Talk Like a Pirate Day was (of course) back on September 19. I’m just a wee bit late posting the photos. Time for me to get with the program and take care of not only this, but a number of other things which have been on the back burner.
First up, we have Wylie demonstrating that he can still get the girls.
Blaine recently had a birthday and spent some time trying to blow out anything that looked like a candle. And since at the time it was still mosquito season, there were tiki torches all over the place.
Wylie agrees that the name “Wylie and the Pirates” has a definite ring to it, but his band will be keeping the name “Wylie and the Coyotes” for the other 364 days of the year.
Tag Archives: pirates
Ahoy There!
Today be Talk Like a Pirate Day, I hope ye be celebratin’ accordingly.
If nothin’ else, ye can be switching your website to use the Piratespeak generator. (It’s a one line change.)
Carving the Meta-Lantern
The original plan was to draw a rabbit on it and carve the lantern so you could see the rabbit. There were a couple reasons for this, one was that everyone carves faces or ghosts or (if you’re really good) a witch on their Jack-o-lantern. So I was going to draw a rabbit.
The other part of the plan was to take a photo of the Jack-O-Lantern (with the rabbit on it) and put it on the Shore Leave web site for Halloween. (The convention is named for the Star Trek episode titled “Shore Leave.” The episode includes a brief appearance by the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, so the convention adopted the rabbit as a mascot.)
Carving a drawing of a rabbit onto a pumpkin was definitely ambitious, but I thought it was doable. I’ve been drawing rabbits and putting them on the convention web site for the past several years. This was just a new medium is all.
Reading Bunny |
Ze Artisté |
Costumer Bunny |
Security Bunny |
It was easy enough to draw a rabbit on the pumpkin. It was an unfamiliar medium, but aside from a little extra waviness in the whiskers, it was pretty straight forward. That’s when I realized how much detail is involved in those rabbits. The teeth, the whiskers, the noses, ears, and so on. I’ve been getting better at carving pumpkins, but that amount of detail was going to take most of the night. (Note to self: It might be a good idea to start carving the jack-o-lantern a little earlier than 10:45pm on the night before Halloween.)
So, it was clearly time for Plan B:
Yes. That’s right. I carved a jack-o-lantern with a jack-o-lantern on it. I call it the “Meta-Lantern.”
Those with a sharp eye may have noticed something amiss though. There’s a figure lurking in the shadows off to the meta-lantern’s left. What the heck could that be? Let’s take a closer look, shall we?
Could that be…? Let’s turn up the lights and see if that’s who I think it is….
Oh no! It’s a Captain Jack O-Lantern!!!
Arrrr!!!
Talk Like a Pirate Day was two weeks ago. That was a Friday this year, which made a perfect excuse for celebrating an entire Pirate Weekend. A few highlights from this year’s festivities follow.
For any well-dressed pirate, eye patches and hooks are optional, and of course all swashes should be buckled appropriately. Traditionally, proper pirate headgear has included both bandannas and pirate hats. In more recent times, the latter category has been expanded to include sports caps for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Seattle Seahawks (beware though, wearing another team’s hat may have you walking the plank).
Can you guess which pirate makes her own chain maille?
This bloke be Claire.
According to Wylie (the obligatory not-so-scurvy dog), heaven must be a lot like this.
Sure, Sue thinks its funny now. But what’s she gonna say when Jacob tries the “Pull my finger” routine on her?
These swabs must be music pirates.
The most fearsome pirates of all.
Avast Ye Swabs!
Arrrr! Just so ye won’t be complain’ that nobody reminded ye, Friday be Talk Like a Pirate Day!
I’ve assembled a bounty of piratical resources to help ye prepare for this event, so let’s just dive right in, shall we? What be yer pirate name?
My pirate name is:
Mad Jack Kidd
Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. Even though you’re not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!
Nineteen Days and Countin'!
As ye are knowin’, the Nineteenth of September be Talk Like a Pirate Day. How do ye plan on celebratin’ this most auspicious holiday?
(I be puttin’ up a page soon with links to helpful piratical resources.)
(Helpful piratical resources)
The Calendars of Penzance
Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance begins with Frederic parting company with the pirates upon reaching the age of 21. In a subsequent plot twist, it turns out that the terms of his apprenticeship are that he will serve with the pirates not until he reaches the age of 21, but until his 21st birthday. Normally, this would be one and the same, but the specific plot twist is that Frederick was born on a leap day and won’t reach his 21st birthday until 1940. (Evidently the decision to release him from his apprenticeship based on his age instead of birthday was one of those pesky clerical errors)
This means:
- The musical takes place in March. For some reason it seems to me like more of a summer thing.
- If Frederick won’t have his 21st birthday until 1940 (at which point he’ll be 84 years old), then he must have been born in 1856 and the events in the story take place in 1877. (According to Wikipedia, the musical premiered in 1879)
I don’t know why, but every time I’ve seen the play or listened to the soundtrack, I’ve found myself thinking about the dates involved. Today I finally sat down and figured out what they were.
Arrrrrrr!
Arrrrr. Today be Talk Like a Pirate Day!
According to The Pirate Name Generator, I am:
Mad Jack Flint
Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. Like the rock flint, you’re hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you’re easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!
Here be some other Piratical resources for ye:
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (the book, not the movie)
- The original Talk Like A Pirate web site.
- The Dave Barry column that made the day famous: Arrrrr! Talk like a pirate — or prepare to be boarded
- The Wikipedia Talk Like a Pirate Day page
And a tip of the tri-corner hat to Captain Squish for most graciously pointing out that I had linked to the wrong Talk Like a Pirate web site, but also for providing the link to the Pirate Name Generator. Thanks also to Lady Katie for passing along the link to The Pirate Cat.
I’m looking forward to hearing what their piratical names are, and yers too mate!
Pirates
Avast ye Scurvy Dogs! As ye may be knowin’, September 19 be known throughout the Seven Seas as International Talk Like A Pirate Day.
Are ye ready?