, a lot lower than the poop-deck he's standing on. And he's holding the basket-hilt of his sword in his right hand, whereas he is a left-hander, if he's wearing the sword on his right side. He's obviously distracted by something. I wonder what!

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 4:09 pm

Innocent Bystander wrote:He's obviously distracted by something. I wonder what!

Perhaps his distraction is fueld by a fair maiden in distress...she has such a demure look about her, he's found himself suddenly distracted and enticed. He must save her! And yet, the code of the Pirate forbids such actions, for she is the sister of his mortal enemy...Captain Beauregard Blevinhouse (or just Chucky for short) . He knows this and yet he is sure that he must hang the code (for they're only guidelines anyway), and quite possibly put his very life in peril to save her life as she is ready before she plunges to her death off the end of the plank that she is bravely walking down. As she casts him an exceedingly mournful glance, he knows what he must do....save her life, and win her heart for she is truly his soul mate and he'd rather die than be separated from her for all eternity.

Either that, or the guy who did the picture is absolutely clueless as to such things as pirating