www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xe_xA2FYM0

The time is rapidly approaching when I will need to pack up my cube at Intel and head off into the wild for two whole months – yes, it is finally time for my sabbatical.

What is sabbatical you ask? Well, if you are a US Intel employee, for every seven years you work, you get 8 weeks paid time off in the form of a sabbatical. I can do anything I like with my sabbatical, except that I can’t split it up. It’s a fantastic idea – probably the best perk that Intel offers, and I plan to take full advantage of it. The idea is to get anyway from work, recharge and reinvigorate yourself so that you can focus on the things that really matter. Donna and I have decided to not just get away from work, but to get away completely – we are planning on spending almost all of the two months on the road travelling around the USA.

But we need your help – turns out, the USA is a big place, so we really need to be a little more specific about where we are going. So please help us plan our trip by submitting suggestions at our Sabbatical 2010 wiki.

Today be the official Talk Like A Pirate Day matey, so you’d better hoist the jolly roger and batten down the hatches or the’ll be a mutiny fer sure.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCdNRPmCv9s

Dedicated ta Cap’n Slappy an’ Ol’ Chumbucket,
fer creatin’ National Talk Like A Pirate Day (September 19th)

Most days are like all of the others,
Go to work, come back home, watch TV,
But, brother, if I had me druthers,
I’d chuck it and head out to sea,

For I dream of the skull and the crossbones,
I dream of the great day to come,
When I dump the mundane for the Old Spanish Main
And trade my computer for rum! ARRR!

T’ me,
Yo, Ho, Yo, Ho,
It’s “Talk Like A Pirate” Day!
When laptops are benches God gave us for wenches,
And a sail ain’t a low price to pay!
When timbers are shivered and lillies are livered
And every last buckle is swashed,
We’ll abandon our cars for a shipfull of ARRRs
And pound back the grog till we’re sloshed. Yo ho ….

-- Anyone see my keys?
-- Just off the coast o’ Florida, matey! ARRR!

Don’t pick up yer phone and say “Hello,
Your ten-o-clock meeting’s delayed”,
Ye scrunch up yer face and ye bellow,
“AVAST! Ye’ve been bleedin’ BELAYED!”

Ye can’t keep this fun to yourself, I bet,
So sing “Aye”, “ARRR”, and “Ayy”, every man!
We ain’t got much grasp of the alphabet,
But a damn good retirement plan! (raucous laughter)

T’ me,
Yo, Ho, Yo, Ho,
It’s “Talk Like A Pirate” Day!
Whatever’s in fashion is in for a thrashin’
And bein’ polite is passe!
When it’s ev’ry man’s duty to grab his proud beauty
And let out a hearty YO HO!
And if this offends you, hold your breath as we sends
you
Ta Davy Jones’ Locker ya go!

-- Where IS Davy Jones’ Locker, anyway?
-- Right near Monkee Island! Arr, aye, arr….

We’ll tell every banker “Heave to and weigh anchor!”
Buy latte with pieces of eight
We’ll fight to be chosen as cap’n or bosun
The loser, o’ course, is worst mate!

When we hoist Jolly Roger the landlubbers dodge ‘er,
We fill ‘em with loathing and fear,
We’ll plunder and pillage each city and village,
Or at least clean out Wal-Mart of beer!

-- Ahoy, mateys! And Welcome ta “Iron Chef Pirate!”
Let’s see the secret ingredient!
- Oh ho! There'll be some cutting-edge cuisine!

- "AWK! AWK!" - Hold still, Polly! I need this for me salad!
- Avast there, me bucko! Ye need CARROT shavings! CARROT!
- But Captain, I be on Atkins!
- Moron...

- And you! WHAT are ye doin' with that salmon?
- I'm grillin' it on a hunk o' cedar, what d'y'think?
- Ye CAN'T do that in a JAPANESE STIR-FRY, ye bilge rat!
- Oh HO! Ye never heard o' "wokkin' the plank"?

