The real nice thing about working as a pirate is that you know it is going to be the same job forever. It does not need to go to "Lean Management", "Just-in-Time Delivery", SIGMA 6, ISO 2100 or anything else that is new on the horizon. As a pirate you just need to watch the horizon and pirate. The need to be trained and have team- building exercises for pirates is like telling a crab not to pinch. As a pirate it is just natural to pirate or you wouldn't do it. So don't try to change me. I like being a pirate.

One thing I have seen this time of year is that there are a lot of people dressing like pirates. The funny thing is you don't see pirates dressing up like them.

Are you needed or not ? On a pirate ship every hand is needed, even if it has a hook on the end. There are no pirates that are just there to observe, stand by, supervise, or are along for the ride. If you don't help out, you're out. That is either a sort drop at the end of a rope or a splash at the end of the plank. It is always nice to know you are needed. I love the life of a pirate.

You're out at sea just testing the new riggings when a small Spanish galleon crosses your path. Lo and behold, the Captain says, " Let's take 'er, mates!" He turns to you and says, "Hey, yer in charge now." The first mate is still on shore and the second mate is still down with scurvy. What do you do? What do you think? And will you get paid the extra shares for the work you're about to undertake? No clue here, I'm just a pirate and I do what the captain says. If I am in charge then I am in charge. If I would say "no way" I would have been cut down and the next man would be in charge. Now that might sound cruel, violent, even barbaric, but hey, we're pirates.

The powder monkey is a key shipmate when going into battle. His job is to make sure there is plenty of gun powder for the cannons. Without powder the cannon is just another anchor. The powder monkey is usually the new guy, a stow-away kid, some one shanghaied, or someone in trouble. This never makes much sense to me because his role as the powder monkey is a crucial one in any fight. The problem is that working with gun powder can shorten your stay with the crew (and life). Too many powder monkeys get blown to bits. Why would you want someone in such a key role be expendable? Would it not be wiser to have a sharp veteran of explosives to handle the gun powder? Someone who knows what they are doing wouldn't be as likely to get blown to bits. Just maybe there are not any left who are wise , or they are wise and don't do it any more.

After the battle or in the midst of the fight you often do not think of the cost of the fight. The code allows for certain medical coverage, an extra share of the loot for the loss of a leg or a hand, and for the loss of an eye . The problem is when you lose a hand, what you get is a nice cloth wrap. They don't tell you that it costs you more for a hook, and a nice one like Captain Hook's will set you back even more . The trouble is they don't tell you this until you are sitting there with no hand and Old Saw Bones is cleaning you up.

Is there a school for pirates ? The only one I know is "hard knocks" and "Press Gang". There should be a school so one could maybe get a refresher course on Boarding, plundering and a class on pillaging. It would be nice to go back to school and have class mates, home work, papers to write, test to take and assignments that would be due ... maybe that is why there is no school for pirates it would be burned down!!!