Arrr! It be Talk Like a Pirate Day!

The wonders of the Internet, and the influence of Dave Barry spread the joy of Talk Like a Pirate Day to scallywags around the world. The Miami Herald has Mr. Barry's original column online for your enjoyment.

To join in the fun, all that needs doing is to sprinkle in a mix of vocabulary aquatic each September 19th. If, like me, your piratical knowledge isn't up to snuff, I recommend the official Talk Like a Pirate Day translator.

As well, Mango Languages, Carnegie-Stout's most excellent online language course, offers lessons in Pirate for beginners: www.mangolanguages.com/try-it.php?course_id=224. Be sure to check out the 30+ languages available to learn from the comfort of your own home!

If you're looking for some reading of a seafaring nature, you might try the classic Treasure Island, the romantic tale Her Forbidden Pirate, or the current The Pirates of Somalia. And, for the science fiction lovers, we have plenty o' space pirates! To find more books and movies, try an Exact Subject or Subject Keyword search for Pirates or Piracy in the library's catalog.

For a last bit of high seas fun, readers with a Facebook account can change settings to display Pirate-American. To do so, click on the Setting icon (it looks like a gear) on the upper right-hand corner of the page. From the menu that pops up, select Account Settings. In the Language options, select English (Pirate), and you'll have your sea legs in no time, matey.