"Arrr!" Avast me hearties! 'Tis that day come 'round again. "Tis ye International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Bring me a noggin of rum, now, won't ye, me matey and celebrate the day. [more inside]
posted by ericb on Sep 19, 2009 - 59 comments

The amazing story of Jan Janszoon van Salee who ended his life in New Utrecht (one of the early nuclei of todays New York). A tale that involves barbary corsairs, the sack of Reykjavik and Baltimore Ireland, slaves, conversion to Islam, capture by the Maltese Knights, escape, etc. etc. and finally New Utrecht. [more inside]
posted by jouke on Sep 8, 2009 - 16 comments

The Pirate Bay will be sold to a Swedish listed software company. The press release states that the intention is to "introduce models which entail that content providers and copyright owners get paid for content that is downloaded via the site". Other stabs at this worked out less than brilliantly. The purchase amount (60MSEK of which half cash/half in stocks) matches the fine a bit too closely, but the founders states that the money are going into a foundation to promote freedom of speech, freedom of information and the openess of the nets. Pirate ideals or gold loot on Booty Island? Stay tuned...
posted by mnsc on Jun 30, 2009 - 233 comments

On March 18, 39 licensed amateur radio operators were apprehended throughout Brazil for clandestine activities of telecommunication. This followed six months of investigations from local officials who received information from the US Department of Defense in regards to unauthorized use of Fleet Satellite Communications System. These geosynchronous satellites, also known as FLTSAT, were used by the U.S. Navy for UHF radio communications between ships, submarines, airplanes and ground stations. These satellites are simple repeaters with no authentication or control over what they retransmit. But the illicit satellite use was not limited to those experimenting with radio systems. Truck drivers love the birds because they provide better range and sound than ham radios. Rogue loggers in the Amazon use the satellites to transmit coded warnings when authorities threaten to close in. Drug dealers and organized criminal factions use them to coordinate operations. [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief on Apr 22, 2009 - 27 comments

"It used to be only movies, now even verdicts are out before the official release." Peter Sunde of the Pirate Bay manages a little black humour after hearing word of the trial judgement. 1 year in prison and a 30m Kronor fine (£2.4m). Streaming press conference to be held today at friday at 13.00 swedish time (GMT+1 / CET). Get your pirate phrases at the ready.
posted by numberstation on Apr 17, 2009 - 141 comments

"What began as a defensive movement by local fishermen has evolved into a complex amalgamation of banditry, organized crime, freebooting, and insurgency targeting all types of vessels from fishing trawlers to oil tankers." Somali pirates holding an American captain hostage were killed during a rescue yesterday. The lack of effective governance in Somalia allows massive vessels from Europe and Asia to decimate the local fish population, which may have forced Somali fisherman into piracy. Other ships use the Somali coast as a toxic waste dump. [previously]
posted by benzenedream on Apr 13, 2009 - 188 comments

The notorious torrent tracker The Pirate Bay was originally established with the support of Carl Lundström, who continues to hold a significant stake in the enterprise and support it financially. Carl Lundström is also a supporter of far-right anti-immigrant parties and was allegedly involved in an violent attack against three Latin Americans. Now a well known online computer magazine suggests that geek sympathies for The Pirate Bay have kept reporters from covering this issue. Wired's coverage only says that Lundström's detractors point to a past in nationalist politics. The Pirate Bay's defenders dismiss the questions as being nothing more than a slur, but the attacks and defense beg a fundamental question: can the views of a financial supporter taint an otherwise neutral organisation?
posted by Joe in Australia on Mar 2, 2009 - 89 comments

In Chinese, Shanzhai (山寨) literally means "mountain stronghold" and connotes a place with limited accessibility -- i.e. beyond the reach of authorities. In the past couple of years, it has come to refer to the manufacture of illicit tech gadgets by unauthorized factories: show us your shan zhai ji! But shanzhai can be used more broadly to describe knockoff culture, cheeky brand subversion, grassroots industrial creativity, and a certain DIY ethos. The latter may be best exemplified in these videos of a "Shanzhai Glider" in action. Apologies if the Chinese sites are slow-loading or unreachable for Western audiences. Mouse over links for descriptions, if so inclined.
posted by milquetoast on Feb 3, 2009 - 32 comments

Tomorrow is Talk Like a Pirate Day. In honor of that, lift your voices and talk like a woman pirate, mateys! Piracy may have mainly been a boyzone, but the high seas saw a number of female captains and crew members as well, sometimes the subjects of fanciful stories and fetishes (possibly NSFW). [more inside]
posted by notashroom on Sep 18, 2008 - 88 comments

