"Talk Like a Pirate Day" Parties in Second Life

By Bixyl Shuftan

A few days ago was September 19th, which is unofficially "International Talk Like a Pirate Day." What started out as a joke between two friends became known to the public when they wrote about their idea to a newspaper humor columnist in 2002. Since then, this play on the romanticized view of pirates of old and in fiction has been celebrated here and there, from restaurants such as Krispy Kreme and Long John Silver's offering free food to those talking or dressing a little like buccaneers, to computer games such as World of Warcraft doing a one day salute.

So little wonder that one can find some pirate fun in Second Life on this day. To begin with, there are some Pirate vs Navy roleplays and combat at any time of year in Second Life. One shipmaker this year was giving away it's wooden frigates. Then there are the various clubs and social areas holding pirate parties. Luskwood for instance can be counted on having at least a low-key pirate event with people passing out costumes to one another and going "Arrrr!" But they weren't the only place.

On Friday night, the Steelhead Estates threw their Pirate Day party. Or rather, a party celebrating that and one other event. The following day, September 20, was the start of Oktoberfest. So officially the party was celebrating both.

It be "Talk Like A Pirate Day."
And it be Oktoberfest, and we be celebratin' Steelhead style. Pirates and Beer. Deadly combination.
Fun starts at 7:00 with music by Fuzz, 9:00 PM Zanya brings the after party.

And so, the Steelheaders headed to an airship pirate vessel flying high over the Nevermoor sim. Fuzzball Ortega, normally the lycan sheriff of the community, was the "scurvy dog" spinning the various pirate tunes.

Mayor Totallunar Eclipse and other Steelheaders, the majority in pirate costume, a few in lenderhosen, danced away. A couple were waving a banner for Octoberfest that Baron Klaus Von Wulffenback passed around, or what someone called an "OktobARRRRRfest" banner.

Kara, aka "Supergirl" of the JLU was there as a skeleton. The running joke was somehow her X-Ray vison somehow got reversed.

The party was lots of fun.

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Club Cutlass at the Sunweaver Estates got it's start as a pirate-themed club. But on Friday night, they held a Sci-Fi themed party, perhaps to give those a little weary of the pirate theme a break. But Saturday night was when we got our own cutlasses, along with our peglegs, tricorner hats, and shoulder parrots, and headed over.

DJ Cynthia spun the piratey tunes for the event, music such as, "A Pirates Life For Me," "Airship Pirate," "The First Pirate of Saskatooan," and Ray Stevens' Pirate song.

Looks like this micro fox is trying to swim in the booty pile. Lomgren Smalls, the Sunweavers' microkitty, was also there, but didn't swipe anything.

Lots of fun was had by all.

And finally, here's my own look for the event, a buccaneer mouse, or "pie rat." Here it is with my pet Firekitty that I picked up from Team Firestorm last month.

"You know the mice are tough when they have pet cats."

And that's all for "Talk Like a Pirate Day" for another year. Until then, "clear skies mateys."

And that's all for

Bixyl Shuftan