 My name is Steven Phillip Katz. I'm a licensed marriage and family therapist. Welcome to Shrink Rap, Hawaii, and we've got a show like we've never had before, and we'll probably never have again. You know, I think we should just cut right to the chase here. Hi, mate. Welcome aboard. Hi. Black Sand Bob. Hi. Black Sand Bob. Hi. And Captain Katz. Steven Katz. So, Black Sand, how come you to be here? Well, lad, I was in the neighborhood. We had to careen the ship. The treasure seekers scraped the barnacles off her. They liked to keep her fresh between the spring and the summer, and I was in the neighborhood. Careening is when you go ashore, for maintenance, you put the ship up on its side, and you can clean it and maintain it, see if there's anyone hanging on to the bottom. Yes. Hi. And you had kindly invited me to stop by this cabin, this lovely appointed cabin with the magic spy glasses. All right. Well, as you know, we're here to talk about what makes people do what they do. Really? When did you decide to become a pirate? Well, it was sort of thrust upon me. Hi. Hi. I was a merchant at one time, a purveyor of rice cookers, and Mongolian snow helmets, and then the market just fell out of that. And they gave me the boots in a polite way. But I found myself at Lucens, at Liberty, as they say. And then I discovered the treasure seeker, Hawaii Pirate Ship Adventures. Uh-huh. I. I. So, there's a lot. They're a vessel in this state, in this region of the Pacific. We take families out and children five days a week. We teach them how to be pirates, buccaneers. And then they run for office? I, some do. Some do. There's a few on the city council, but I shouldn't mention the name, some are in the litigation as we speak. I see. So, it's a tough life, the life of a pirate, no? No, it is. It's challenging, but it's rewarding. It can be physically strenuous, and you see the athletic condition that I'm in, who suggests that. I. Of course, of course. But it's very gratifying to meet the children, the next generations, and their families, and to teach them what they need to know to be pirates. What do they need to know to be a pirate? Well, they need to know how to speak like a pirate. It's the adequate pirate terminology. Can you give me a little quick answer? Well, it's like the sides of the ship. When you're sure you say this be the left side of the ship. But at sea, you say this is the port side, the port side of the ship. And the way to remember that is many times when I get home, I enjoy a glass of port every now and then. And by the time I get home, often the port, there's no port left. So that's how I remember the port is the left side of the ship. And of course, the starboard side is the right side of the ship. That goes back to sextants and navigation. So what are some of the terms? I mean, what are the things? Oh, the R, well that goes back to, I see, this is what's amazing about the world of piracy is there's the reality, the history. And then there's a romance around it, because it's such a charged profession. Speaking of which? I. Romance. You're not my type, Captain. I'm very platonic. I realize the times have changed. Anyway, what's your question? I'm blushing. Okay. Yes, you are. Is there a Mrs. Blacksand? Oh, well, you could say that. She's a show. Now that's Algaroba Annie. She's a mermaid of the Albino persuasion and met her on a moonlit night. She came up alongside the stern and something about her demeanor and countenance, we brought her aboard. And she's been a tremendous help to me. How does it work with mermaids on board, on land, with the feet? With the feet? She's not that tall. I've never measured her lad. So I would imagine, you know. I mean, she's the right height, but I've never taken a tape to measure how many feet. But I thought mermaids would have a flipper down there instead of feet. Well, that's a rather personal question, Captain Steve. You've been around. So is she the only one? You've been in the dating pool. Is she always the only one? Do they have a match.com for mermaids? I hope not. I wouldn't be surprised. Actually, I think she was on Tinder, which surprised me. It's similar to Tinder, but it's more about romantic feelings. But she's a sweetheart. She's a sweetheart. She supports me. But it's true. It's apt. Speaking about support, is there big money in piracy? Oh, there can be. See, that's the thing. There's tremendous risk and tremendous reward. And we do often, we keep the ship moving because the IRS sometimes takes an interest. And I think it's jealousy. The pirate's pirate. That's right. That's right. I think they want to learn techniques from us. Jealousy. Yeah. Yeah. Probably so. That's the international renegade for Sonny. Do you have any more interaction when you're teaching little kids too about how to be a pirate? No. And I'll tell you why that. It's because if you look through history, pirates only appear at times when the gap between the haves and the have nots becomes insupportable. So a pirate, in a sense, is justified by their existence, by their presence. Because in our own way, we're addressing a tremendous injustice in the world. Extralegal welfare. Yeah. We make it better. But we address it. Sometimes it's no return. And what about like a violent part? Well, that's mainly self-defense. For we're training crew. We're training the young mates to be members of our crew. But Blackscent, seriously, self-defense, what about