Unofficially started in 1995 during racquetball game by John Baur and Mark Summers and "launched" with more fanfare in 2002 by Dave Barry, Talk Like a Pirate Day occurs every September 19. How do you celebrate? By talking like a pirate, of course. Oh, and I have a few other ways to make today extra special:

1. Change your Facebook language to English (Pirate).

2. Enjoy a virtual Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World.

3. Make a Pirate Eye Patch.

4. Make a Captain Pirate Costume.

5. Enjoy a Pirate-Themed Meal.

And yet another sad loss today. Mary Travers, one third of the prolific folk group Peter, Paul and Mary, passed away today from complications related to cancer treatments. She had been fighting leukemia for some time now. In addition to her music career, or perhaps through it, Mary was a strong activist for human rights and equality.

While Peter, Paul and Mary are best known for the childhood favorite, "Puff the Magic Dragon," I've found videos on YouTube of some of my favorite songs that highlight Mary Travers:

• Blowin in the Wind
• Leavin on a Jet Plane
• Where Have All the Flowers Gone?
• Would You Like to Learn to Dance?

My favorite song that Mary Travers sang lead on was "I'd Rather Be in Love," but I couldn't find a video of it.

Please feel free to share your favorite Peter, Paul and Mary songs or memories.

On September 14, we lost Patrick Swayze, another talented actor who died too young. Swayze had been battling pancreatic cancer for nearly two years. Best known for his roles in Ghost, Dirty Dancing and Point Break, Swazye appeared in more than 30 films, as well as a number of TV shows and theatrical performances. He was a dancer, pilot, choreographer and versatile actor.

Unfortunately, most of Patrick Swayze's films are not appropriate for young audiences. I invite parents to put the kids to bed, grab some popcorn and enjoy a Patrick Swayze movie marathon courtesy of YouTube. Each of the following movies is presented in roughly 10-minute segments on the site.

• The Outsiders
• Red Dawn
• Young Blood
• City of Joy
• To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar
• Donnie Darko
• Waking Up in Reno
• Keeping Mum

The United States is in the midst of a raging debate about the proposed Health Care Bill. The reality is, however, that very few of us have read the actual content of the document in question. Diane Havens and Kathleen Keesling, both voice actors, set out to change that by tackling an ambitious project. In order to make the bill more accessible, they decided to read the entire document and save it for sharing online. The result? Nearly 24 hours of legalese read by a volunteer team of voice actors. The content is broken down into accessible chunks, so you can listen in the car or in the gym.�

When you're ready to dive in, you can visit HeartheBill.org.

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