My lunchtime reading today has concerned metallic glasses. They're interesting stuff. Innnnteresting.

This is nothing to do with any action-RPGs that include 'silver glasses' among the silverware you can steal and sell. (I theorise that the 'silver' in such games is a completely different metal or alloy from our shiny, soft, tarnish-happy Ag. Or they wouldn't be making battle axes from it. The handles would bend.)

Yo ho! It's that day of the yaarrr again when I be breakin' out the Tom Smith. (mp3|lyrics)

(All ye litarrrate dogs who be readin' them Harrry Pottarrr books... avast!)

I be glad I be wearin' patches ovarrr both eyes sometimes, 'cauz if I'd been seein' Tom-lad's custom shanties much earrrlier this yearrr, I'd be lightarrr to the tune of more pieces of eight than a dyscalculic pirate can be countin'¹. It warms the barrrnacles of an old sea-dog's hearrrt.²

A small thing arrrived in the post for Diibarrr, so I can finally be sendin' off her trayshur parcel. Silence, ye lubbers! A pirate larrrfs at yer lily-livered organisationin'! The sea is a fickle, unpunctual mistress! Or... arr, somethin'.

Oh, I almost forgot. *brandishes cutlass* I hope ye have a boat waitin' for a quick escape!

¹ I'm not dyscalculic, but my theoretical pirate captain self is. Where there's doubt, monetary transactions tend to end up erring in Shaky-Hand Herman's favour. Tremor in a trigger finger — words gets around.
² As an aside, the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise wins for giving that mental image flesh. Or CGI, anyway.

edit: YouTube has the best instructional videos.