Klingon is so 20th Century

For a good time start pillaging and get out an eye patch. Its time to learn Pirate. Not only will you gain great fashion sense (anything's better than Madonna's touring outfits), you'll be Pirate-fluent in time for Talk Like a Pirate Day on 19 September. So dust off those pantaloons 'cause there's a new pirate in town! Which is most definitely true here in my native Pacific Northwest. There is a pirate festival taking place this weekend in Ilwaco, Washington. Its actually called the Nautical Renaissance which, even though it sounds vaguely high-fallutin', means people like me can drag out my best pirate brogue for the occasion.

What is it about pirates that makes us want to have pirate festivals and talk like a pirate one whole day out of the year? Pirates are a wonderful romantic notion who conjure up images of bloodthirsty violence and deliciously bad romance novels with suitable pirate hunks on the covers. Historically speaking, pirates were more likely to die young than get bloody rich and retire (a' la "At last, we can retire and give up this life of crime".) Perhaps our fascination comes from the fact pirates operated outside of society and leave us with the notion of someone who was able to sail away from civilized constraints - a means of being truly free. Okay, I think that's enough philosophizing on that. Now mateys! Get ye to th' links below ta find out hows you can learn pirate speech n' become an 'onest ta goodness pirate. Jes' like me!

Links:
If ye be in th' Pacific Northwest - be visitin' Ilwaco!
Talk Like a Pirate Day official site
Talk Like a Pirate Day fer ye en merry ole' England
'nother Pirate Day site! Arrrr.
A Pirate Dictionary will show ye the way!
More Pirate talk, yar.

Avast! Here be Pirate names!:
Pirate name quiz - 'ighly recommended by th' cabin boy
Gangstaname.com's Pirate name generator
Ye be the Cap'n? Or th' First Mate?
A name fer the wench
Yur boat needs a name too!


This 'as bin yur walk the plank Geek Find o' th' day! Yo ho!