[Poopdeck] - The Poopdeck, issue 85

Mon Sep 13 09:53:34 PDT 2010

THE POOPDECK
The Official Talk Like A Pirate Day Newsletter
Ol' Chumbucket, ed. – Published as the fancy strikes
Sept. 13, 2010 – Issue No. 85

http://www.talklikeapirate.com
--------------------------------------------------

Six Days Until Talk Like a Pirate Day!
Four Days Until the Start of Talk Like a Pirate Day Weekend!

In this issue:
** A Quick Correction and Some Possible News!
** Cool News from 2K
** Ol' Chumbucket's Book Club: "The Book of Pirates"
** Even More Events Slated Around the World

----------

** A Quick Correcton and Some Possible News!

First, a quick word of apology. 

Turns out Cap'n Bogg & Salty will NOT appear at the Portland Pirate Festival this weekend. But everyone's favorite six-piece pirate rock band has been working hard and may have a very big announcement in the near future. We'll be keeping an eye on them for more news. 

While they'll be missed, there's plenty of other action going on the festival, according to organizer Margot La Mechante (who contacted me immediately after yesterday's Poopdeck came out to let me know of my faux pas -- that's French for false pas.)

BilgeRats and Pyrettes, the official band of The Portland Pirate Festival, will play both days of the festival (Saturday and Sunday.) B.O.O.M.'s fight and cannon crew will battle the King's Navy on the beach, and there will be Privateer Scavenger Hunts, the first ever Stumptown Beard and Mustache Competition, and lots of new bands, including Chervona, The Dreadnoughts and Pirates Charles. The Kraken Rum and Ninkasi Brewery are among the festival's sponsors. 

And of course, Cap'n Slappy his own self will be there, and he's apparently written a new song (with Margot) special for the occasion. So if you're anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, you definitely want to be on Portland's Cathedal Park this weekend. 

----------

** Cool News from 2K

One bit of VERY cool news that has drifted in with the tide is about our favorite video game -- "Sid Meier's 'Pirates.'" We still play the game on the Xbox whenever we get the chance, so this is big news indeed. 

On Oct. 5, the game will be released for the Wii! You realize what this means, don't you? It means that sword fights will soon be enacted by swinging the Wii-troller like a cutlass! Okay, so it won't be a perfect, exact reenactment of a sword fight, but it's still gotta be a whole lot better than sitting on the couch and pushing the "A" button over and over. (Does anyone bother with the defensive moves of the Red button? What's the point of that? Attack the guy and win the battle!) No word has been received on how or if firing the flintlock pistols will be affected. We wait with bated breath. 

And we can't wait to get our hands on the game and give it a spin around the Caribbean. 

-----------

** Ol' Chumbucket's Book Club: "The Book of Pirates"

If you only buy one pirate book this year, make it "The Book of Pirates," by Jamaica Rose and Captain Michael MacLeod.*

*Note - When I say that, I assume of course that you already own our books - Pirattitude" and "The Pirate Life." If you don't, buy all three. But why would you only buy one pirate book? That's just silly. 

But my point is, "The Book of Pirates" is terrific. It's written for a young audience, age 8 and up, but any age will enjoy this one. It's encyclopedic, going over where pirates come from, how they dressed, famous buccaneers, a timeline of pirate history, what kind of weapons they used, ships they sailed, food they ate, even how to talk like a pirate. Yes, that's a lot of the same ground we covered in our two books (which you should buy many copies of) but the difference is -- Cap'n Slappy and I freely admit we make stuff up for a laugh. Jamaica Rose and Cap'n MacLeod know what they're talking about. Yet even wth the handicap of being "fact-based" they manage to be entertaining. 

And it's more even than that. The book is, of course, written for kids, and the fact that Jamaica Rose -- in her other life -- is a teacher makes a big difference. They not only talk about how pirates dressed, they offer tips to how to create your own pirate wardrobe, without destroying your good clothes. Or how to make your own cutlass (not a real one, of course, this is a kids' book.) Or cook pirate food. It's a great mix of fact, style and do-it-yourself. 

"The Book of Pirates" is the best pirate book I've read since "Empire of Blue Water" (which, if it's not on your shelf you should get. So now that's four books you need to buy.) I've always said Jamaca Rose is one of two people I know who knows everything there is to know about pirates, and if she doesn't know, she knows who does, and she's always glad to share that knowledge. In "The Book of Pirates" she and Capn McLeod do just that. It's an instant classic. 

It's also beautifully made. A hardcover with fancy endsheets, great layouts, graphics and design. And for all that, it's a bargain at $12.99. 

On a scale of one to five mugs, "The Book of Pirates" earns five mugs of ale AND a tot of rum!

----------

** Even More Events Slated Around the World

They keep pouring in, word of the way you're all planning to celebrate the holiday. Here's a couple of new ones for our Calend-Aarrr!

-- The members of the Yahoo Group "chicagoshanties" are having a special "Sing Like a Pirate" sea shanty sing-along at the Chicago Maritime Society Resource Center on September 19th from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. 

-- Online, at TellTale Games, TLAPDay festivities will include offering Tales of Monkey Island at a steep discount for that 24-hour period. Beginning Friday they'l promote this and TLAPD through their homepage, special landing page, newsletter. 

-- In New Brighton by The Sea , Christchurch, New Zealand, pirates of all shapes and sizes will celebrate TLAP Day with a Pirate Market on Saturday and a great rumbustification Sunday at The Pier Side Cafe , featuring a ukulele sing a long with Captain Long John Knickers and Nudger and the Natural Magic Pirates

You can learn about all these events going on around the world at our Web site. Go to:

http://talklikeapirate.com/tlapd10.html

---------

Anyway, that oughta hold things for another day. I'll be back Tuesday with more infrmation on the upcming International Talk Lie a Pirate Day Weekend!

Ol' Chumbucket, editor