Grok The Vote: Voting Day Line-ups. WWND?

Grok The Vote: Voting Day Line-ups. WWND?

Nov 03

With the very real possibility of standing in lines for a couple of hours tomorrow (November 4th. Tuesday. Check local listings for showtimes), the question is begged; what would nerds do?

1) Reading – skip your comics pile, even the TPBs, as you’ll go through them too quickly. Your best bet is a paperback (fits in a pocket or purse – are they searching backpacks still?) and a couple of nerd friendly mags, like Geek Monthly, Royal Flush, Wired, Rue Morgue, MAKE, etc. Whatever you take, make sure it’s something you know you’ll like to read. Take that book and try the first few pages – pick again if you have trouble getting into it.

2) Mobile gaming – As with reading, the trick here is quantity without taking up space. One system – PSP, DS, what-have-you – one game. If there ever was a better time to finish every single piece of Katamari Damacy or Prof. Layton and the Curious Village, it probably involves time spent in a hospital. Games with a multiplayer component are good too, on the off chance someone else brings a console as well. But don’t choose MP over solid singleplay!

3) MP3 – Imagine trying to entertain yourself in the 2000 elections! All those CDs to juggle! Music is good, but podcasting is better, and Old Time Radio (which these days means almost anything that was made for radio up til the 80s) even better. Scour those torrents for BBC Radio comedies (Ectoplasm, Undone, Stephen Fry’s Complete and Utter History of Classical Music, anything by Terry Pratchett, etc.) or forgotten gold, like Rod Sterling’s Zero Hour radio plays from the 70s.

4) Quote-off – If you’re standing in line with friends, try communicating directly. Classic rules cover guessing the quotes given by the other guy, but a possible variation is re-doing a scene. Points lost/given when lines are missed or otherwise bobbled. And if you’ve really got the nuts for it, why not ham it up and entertain the crowd?

5) iPhone – Nuff said. It’s magical access to the internets, but remember; battery life. So, use sparringly (like, to check returns or contesting/confirming a line in your quote-off game.)

6) Layers.

DO NOT:

1) Snack it up – Save the food for post-voting-tacos, and go easy on the water (think sips when thirsty.) Avoid energy drinks and pop – you’re just begging to need to leave the line to go pee, and depending on the crowd, that may not fly. If you’re lucky, the crowd will be civilized about it, but just in case…

2) Don’t Talk Politics – It’s a bit fuzzy, but in general, anything that might be considered campaigning at polling stations is a no-no of various degrees of naughtiness, depending on where you are. And even if it’s not, who wants to get into a fist fight on voting day?

3) Wear costumes – Or more importantly, DO wear a costume, cuz that’d be AWESOME, but leave your blaster at home, trooper. If you have to ask why, perhaps just don’t dress up.

4) Not vote – Seriously, I make some room for people who can’t vote, because despite early polls and all the help offered by other voters, I’ll allow that circumstances can sometimes be a bitch. But not wanting or can’t be bothered to vote – fine. Hand in your opinion for the next two years (when you’ll get them back on probation for the mid-term elections.)

Alright – go get’em, and good luck tomorrow campers!