…and this is a 
Parrrrrty!
Category: Local • Pirates
Posted on: September 19, 2007 6:00 AM, by PZ Myers
It's Talk Like a Pirate Day, so let's all heave a hearrrty "Arrr" and down a ration of grog.
Also, more significantly, today is the day of the
Freshman Biology Major Mixer!
In case any of our new biology majors at UMM didn't get the word, but do read the blog, here's the deal: party at my house, 300 College Avenue, 7pm tonight. Here's a map, but you hardly need it — we're right next door to the U.
The biology faculty will be providing the refreshments, we just want you to stop by and meet us all and your fellow budding biologists. It will be fun.
I doubt that I'll be up to growling like a pirate in the evening, but I'll have my Jolly Roger flying, and I'll be sure to have some of my collection of pirate books out on the coffee table if anyone else wants to join in.
But sorry, no grog for you. You're all under 21! Fizzy drinks and chips and cake instead!
Comments
Huh??
A student "mixer" with no beer?
Cerrrazy!
Posted by: Donalbain | September 19, 2007 6:07 AM
Even more signficantly, in the longer term (who would forego a beer or two, or even a soft drink, after all), today is Suffrage Day in New Zealand.
On September 19, 1893, all women in New Zealand were granted the right to vote in parliamentary elections, on the same basis as men. New Zealand was the first self-governing nation in the world where women gained the vote.
Posted by: Deborah | September 19, 2007 6:10 AM
"The biology faculty will be providing the refreshments, we just want you to stop by and meet us all and your fellow budding biologists. It will be fun."
Budding? Wow PZ. Do you get yeast or Hydra as freshmen?
Chris
Posted by: Chris | September 19, 2007 6:12 AM
What's building "65", which is even closer to you than the science block?
Possibly more fun when they're flowering ... ;-)
Posted by: SEF | September 19, 2007 6:18 AM
Possibly more fun when they're flowering
More fun in Canada, where drinking age is a more reasonable 19....
Posted by: Graculus | September 19, 2007 6:58 AM
Now I understand why you don't have faith in our LORD the GOD the creator of all TRAFFIC and PARKING LOTS. You just live too close to school. Why can't you have a 20-minute commute and park in a stupid parking lot way far from your office, like the rest of us?
Posted by: michael | September 19, 2007 7:35 AM
Actually, it sounds like all they will have is "mixer"... ooo and cake!
Posted by: Jewel | September 19, 2007 7:43 AM
Graculus - it's 18 here in Australia!
Posted by: KiwiInOz | September 19, 2007 7:49 AM
Enjoy yer victuals and drink, my beauties, for who can say what comes on the morrow?
Arrrr.
Posted by: Brian | September 19, 2007 7:52 AM
They can always take their firearms with them though, which I believe is legal at 16 in Minnesota.
Posted by: Ian B Gibson | September 19, 2007 8:32 AM
Building 65 is the secret zombie squid lab. Shhhh.
Actually, that's LaFave House. It's a house that was donated to the U and remodeled to be a lovely formal little place for meetings.
Posted by: PZ Myers | September 19, 2007 8:39 AM
Graculus :
The drinking age in SOME part of Canada is 19... In "la belle province", we have a reasonable drinking age of 18 (which, sadly, I have long ago surpassed...). Therefore, if you are old enough to vote, you are old enough to drink!
Cheers!
Posted by: Alex the Canuck | September 19, 2007 8:41 AM
Graculus, in Alberta it's 18 as well. And just to date myself, when they changed it from 21 to 18, I was already 19, so I never got to celebrate a birthday by getting falling over drunk. And now that I'm old, I celebrate by getting a piece of cake from the bakery and falling off my diet. Just wild!
Posted by: rp | September 19, 2007 9:04 AM
It's 16 for beer here in Switzerland :-P
Calamitous :-)
Posted by: Ced | September 19, 2007 9:39 AM
If anyone's looking for a way to celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day, it's an excellent chance to head on over to Distributed Proofreaders and sign up. There are ten books about pirates, piracy and related things currently in the first round, just waiting for some interested person to come proofread them.
Posted by: grendelkhan | September 19, 2007 9:54 AM
Where I was educated that'd be taken as a challenger. Arrr! All right all yar wannaber squidlys, tonight's mission is tae make Dr Myers grrrrowlll likes the eviller miltant barstud he ar!
(Pointy weapons are allowed only until he comes up with the grog.)
Posted by: blf | September 19, 2007 10:04 AM
I'm getting rather fed up with being told that I'm 'barely old enough' to buy alcohol when I'm in the states. I'm 27 with a fair amount of gray hair, but even after they see my ID, I'm barely old enough to buy wine!?
Posted by: K. Engels | September 19, 2007 10:50 AM
They're old enough to procreate! Let them DRINK!
Posted by: zer0 | September 19, 2007 11:22 AM
So that's where the octopus throne-room is. :-D
Posted by: SEF | September 19, 2007 11:49 AM
Oh how ideal, Monday my ragweed allergy kicked in and today my voice is so rapsy that I sound like a pirate without trying.
Posted by: wildcardjack | September 19, 2007 12:09 PM
Re #2, does this mean it should be International vote Like a Pirate Day?
Lowarr taxes on booty, me hearties! Univarrsal Healthcarr!
Posted by: Warren Terra | September 19, 2007 1:33 PM
My daily bicycle commute to work takes me through the East Bank campus of the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities; this morning I saw students setting up outdoors for what I presume was the fall activity fair--the event at which student organizations set up information booths (tables) and try to attract newcomers from the students who visit the fair.
Anyway, the point: as I biked by, I saw the Campus Atheists and Secular Humanists (CASH) table; the student running it was dressed in full pirate regalia! I yelled "All right CASH!" as I went by, but I'm not sure if the pirate heard me.
Posted by: Rieux | September 19, 2007 2:12 PM
Lowarr taxes on booty, me hearties!
If you're paying taxes on your booty, you are doing it wrong...
Posted by: K. Engels | September 19, 2007 3:02 PM
Arrr! But their ship's rigging be a-disappearin' into the deep. Be there a rival pirate crew a-boardin' her?
Posted by: SEF | September 19, 2007 3:23 PM
I would like a muffin!
Posted by: Bill | September 19, 2007 3:35 PM
Congratulations Pirates, Freshman, and female Kiwis! ^^
For your listening pleasure today, I highly, highly, highly recommend Captain Bogg & Salty, the Pirate Rock Band. There are some nice things to listen to for free on their site, and they're available on iTunes. I can't get enough of them! *dances the Pegleg Tango*
On this day every year thousands of people come down with Scurrrrvy. Keep yourself and your loved ones safe! Eat a lime!
Posted by: ssjessiechan | September 19, 2007 6:43 PM