Talk Like a Pirate Day: 5 Pirate Myths that are Actually True

Avast! my mateys today is that grand ole day of the year when all the land lubbers of the world stop to pay homage to the spectacular vocabulary skills of those scurvy band of corsairs we've come to know as Pirates. Talk Like A Pirate Day started off 22 years ago when syndicated humor columnist Dave Barry promoted the idea created by two wise-cracking buddies John Baur and Mark Summers. It's now become a globally recognized day of fun that takes place every September 19th where people across the world debate the usage og Arrr! versus Arrgh! What's the main message of this special day...life is short take a break and have some fun being silly from time to time.

In honor of Talk Like A Pirate Day, I'm going to share 5 Pirate Myths that are Actually True courtesy of our friends at the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY:


 #1  Pirates Flew the "Jolly Rogers" over their ships;

#2  Pirate ships were rowdy, boisterous vessels full of drunken rogues;

#3  Pirates had hooks and peg-legs;

#4  Pirates would maroon crew members on deserted islands;

#5 There was such a thing as a "Pirate's Code"

Take a moment to watch the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC video posted above, it is pretty good with lots of interesting information.  For example many ships' crews primarily drank rum because as they were traveling across salt water oceans and seas where they couldn't guarantee their supply of safe fresh water to drink so the drunken sailer image may not be too far off.  So yo ho ho is the Pirate Life for you?

 For myself next to trying to remember the proper usage of then verus than the next biggest the next biggest vocabulary challenge is the properly using Arrr versus Arrgh.  Fortunately the good crew over at TalkLikeAPirate.com have an answer for that within their official pirate language dictionary.  Arrgh is the sound you make when you get a poke in the eye or a kick in the butt.  Arrr means YES, I AGREE, I APPROVE , or SEND ANOTHER BEER MY WAY PLEASE.

So lift your grog you bilge rats on this occasion and give toast to those who made this day be.  Cheers to John, Mark and Davey!  Thank you for making sure we all know the proper use of Arrr versus Arrgh and creating a day that always provides smiles and amusement to us land lubbers one and all. 

 A Geek Daddy Blog is participating in the National Geographic Kids Insider brand ambassador program for the 2015-2016 school year. During this time, the “Insiders” will get a behind-the-scenes look at National Geographic’s resources, activities, content and projects for kids and families. National Geographic Kids Insiders review books, magazines television shows and toys, and will be offered interviews with authors, explorers and editors. 

World Lion Day - Cause an Uproar

Detroit has an affinity for big cats.  They're tied to the heart and soul of Motown as the mascots of two of the city's long time premiere sports franchises The Detroit Lions & Tigers.  The wild characteristics of these big cats portray the ferocity in which our sports teams strive to compete.  Will the meaning of these mascots remain the same for my kids and future generations though if these great animals no longer live in the wild or even worse become extinct?  Big cats in the wild are disappearing at an alarming rate! On World Lion Day ( August 10 ) please join my friends at National Geographic in creating an uproar about the plight of the planet's big cats in the wild.



Send a virtual high five to your friends and connections through social media on August 10th with the hashtag #5forBigCats with a message encouraging them to donate $5 to support National Geographic's Big Cat Initiative.  Donations can be made online via visiting donate.ngs.org/5forbigcats or by texting FIVE to 50555 to donate $5. Texting T&C: mgv.cc/t

The National Geographic Big Cats Initiative provides on-the-ground support to projects that preserve big cat populations worldwide.  Examples include building livestock enclosures to save snow leopards in Nepal and combating lion snaring and poaching in Zambia.  Build a Boma has been one of the Big Cats Initiative's most successful efforts at saving the lives of  Lions and other big cats in the wild.  Building and maintaining livestock enclosures called "bomas" in Kenya and Tanzania keeps the lions from preying on those animals which then protects the big cats from retaliatory killings by humans.  A boma costs $500 to build and $25 a year to maintain.  It's a proven way to decrease the killings of lions and your donation to National Geographic Big Cats Initiative can make sure these structures are being effectively built and utilized.  Examples like this show how even a small donation can help towards making a big difference.

Another way to contribute to the cause is to purchase the National Geographic Kids MISSION: LION RESCUE book which teaches children about these magnificent animals and its proceeds are used to support The National Geographic Big Cats Initiative. This softcover book is 128 pages and features 250 incredible color photographs of the kings and queens of beasts.   MISSION: LION RESCUE is meant to inspire young animal lovers to get up close to roaring lions and the real-life challenges they face. With fun and amazing adventure stories, gorgeous photography, hands-on activities, fascinating information, and more, this book taps into kids' interest in animals and hopefully will stir a passion for saving them. Meet real-life lions and learn about their habitats, challenges, and successes, plus learn how kids can take action and help save these amazing endangered creatures.