Privileges: Gender: 10 things only men can do (Askmen.com), male privilege (wiki), 21 Things Women Can Do That Guys Can't (Cosmo), female privilege (2 3 4 5). Race: white privilege (wiki). Sexual orientation: straight privilege (2) (wiki), cisgendered privilege. Body: able-bodied privilege, non-fat privilege. Money: non-poor privilege (2), class privilege (PDF). Demographics: Christian privilege, American privilege, adult privilege, black male privilege, Muslim male privilege. Combo: gamer privilege, male programmer privilege. Criticism and essays: victim privilege, "Point of Privilege", "We can't be equal while ... ", "Where's My Extra Piece of the Pie?". And, lest this become too serious: pirate privilege and lolcat privilege (the latter via). (Covered in smaller scope previously.)
posted by WCityMike on Aug 15, 2008 - 156 comments

RestoftheMovie.com will probably be taken offline pretty soon, since it seems like they show full (screener) versions of current movies (like Kung Fu Panda and Ironman) in streaming format, so you'll probably want to check it out sooner rather than later.
posted by Dave Faris on Jun 12, 2008 - 34 comments

The leader of the Swedish Pirate Party explaining how the US went bankrupt in 1971, and has been covering it up through an accelerating whack-a-mole borrowing frenzy that is bursting right now. [more inside]
posted by blasdelf on Mar 22, 2008 - 121 comments

Bored with Talk Like A Pirate Day? Investigate the real thing in the Straits of Malacca with National Geographic.
posted by loquacious on Sep 19, 2007 - 7 comments

Pirate myths debunked. Slate's Explainer attacks your favorite pirate stereotypes: walking the plank, saying "arrr." Not a myth: pirate republics. Pirates formed egalitarian mini-states based upon utopian values, a prime reason for their brutal suppression by European authorities.
posted by nasreddin on Jun 5, 2007 - 126 comments

Outragefilter: After a photo labeled "drunken pirate" was found on her MySpace page, 27-year-old student teacher and college senior Stacy Snyder was denied teaching credentials by Millersville University officials. This week, she filed a federal lawsuit against the school.
posted by MegoSteve on Apr 28, 2007 - 69 comments

How to be a pirate. The first part of a book project that didn't sell.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste on Apr 27, 2007 - 26 comments

On November 22nd 1987, sports anchor Dan Roan of Chicago's WGN-TV News Network was narrating the video of the day's football highlights when something highly unusual happened. The pictures on the station monitors in the studio suddenly began to jitter and twitch. And that was just the beginning. Two hour later, it happened a second time (View clip here) [via KUR]
posted by KevinSkomsvold on Jan 24, 2007 - 46 comments

Yarrrr/Banzai! All you "Talk like a pirate day" keyboard swashbucklers take heed: The Sea Shepherd Society's flagship Farley Mowat is now officialy a pirate vessel after Canada, Britain, and Belize revoked their registration. As the Japanese winter Antarctic whale hunting season begins (previously), the M/V Farley Mowat is setting sail to meet them, armed with a hydraulic "can opener" battering ram, a pie cannon, and moral conviction. With the Japanese whaling fleet now majority owned by the Japanese government, a subject of international diplomatic intrigue, and after last year's confrontations, this could get ugly!
posted by anthill on Jan 14, 2007 - 54 comments

A fair salty lesson in polishing up yer buccaneer's tongue. (via digg.) Two days hence is international Talk Like a Pirate Day. Plug in your pirate keyboard, cut out yer favorite pirate maskie and prepare for a day full of wenches, grog and keelhaulin. Harrr. Previously 1, 2
posted by isopraxis on Sep 17, 2006 - 37 comments

"I would have your wife right in front of you. I would smoke the last of your glaucoma medication. Then I will surely drink your liquor cabinet dry. However, know this my friend. I will never break an oath to uphold the public trust. My affidavit will be signed in my own blood. A Pirates crimson mark, with real binding effects into my after life. Laugh if you will then ask yourself if you could do it." James Hill is running for congress in Iowa's first district. He accepts no money from anybody.
posted by Navelgazer on Aug 25, 2006 - 54 comments

