FROM FREE HUGS TO FREE SEXRemember the "Free Hugs" viral thing? That handwritten sign on a piece of cardboard, held by someone standing in the middle of the street, hoping some brave soul would go in for a little spontaneous affection. It became a full-blown phenomenon a couple of decades ago—a simple, feel-good gesture that, at the time, actually felt kind of revolutionary.
It all started with the “Free Hugs” movement back in 2004 in Australia, when a guy named Juan Mann hit the streets with his sign, just looking for a bit of human connection. It didn’t take long for the video to blow up on YouTube and turn into a symbol of hope, empathy, and human closeness—at a time when the world was already getting lost in screens and fast-paced routines.
A lot has changed since then. And while the cardboard + message + spontaneity combo is still around, let’s just say it’s taken a few… interesting turns.
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CARIBBEAN PIRATESThe real Caribbean pirates were a whole different breed than the Hollywood kind—though just as savage. They ruled the seas between the 17th and 18th centuries, especially around the Gulf of Mexico, the Antilles, and the northern coast of South America. These guys were rogue sailors, ex-soldiers, or just hustlers who saw piracy as a fast (and seriously dangerous) way to get rich.
They attacked ships loaded with gold, silver, rum, sugar, and anything valuable coming from the American colonies to Europe. Some worked solo, but many were privateers—basically pirates with government permission to rob enemy ships.
Bartholomew "Blackbeard" (Edward Teach) was one of the most feared. He tied smoking fuses into his beard to look even scarier. With smoke pouring from his face, he looked more like a demon from hell than a Disney pirate.
Anne Bonny and Mary Read disguised themselves as men to join pirate crews. They fought like anyone else and didn’t mess around. And Calico Jack became known for his iconic flag (the classic skull with crossed swords) and for sailing alongside Anne and Mary. Spoiler: he ended up hanging by the neck.
The pirate life was brutal. Scurvy, betrayals, brawls, rotten food, and no showers in sight. But there was also a kind of pirate democracy—they voted for their captain, split the loot fairly, and had their own rules, including punishing crew members who stole from each other.
Once they started hitting ships without caring about flags, the major European powers got fed up and hunted them down almost to extinction by the early 18th century.
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