Aarrrrr-abica!

Just in time for Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19), I have ordered a couple pounds of Captain Phillips Pirate Brew from Dean's Beans. These are beans that were literally rescued from pirates during the Maersk Alabama incident in April 2009. When Dean realized that coffee he was importing from landlocked Ethiopia had been on that ship, he created a special brew and sent it to the captain, crew, and Navy SEALs involved.

Of course, real piracy is no joke. It is a global problem that is both a cause for concern and a reflection of even deeper problems in failed states such as Somalia, where piracy has become a way of life for many who see easy money in contrast to few other options.

Avast! I look forward to the brew regardless, for this troubled corner of the world is the home of Kaldi and all that he and his goats unleashed 15 centuries ago. And because Dean has brought the coffee, I know that the land and the farmers have been treated well.