Avast, ye scurvy dogs!

I've come to a conclusion. The reason the world isn't doing anything about the rampant piracy off the coast of Somalia is because pirates are awesome, as this New York Times article clearly agrees.

Every time a seized ship tosses its anchor, it means a pirate shopping spree. Sheep, goats, water, fuel, rice, spaghetti, milk and cigarettes — the pirates buy all of this, in large quantities, from small towns up and down the Somali coast. Somalia’s seafaring thieves are not like the Barbary pirates, who terrorized European coastal towns hundreds of years ago and often turned their hostages into galley slaves chained to the oars. Somali pirates are known as relatively decent hosts, usually not beating their hostages and keeping them well-fed until payday comes.

“They are normal people,” said Mr. Said. “Just very, very rich.”

I can't get enough stories about Somali pirates. (Aside: What idiot sends a freighter full of fucking TANKS through Somali waters without arming the crew?)

Don't ever change, Somalia. I mean, except for all the starving people. That's not cool -- you should change that.