There ain't no computin' or morning commutin',
No "Parking Lot Full" signs for me,
No lawns ta be mowin' or bills to be owin',
I'm knowin' the pull of the sea.

The fresh salty brace of the wind on my face
Through hurricane, sunshine or squalls,
I'm keepin' my eyes on the distant horizon,
Verizon can hold all my calls!

To wear a red coat full o' buckles,
To earn a few duelling scars,
Well, at least we can get a few chuckles
By filling the office with ARRRs!

And maybe we'll never get closer,
Than watchin' 'em on the big screen,
So here's to old Errol and Depp as Jack Sparrow,
And every damn one in between!

T' me,
Yo, Ho, Yo, Ho,
It's "Talk Like A Pirate" Day!
That time in September when sea dogs remember
That grown-ups still know how ta play!
When wenches are curvy and dogs are all scurvy
And a soft-wear patch covers your eye,
Ta hell with our jobs, for one day we're all swabs
And buccaneers all till we die!

So hoist up the mainsails and shut down your brain cells,
They only would get in the way,
Avast there, me hearty, we're havin' a party,
It's "Talk Like A Pirate" Day!

Yo Ho!

Words and Music Copyright 2003-2006 by Tom Smith

Congratulation to Barbara & Brian for a fantastic Luau yesterday – you guys really excelled. The food was amazing, the decorations and Tiki bar really created a beautiful ambiance and the company was excellent .

Thanks to Maria White for the great photos

There was an odd sense of timing to this mornings Health Care Reform Rally as we met in down town Portland to campaign for Healthcare at the same time that Teddy Kennedy’s funeral was travelling to the Senate. Not surprisingly for a democratic rally in Portland, there was almost universal support for sweeping reform, with demands for the single payer option featuring prominently on many of the placards.

In many ways, it would be the most fitting tribute to a man who stated that “health care is a right for all Americans, and not a privilege” to have the reform bill named after him. But any successful bill will depend on whether the politicans in Washington can get together to create the kind of bipartisan, pragmatic solution for which Kennedy was best known. Hopefully, when Washington returns from the summer recess, they can find the courage and determination to achieve his vision.

Thanks to Thalia for inviting us to a great birthday party yesterday – the face painting and belly dancing were amazing. It was great to see everyone after such a long time.

If you care about health care, then please try to attend the rally at 10AM on Saturyday morning at Terry Schrunk Plaza, SW 3rd Avenue & SW Madison Street Portland, OR 97204.

We need a big turnout to send a message to both parties that inaction is not an option, they must fix the healthcare system now! Personally, I’m sick and tired of the FUD around health care reform – the demonization of the public health care option makes no sense when you consider that America’s existing public options for veterans, native Americans and the elderly are hugely popular.

President Obama has been quite clear:

1. The status quo is unsustainable as costs are increasing three times as fast as wages. If you have insurance now you and/or your employer may not be able to afford it in the future if there is no change. The health safety and security of Americans is at risk if we do not change the system.
2. The public option is very much desired by the President as a VOLUNTARY OPTION for those who choose it. No employer can push employees into the public option against their will.
3. If you like your present M.D. you will be able to keep your present M.D.
4. Similarly you can keep your present insurer if you prefer to do so.
5. Health insurance would be reformed to guarantee the following:
   • No pre-existing conditions could prevent someone from getting insurance
   • No lifetime or yearly caps on expenditures would be permitted
   • If you become very sick and expensive for your insurer, you would still be guaranteed a continuation of the policy
6. For Medicare, the donut hole on Rx coverage would be closed.

With all that our current system is costing the country, how can we afford not to act?

And So This Is Christmas;
And What Have We Done?
Another Year Over;
A New One Just Begun;
And So Happy Christmas;
I Hope You Have Fun;
The Near And The Dear Ones;
The Old And The Young.

John Lennon, Happy Christmas (War is Over)

Merry Christmas everybody