Pieces of Eight!

From the New York Times — http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/20/world/europe/in-berlin-pirates-win-8-9-percent-of-vote-in-regional-races.html

Memo From Berlin

Pirates’ Strong Showing in Berlin Elections Surprises Even Them

Hannibal Hanschke/European Pressphoto Agency

Members of the Pirate Party at the state parliament in Berlin on Monday. The party won 8.9 percent in elections in the city-state.

By NICHOLAS KULISH

BERLIN — With laptops open like shields against the encroaching cameramen, the young men resembled Peter Pan’s Lost Boys more than Captain Hook’s buccaneers when they were introduced Monday as Berlin’s newest legislators: They are the members of the Pirate Party.

Asked if they were just some chaotic troop of troublemakers, Christopher Lauer, newly voted in as a state lawmaker for the district of Pankow, replied with no lack of confidence, “You ought to wait for the first session in the house of representatives.”