The Golden Age of Piracy [video/audio] in the Atlantic peaked as the War of Spanish Succession ended. Piracy was a natural progression for the privateers [2] and buccaneers who had lost their sanctioned prey, and faced little resistance due to a lack of strong government in the majority of the American Colonies. Meanwhile captured naval seamen and slaves often willingly joined with pirates, or fled brutal treatment for the egalitarianism of piracy. This motley crew of motives were united in pirate democracy, laid down in a pirate code, preparing the way for democracy in the United States. But as the popularity of pirate life and pirate utopias grew strong, they became a pest to be mercilessly crushed by colonial opposition and the British navy.
posted by MetaMonkey on Aug 6, 2006 - 11 comments

The Pirate Party^ has become a significant voice in Swedish politics, partly due to the illegal raids on the Pirate Bay^ and The Bureau of Piracy (Piratbyrån)^ (which spawned both). Other Swedish political parties are now adding copyright reforms to their platforms. The party's leader Rickard Falkvinge^ gave an intelligent compelling interview "today".
Note: Virtually all major content industries today are the result of large scale piracy or flagrant patent infringement, including the American publishing industry, Hollywood, radio, and the music industry. And the anti-piracy side has essentially no historical evidence supporting its position.
posted by jeffburdges on Jun 20, 2006 - 40 comments

At the end of this short film, you'll see a graphic illustration of Christopher Walken. If you can stomach zombie babies bursting forth from women's wombs. A short film by Paul Robertson. An artist who also made the music video for Architecture in Helsinki's Do the Whirlwind. [MPG : Alternate Link : Torrent]
posted by Colloquial Collision on Apr 22, 2006 - 25 comments

The ninja problem at one university has been quelled, thanks to the performance of your federal agents. Turns out, the perp was a costumed college student heading back from a church-related event. Think these guys will help him sue?
posted by SuperNova on Apr 12, 2006 - 39 comments

I'm quitting my job so that I can go and be a pirate... Angel, a graphic designer from Orlando, is putting his life on hold to go to the Bahamas and play an 'Asian pirate' in the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie. At the moment, he's soliciting donations on his web site, but plans to run a blog on the experience of being a extra as soon as filming starts.
posted by jedrek on Jan 13, 2006 - 46 comments

Adventures of an International Male - For almost 30 years a curious clothing catalog has sold ruffled pirate shirts, pink sleeveless suits, and sequined black capes to a seemingly invisible public. What’s it like to go through life in a mesh top?
posted by well_balanced on Oct 9, 2005 - 43 comments

Today is "Talk Like a Pirate" Day. Yarr! Do yer part, landlubbers, by translating yer favorite webpage into pirate-speak. Yarr!
posted by starkeffect on Sep 19, 2005 - 96 comments

Interesting NPR segment on a Shakespeare production at The Globe done in the Original Pronunciation. Apparently, this makes it easier to understand. I don't know. To me, it sounds like a combination of Welsh and something else - and it's not even September 19...
posted by ObscureReferenceMan on Jul 20, 2005 - 30 comments

Anathema, darknets, master rippers, and currys: The Shadow Internet. [via Volokh]
posted by designbot on Jan 3, 2005 - 53 comments

What's a pirate's favorite aspect of computational linguistics? PARRRsing sentences.

Happy Talk Like a Pirate day, me hearties!
posted by louigi on Sep 19, 2004 - 14 comments

Israeli offshore radio. Read up on the unique situation of pirate radio in Israel, following in the footsteps of Radio Caroline. Until only a few years ago, they were still broadcasting from aboard a ship, the King David, but now last offshore radio ship has been broken up, there are only land-based pirates.
posted by Jimbob on Sep 4, 2004 - 2 comments

Arr: Swashbuckler's Cove! What truth be there in pirate legends, me hearties? Ha-Harr! Know ye of pirate lassies? Recall ye the bygone days of offshore pirate radio? Should we be a-thanking the Vikings? Arr!
posted by nthdegx on Sep 19, 2003 - 14 comments

It's talk like a pirate day all the world over, even for kids.
posted by mathowie on Sep 19, 2003 - 71 comments

Avast, ye scurvy dogs! It's the pirate image archive! Here there be dozens of period prints of privateers! Highlights include monk riding, pirates forcing a man to drink to excess, and, of course, a fine selection of actual pirates. Craving more rich pirate booty? Visit The Pirate's Hold, The Pirates Site and, a personal favorite, The Pirates of the Spanish Main. Yar!
posted by Joey Michaels on Jul 8, 2003 - 34 comments