So I hear your bored….

 No game boy? Damn,   Sometimes no matter how hard you try.  No matter how much you enjoy the company,  at one point or another, the road trip will be boring.  Over the years of road trips I devised some games to make the time less continuous and the travelers more at ease.   Some of these actually have yet to be done, but in my head I imagine that I would have the greatest time ever doing these, so much in fact that it would be unhealthy and I would take road trips just to do them.  The games are divided in to basically two categories with smaller more pointless sub categories of which I have ignored and just placed them into the two categories because I’m not that anal of a person and I’m too lazy.  Group activities, things you can do with another person, and Single, your somehow stuck on a trip by yourself either moving or someone backed out and your meeting someone or your stalking your ex two time zones away.

Group Activities:

Materials needed: Radio with scan button.

 How to play:

 The passenger seat person is the DJ.  Make sure hands are clean. Turn up the radio to audible levels of all listeners in the car.  When every one is ready press the scan button so the radio scans to the next radio station. When the radio stops at the next station.  The first person to name the Artist gets 2 points.  First one to get the album 1 point. The next one to get the song title also gets one point.  After points are obtained for that song or no one has any idea after 5-10 seconds press scan again and repeat.  First one to 30 wins.

 Rules:

Correctly guess the artist 2 points.

Correctly guess the song 1 point

Correctly guess the albulm 1 point.

If you guess wrong on any of the three things, you are penalized the equivilent value minus 2 points for the artist, -1 for the song and –1 for the  albulm.  If you accidently spout out the wrong thing and correct yourself before another opponent.  You are even.  If you get the artist right but get the song wrong you are up 1 point (2 + (-1)= 1)

Not sure how the scoring turned out that way.  Normally one would think that the artist is the easiest to get so that should be only one point.  But it makes the game faster to score points with, and although the objective of the game is to take time up.  It leads you to the next game fast for more trashtalking.

If song is heard again after full rotation on the same radio station, points do not count.

Example: If  Nelson’s “I can’t without your love” is played  on 97.6 FM and someone gets the points.  Then a few minutes later after the radio has done a full rotation and back at 97.6 and still playing the same song then you can’t get anymore points.  But if Nelson’s “I can’t live without your love” is on 97.6 FM and .

also on 105.7 then points can be obtained for both songs, but I would be more concerned about your safety cause that would be a sign that the world is going is coming to an end in a fire hell of locusts, fire, floods, and shimmering blonde hair.

Also, Phil Collins  cannot be used for genisis, as for Robert Plant and Led Zepplin. They are separate entities.  If it is indeed a Phil Collins song but you said genisis you are not penalized and vice versa.

You don’t have to answer all three.  If you just know the name of the song, that’s it.  You get one point.

Also, to make it fair, both parties or all parties should have some kind of extremely song musical knowledge in one category or another, sans techno. Unless your on the east coast on the weekend. Because if that’s your strong point your going to get your ass kicked in the other radio stations. And also it keeps people honest about bullshitting who the artist song, and album are.

 The honor code is important.  Don’t lie about the albulm or song if the other person has no idea who it is.

 Even if musical tastes differ there is a great chance of winning.  Matthew was raised on Christian and Classic Rock.  Which is great for bigger cities in the south.  I’m not much on Foghat and Golden earring.  I kill him in country pop and rap.  Yes I know my rap.  I’m b-boy style yo.

.You are allowed to sing the song till you get your answer.

 The honor code: Don’t say it’s someone else even if your opponent will believe you.

 Helpful hints and Strategies:  

The jam:  This terms comes from football.  Offensive lineman “Jam” the opponents from getting through to the quarterback and the running back.  This works in the same way.  Many times one or both listeners will know the information but they can’t yet say it.  It’s at the tip of their tongue.  So what you do is to cause interference to they’re thinking.  Basically you just yell at them.  Sing a completely different song, any type of noise to distract them from singing the song or thinking.  Matthew and I prefer the special moves of Zagat, Ryu and Ken from the classic video game of Street Fighter two.  “Ryuken!”  “Dugone Fire” are what those characters yell when they do their moves.  Imitating the moves with your body is also highly encouraged.

