My favorite pirate

It is good, in times of transition, to remember our heroes who inspire us. Here is my all-time favorite pirate.

"Captain William Dampier, who is often quoted as an example of a big, bold pirate, was in fact a mild man compared to the other pirates. He was really a naturalist who occasionally practiced a little piracy on the side, more or less by accident." (from A Ladybird book of Pirates, 1970).

This is a rare shot of Captain Dampier checking his email out at sea.

I also want to take this opportunity to shake my head at Bluebeard, who was a terrible pirate with no sense of imagination and too many empty rooms in his castle.