Please make a contribution on this World Lions Day to help restore their roar in the wild whether it is financially or by helping spread the word about #5forBigCats.  Hit Twitter, Facebook, Instagram in support of National Geographic's Big Cat Initiative! Let's go save the Lions!

#NGKinsider

National Geographic Kids Summer Boredom Busters

** As part of the National Geographic Kids Insiders, A Geek Daddy blog was provided a complimentary Kids Summer Boredom Buster Book Kit plus one to giveaway**

Do the words "I'm bored" grate on your nerves like finger nails being scratched down a chalkboard when your children start whining on a rainy summer day or when it may be to hot to go out and play? Or even worse hearing the pestering of "are we there yet" during the drive for a summer vacation road trip.  Our friends at National Geographic Kids have a solution to these annoyances with their Summer Boredom Buster Kit.

National Geographic Kids provided A Geek Daddy with a FREE downloadable Summer Fun Pack filled with animal stories, fun facts, crazy quizzes. recipes, jokes, puzzles and games to share with our readers.  Please download and print out the following Summer Fun Pack activity sheets courtesy of National Geographic Kids:


That's not it though! We've also been provided with some Summer Boredom Buster Book Kits featuring 5 great National Geographic Kids selections for both my children to enjoy and to giveaway to one lucky A Geek Daddy blog reader.  For a chance to win you  must be a U.S. or Canadian resident over 18 years old and submit one or all of the following entry methods to earn up to 4 entries prior to 11:59 pm EST on Sunday August 16, 2015.  All valid entries will be assigned a number in the order they are received and one number will be  selected to determine the winner using random.org.  E-mails will only be used to contact the winner and deleted following the selection of a winner.

**UPDATE** Congrats to Jake from Toledo who won the National GEO Boredom Busters Prize Pack

EMAIL (1 Entry)  E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing address.   Email subject line should be National GEO Boredom Busters. 

FACEBOOK COMMENT (3 Entries) Visit A GEEK DADDY on Facebook and leave a comment on our contest post sharing what your favorite family summer road trip is.

These 5 National Geographic Kids books are really great for summer because they are jam-packed with interesting activities, jokes, and trivia that will keep a child's attention occupied yet are relatively small in size making them easy to pack for a trip or store around the house.  They also meet A Geek Daddy's philosophy of combining entertaining and educational elements together to help kids learn.  "Learning" and "Fun" shouldn't be considered polar opposites by children so books and products that can combine the too in a meaningful way like these National Geographic Kids books get A Geek Daddy nod of approval.  Here are the five books included in the National Geographic Summer Boredom Buster Book Kit:

FUNNY FILL-IN: MY AMUSEMENT PARK ADVENTURE

Combining National Geographic Kids’ photography and illustrations in colorful laugh-out-loud pages, this engaging, entertaining, and educational book takes you on a fun-filled adventure through the amusement park and invites you to imaginatively enter a new world by writing your own wild and wacky story.

FUNNY FILL-IN: MY RAINFOREST ADVENTURE

Sort fact from fiction in this fun and informative adventure. Filled with excitement and hilarity, this compositional challenge lets you tell your very own story starring…YOU!

QUIZ WHIZ 5

Discover 1,000 more fun, fascinating, and funny quiz questions in the fifth installment in this popular series, with all-new content. Packed with fantastic photos and a dynamic design, kids will have a blast quizzing themselves, friends, and family members on tons of fun trivia!

JUST JOKING ANIMAL RIDDLES

Authored former U.S. Children's Poet Laureate, J. Patrick Lewis, this collection of animal-focused jokes and riddles will keep kids reading, rhyming, and laughing like a hyena.

SHARK STICKER ACTIVITY BOOK

This super engaging activity book is packed with mazes, spelling and pattern games, drawing activities, shark facts, and more. Shark-crazy kids are sure to love these pages loaded with fun, learning as the go!

We're taking a summer road trip to Toronto which will be a 5 hour drive each way and these National Geographic Kids books will definitely be along for the ride to help keep our kids amused while the miles go by.

DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest, but National Geographic is responsible for fulfillment and delivery of the prize.  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion.  If you win this prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Prize will be delivered by UPS or FedEx so no P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses. A Geek Daddy Blog did not receive any financial compensation but did receive free products for the blog to review and the prize that is being awarded to one of our readers for this contest.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers. Any opinions in this post are my own.  #NGKINSIDER