boarding other ships? We do that occasionally. Some of my crew live in a boarding house. I mean, these are difficult times. Boarding house. I have a hammock myself that I string up between the ironwood trees. And that's my favorite home. Cuts down on the rent, expenses as well. Is there rent on the ship? No. Would you have another home besides the ship? No. I mean, sure. When you're sure. I love the ship, but I don't feel right sleeping on it. It feels indulgent. And it's too much like a crib. Reminds me of my childhood, and then I miss my parents and get emotional. Was your dad a pirate? Well, he wasn't spirit. He did something else. He was actually more of an engineer, an artisan. He protected villages and towns from fires, and he was ahead of his time in a lot of ways. But it was his love for piracy that I think steered me in this direction initially. So the way you describe your function before, it's almost like a Robin Hood of the Seas. Well, that's how I like to see myself. Not everyone does. That's a very kind assessment. Yeah, because do you think that piracy has gotten a bad name? Well, judging by the recent Congress and the main continent, I would have to agree. But I don't know. I think it's very charged because we stand with one foot in history and one foot in fable. And when you straddle a charged space like that, it's very, very powerful. And I think all the young people in the world, all the people in the world, need to see identity as a living, charged thing. And when you go to sea and you experience that, where the ocean, where the tides meets the land, the only way I can describe it, it's almost like a soul battery that lights you up. If you're alive, if you step on a ship and go into these turquoise, sparkling waters that surround us, if that doesn't light you up, well, it lights me up and the children we bring aboard. Are there any physical challenges to being a pirate? Well, occasionally, I once had a mate give me a suggestion by way of a belaying pin to the back of the head, and that, you know, that gets your attention. And there's always the risk of splinters since it's a wooden ship. I've had some close calls, but that's the thing. The sea is a nae, nae, not in for you. Well, don't say that. I wouldn't want to joke about that. We're very proud of that, of a spotless safety record, you know, apart from taking prisoners and binding them. I noticed when I came to visit. Occasional floggings, if you want to. When you're in charge, when you're captaining the ship, if that's a word. I hope it is. You take on a whole, you know, softy as a captain, I got to say. Well, that's kind of that. But see, that can be misleading, like everyone looks up to rank in our modern society. But a pirate ship, the pirates actually created an early functioning democracy that is very, very responsive if a captain shirks his duties, he will be handed the black spot. The black spot. The black spot, yes, which will potentially depose him a challenge from one of his crew. Just last week, me on first May, flintlock scar, handed me the black spot. And luckily it turned out to be an Oreo cookie, but I was alarmed at first. But so there is, you have to be responsible. See, this is the thing. It's a little bit like you can be. Now I prefer the term gentleman of fortune rather than pirate, because it covers more ground and has a little more of a genteel reality to it. But I am a pirate after all. It's kind of a macho, doesn't like Annie, is that her name? Oh, Algaroba Annie? Yeah, she get a little worried sometimes that you'll come home to her. I mean, there's, you know. Yeah, I think she now, she now, you know, we have night cruises where young lasses from all over the world come sure and dance. I saw that. Ah, I think you came aboard, right? Yeah. Not dressed as a young lass, I recognize you. But they'll come on and dance and it's actually, I think it's a good experience for being in a committed relationship because you're faced with, well, look at all the beautiful women there are in the world. And every night I see them. They seem to be practically throwing their lingerie at you that night. Oh, you were there that. Well, maybe we should it's a response who comes up. No, no, no. That's the name. That's fine. No, no. But I find it, it validates my feelings for Annie, because I know during the cruise at the end of the cruise, I'm still a blessed man to go home to her. And I know that. And, you know, many don't have that experience of seeing the other people who are out there. So, and I, you know, I do, I do believe and practice and monogamy, you know, yeah. With Annie. Well, actually, that's a board game she likes to play. It's like monopoly. No, no, it's like, but no, no, no. Actually, the ship, many people don't realize this. The railings of the treasure seeker, our ship, are carved out of monogamy. What I meant to say was I believe in mahogany. I see, I see. It's hard. And between the more people, the better. That's a hard one. Okay. Yeah. So, um, we've got to take a break. We do. Coming up here. Yeah. Not for our sponsors, just for self-promotion. Ah, thank you. And, um, when we come back, I'll have a shot of a grog. Have a shot of grog. And we'll be right back. Don't touch that mess. We will return with more surprises. Stay right there. Aloha. Come back soon. Get this. All right. You're a man of war off my chest. This guy looks familiar. He calls himself the Ultra Fan, but that