ALL I'VE BEEN HEARING AND READING ABOUT this week is that today is Talk Like A Pirate Day! I was first clued in to this special day a few years ago, but in 2007 the pirates and their peeps have really gone all out in publicizing their cause. I have seen newspaper articles, newspaper ads, online articles, dedicated web sites, and even parties thrown in honor of the occasion.But do you want to know what's really sad? Pirates are currently LOSING to Ninjas in the "Pirates vs. Ninjas" battle! Do your part and vote for Pirates now! (By the way, if you keep reloading that page you'll get different pictures... and if you actually read some of the comments on that page, you will see that some people are taking this feud very, very seriously.) If you are interested in understanding how this "holiday" even came to be, you can read its history here (interesting fact, Dave Barry actually had a hand in promoting it).
Other organizations and causes need to learn from the pirates because there is way more buzz about TLAP Day than there is about, say, National Shrimp Scampi Day. (Red Lobster should be ALL OVER that one - come on guys, you're asleep at the wheel!!! No excuses!) What's even more shameful is that today is also National Butterscotch Pudding Day, but you haven't heard a peep about that one, now have you? Someone needs to get fired!As you already know, I love pirates and therefore am very excited about this day. However, I just can't bring myself to actually talk like a pirate. I guess I could have growled at the Peapod delivery guy this morning, but he was scared enough as it was by my crazy dog barking like mad. Perhaps my dog was honoring the spirit of the pirates? But seriously, it's hard to talk like a pirate. Because, let's face it, unless you look like this, you really can't pull it off, can you?
Oh wait, that's ME! And it wasn't even TLAP Day. That picture was taken earlier this year when I commandeered the Pirates of the Caribbean Gift Shop in Disneyland and forced my friend to take pictures of me in various poses, scaring all the little kids away. I guess I honor the pirates year-round, so I'm not feeling too bad about not talking like one today. Perhaps I'll quietly let out an "Shiver me timbers!" at the Walgreen's check-out counter later on or something.
But in your own way, you should find some small gesture that enables you to release your inner pirate. You know you want to, my mateys! ARRRRRRR!
- e
e- I thought you'd enjoy this news blurb from Today's Congressional Quarterly:
ReplyDeleteLANDLUBBERS AND LAWMAKERS Celebrate At Witness’ Expense
While “Talk Like a Pirate Day” is not one of the myriad holidays recognized by congressional resolution, at least one member chose to commemorate it anyway in an unusual setting — a staid hearing on regulatory overhaul.
Democrat Linda T. Sánchez of California, who chairs the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law,
was introducing hearing witnesses Wednesday when she hesitated before verifying the pronunciation of American University law professor Jeffrey S. Lubbers’ surname.
Sánchez apologized for smirking, but said the name reminded her of “landlubbers” and then informed the panel that Sept. 19 marked Talk Like a Pirate Day. The professor appeared not to take offense.
In pirate lingo, “landlubber” refers to “one who does not go by sea.” The holiday, created in 1995, has an official Web site, which says speaking like a pirate “adds a zest, a swagger, to your everyday conversation.”
And, apparently, a few laughs to an otherwise normal day on Capitol Hill.
— Caitlin Webber
(I would imagine the laughs were very few indeed, but you can't knock her for trying. - wanders)