Arrgh Mateys!

Can you believe it? It's already International Talk Like a Pirate Day! My, how the time flies...!
Personally, I'm not very good at talking like a pirate -- I prefer to leave that to the professionals. And I'm even worse at living the pirate lifestyle. I'm not really into drinking warm beer, eating gruel (whatever gruel is...), or going months without bathing. Nothing against that stuff, it's just not for me.
But if big-screen movie pirates have taught me anything, it's this: they knew how to party! They threw huge feasts! They had barrels of booze! They enjoyed each other's company like one big happy family! And they had live music, even if it was just fiddles, fifes and concertinas!
That's such a winning combination! Food + friends + spirits + music = fun! Think about it -- if you removed any part of that equation, it wouldn't be the same. You might have a little bit of fun, but it wouldn't be guaranteed. Without music, it'd just be a dinner. Subtract the booze, and it would just be a picnic. Without food, it would be a very short evening. And if not for friends, nobody would show up. But when all the pieces come together in the right amounts, it's pure magic! Every time.
Maybe we landlubbers could learn a thing or two from pirates.