doesn't explain all this. Why? Why? He planned this party, planned the snacks, even planned to coordinate colored shirts. But he didn't plan to have a good time. Now you wouldn't do this in your own house, so don't do it in your team's house. Know your limits and plan ahead so that everyone can have a good time. Of Hawaii is my mainland every Friday at 3 PM on Think Tech Hawaii. We talk about things of interest to those of us who live here. And my past blogs can be found at kawelukas.com. OK, I didn't listen. Match Day is no ordinary day. The pitch, hallowed ground for players and supporters alike. Excitement builds. Game plans are made with responsibility in mind. Celebrations are underway. Ready for kickoff? MLS clubs and our supporters rise to the challenge. We make responsible decisions while we cheer on our heroes and toast their success. Elevate your Match Day experience. If you drink, never drive. Welcome back to Shrink Rap Hawaii. Blacks and Bob has left the building. And we're here today with an incredible actor, stand-up comedian, total entertainer, Mr. Robert Jones. You flatter me, Stephen. Thank you. Good to be here. Thank you. I did see that gentleman of fortune heading down the hall. Mr. Jones. Yes. We've known each other for, I don't know, probably close to 20 years now? I would say, yeah. Or is it 97? We did, too. There we go. We did a Neil Simon play together. Right, right. And I don't think I ever asked you. We are on stage now, aren't you? What? What drove you to be a performer? Well, it started when I was in the fourth grade. And this is part of it. And I was running through the house with a wooden flute. I tripped the flute, shot up into my mouth, broke my upper palate. And I survived this. This is not a joke. No, no, this is true. I'm telling you a truth. Because what you do, you help people. So I want to tell the truth here. This is not fiction. So anyway, so I injured the top of my mouth. Soon after that, I developed a stutter. So I'm in the fourth grade. And we were living in Los Angeles at the time. And Los Angeles, being a little more progressive, had a very good speech therapy class at the school I was attending. And they encouraged children who had any impediment of any kind, for whatever reason, to get up in front of the group. All the other kids had the same challenge. And you had to perform. You had to do something. So we would usually, thank God, Jonathan Winters had a variety show at the time. And I loved him. So I would usually perl on one of his routines and attempt to do it. And so we would do, I think, every week we did like a five or 10 minute bit. And then they would have a session where you would just go wild and run around the class and yell and do whatever you wanted. And it was very, very funny because my stutter wasn't major. But it was there. And my dad came to an open house. And the teacher was a beautiful young woman. And this was in the late 60s. So she had the boots, very fashionable. And my dad turned to me and he's like, Bobby, now I get it. She's gorgeous. Will you introduce me? And he was like, please, to meet you. But that's my dad. That's another story. But actually, he's part of the story because my dad, who's been gone for many years, was a tremendous storyteller, had a wonderful, expressive, funny. Something would happen. And then when he told it, something about the way he told it made it into something legendary, bigger than it was, funnier than it was. So I know I have that side from him. And the funny thing is, well, anyway, let me finish that. So we moved to Hawaii the summer after the fourth grade. So I was done with that course. And I felt like, all right, I've made it, the study has gone away. And when I got to Enchanted Lake Elementary School, they were doing Hamlet. They were going to do Hamlet that semester. And I don't know if I was talking to my dad and he said, that's one of the greatest plays ever. This would be a good thing. And I was interested. So I tried out for the title role, got it. Seriously? Seriously. That was you started with Hamlet? Yeah, so my best, yeah, right. We went far, all right. So and my best friend at the time played Horatio, my best friend of the play. So it was wonderful. It was wonderful. Now it was interesting because after that in the sixth grade, they were going to do Robin Hood. But I ran into there were so many backstage politics like kids vying for no, I want to be Robin Hood. I thought, I'm just not into the politics. And I kind of turned away from it. So I didn't get back on stage till community college, or windward community college. So for me, traditionally in my younger life, it's almost like it was an area I would go into to accelerate, jumpstart my life, invigorate my spirit. Because the wonderful thing about theater and acting plays is you learn so much about yourself, especially if you follow your heart and take the right roles, the best roles. I always loved, I think Orson Welles was talking to the actress Sybil Shepard. And she said, I just haven't done enough. I passed on some things. I didn't get a chance to be in some movies. And he said, sometimes your career is defined by what you don't do. Like it's very important that you choose the right thing. Because when you go out on that stage, if you're connected to the material and the audience, your audience, you're creating something that has, I believe it has a tangible reality. And it affects people. So