 If you know everything say the artist name first.  It’s worth more, and many times shorter than the song title or the albulm.  If you get off the song first while the opponent shouts the artist, he just beat you by a point.  This is crucial values when the score is in the 20’s.

 Again.  Know your country.  Especially in the Midwest and in the country.  They outnumber the other stations two to one it seams.  Learn Tim Mcgraw, Faith Hill and Shania twain.  They will be on the country stations 8 times in a row.

 Know your boy bands.  Mixing up, n-sync, Backstreet boys, o-town and 98 degrees is very easy to do when the pressure is on.

 Credence Clearwater revival, will be on at least once every 10 minutes when driving in the south.

 Know Radar Love is by Golden Earing.

 If it’s a classical station, watch out.  Those damn long guitar laced solos of the 70’s can get you, they’re can all be interchangable.  Bread. Golden earing, boston and styx. apply in this group.  Take your time.  Don’t guess unless your opponent knows the 70’s like it was yesterday.  And if that’s the case don’t’ worry you’ll kill him in the pop stations.

 Chritsian stations-can sometimes get you.  Usually located at the bottom of the frequency dial. I largely ignore these.  Matt grew up on this stuff.  Sundays can hurt you, with the gospels and psalms.  I’ve only beaten him once with amy grant and micheal w. smith.

 Terms and Uses and trashtalking. 

 Lingo: “Sweep” getting the artist, album, and song title(sweeps can sometimes be worth 5 points if the parties are agreed.

 Example of trash talking that goes with lingo after obtaining a sweep, “Where’s my broom?” “Damn it’s dirty in here.”  I best sweep this place!” ”Call me Broom Hilda” “I know I’m not a janitor, but damn I sure know how clean your shit up” Saying them with a jive-voice like the blacksploytation movies of the 70’s add serious comedic effect. 

 Lingo: “smuckers’  to jam a person.

 “where’s the phone?”

  evolved form of “ calling bullshit” more comedic  action of requesting to call an inanimate term.  Used to be “Where’s the phone, I’m calling bullshit!”  Used when  there is an argument or disagreement on the point distibution.  Many times about the opponents insistance that they said it before you.

Saying “hello?” while pretending to talk on the phone can be substituted for the same effect

“Finish him!’

This is a taunting quote from mortal kombat.  When you know your opponents on their hell’s you have the opportunity to humiate him or her.  If the led is huge and the song that plays is one that you immediately know is going to lose and has has no idea what the song is and you do. Yell it.  Look at you opponent and slowly say the winning point.  Be careful, a fist might come at you.

“get off of me!” with a hard pause between each word in a cadence-like fashion.

normally used after an unsuccessful jam.

  This game is a particular favorite of mine, because this game can take 1-4 hours to play, and because I absolutely destroy anyone who plays this game with me.  Actually it’s just matt and I who play because no one with play with me after one or two games.  This game is for those who feel they almost have a complete mastery of music.  No one else plays with me except for matt cause usually the score is 30-5.  I need more competition. I think over the years I am leading matthew 325-15.

Pros:  Kills time and fun if friend enjoys music also.

Cons: sucks if your friends not competitive.

 Draw.

 I always try to bring a  huge sketch pad and pencil with me where ever I go.  Many times I keep it to jot down ideas that I may have.  Other times I do it to keep from getting bored.  Do not draw if your driving.  That isn’t recommended. 

 Examples of stuff I do repeatedly ever road trip and still think it’s funny.

I’ll turn sideways and look that the driver.  Acting like I’m doing a potrait. And look extremely focused and concentrated for ten long minutes. I’m in complete silence perfecting my art.  When I am done, I give out a huge sigh off relief.

“Whew!”

Of course the driver will want to take a glance at it.  I then turn the sketch to him.

 It’s a picture of a large butt.

 And I laugh.  No matter how many times I do it, it will still be funny. It will never get old.

 The pen and pad is also usefull in terms of communicating if you are traveling with friends. In other cars.  Before the populatiry of cell phones this was a great way to communicate.  This can also be used if you don’t’ want to use precious daytime minutes. 

This is hungry.        This is “I need to Pee”            This is self-explanatory

Now you can actually write these out but, in my opinion, they are not as fun.

The Sleeping driver.  **** rating. 

More games later..