it needs, oh, absolutely, absolutely. Because every play I've done, whether it's a murder mystery show with the Honolulu murder mystery players or community theater, Diamondhead, Minoa Valley Theater, even the Wani Kai Mortgage players, these are all committed groups who put the material out. Every role I've played, usually afterwards or two thirds through the production, it'll hit me, oh, I needed to learn this thing about myself refracted through this character. And you never see that coming in. But while we're on that, there is a thing. I think it's very important. There have been many plays where I've thought, logically, oh, I should do this. It's high profile. It's prestigious. I like the other people who are in it. And then I'll get the script, look at it, and I feel nothing. And then I'll know it's not right for me. And I shouldn't do it. And I haven't. And on the other hand, when it is the right piece of material, you feel something and you move while you're reading it. Yeah. You get connected to it. Yeah, I like the way George C. Scott described it. He said, when you're reading a script the first time, he said it's like the tumbler in a safe, something and you click. And you know it's right. And God bless George C. Scott. It's a different life, though, no? I mean. It is. There's a lot of sacrifices. I know my partner, Jan, was saying, she keeps seeing things where people will say, be careful if you get with an actor. Because they love their work so much. They're going to do it whether it's immediately rewarding financially or not. But I also believe when you're on the right track, things work out. And when I certainly, you know, as well as you may know, I was in retail. See, and here's the other interesting thing. I was studying comedy and acting all my life. And I didn't realize it. I just thought it was an interest, a hobby, something I did on the side to entertain myself or with friends. And as I look back, it's like I've been preparing for this work my entire life. I mean, in high school, my best friends and I would do silly pranks, thankfully for the most part, not harming anyone or anything, but just silly things. And this is all before video on YouTube. So we were just doing it for the sake of the fun, for real. Yeah, well, I've without a net. But I think it's very interesting. I had a background in the arts. I have an older brother who's an amazing artist who inspired me as a child. So I began to draw dinosaurs, bears, whatever I was interested in. And so my parents were like, oh, this could be a great career. And so I followed the arts. And at the same time, I had this desire to tell stories. So it's interesting because I followed the art path. It never occurred to me that I can create art with myself, with my body. And I don't need brushes or paint or sketch pad. And you do. I mean, when I came out on the ship to see you, you just had this gift that just gets people's attention. And makes them laugh and makes them happy. Yeah, well, good. One hopes. It's hard sometimes when you're in the center of it to not stop and go, oh, how much of this is vanity or how much of it is. But the idea of you saying before about how you learn about yourself through the parts that you play. I mean, I think that's very much has to do with, while in my therapy sessions, we do a lot of role play because if you can understand what it's like to be the other person that you're having a problem with, it really changes everything. Yeah, that makes sense. To be able to step into somebody else's shoes and to realize that, hey, I would feel the same way. Or I could do that. Or I could have done that. And when you're acting, you get to do that to try it on. You truly do. And it's very interesting. I mean, I've been fortunate some of the productions I've been in, the material will be informal enough that I've had the leeway or been given the leeway to embellish or develop the character of the script. And especially in the mystery shows, that's like an interactive theater show that usually happens at Dave and Buster's. I look into that, folks. They're a lot of fun. Yeah, I do that occasionally. I think with the ship, with my career as Black Sand Bob, I just find almost the entirety of my energy is naturally going into that. Your pirates, I mean, they certainly look at you as the captain. Well, I suppose you're right. That's true. I mean, I made a misstep. And boy, I thought like I was going to walk the plank. Did you get in trouble? No, I went up to get the girl's water bottle and she tricked you and I was like, whew! Well, yeah, there's a lot of safety concerns. You didn't have it to character. Yeah, well, good. For real. You're going to be fine. We got a wrap for you. We tried to make Steve here in Wapai right there. Yeah. It didn't take. That's all right. I think this is your calling. It's all about stories. It is. And self-sufficiency. That's why I like doing what I do. I like doing what you do. It's like being just innately curious about people. Yeah, and you have to be curious about yourself. Listen, listen to those voices. Well, that sounds as long as you're not arguing. Listen to your own voice. No one knows you're better than yourself. Lex and Bob, A.K.A. Robert Jones. Thank you for coming on District Wrap Hawai'i. Thank you so much. It's been an honor and a pleasure. We'll be back again. See you later. Aloha. How we do the role playing is out with. Thank you so much.