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http://forums.koalawallop.com/viewtopic.php?t=1719

Guys, it's time for

Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day

You must spend the entire day in costume and character. The only rule is that you cannot actually tell anyone that you are a time traveler. Other than that, anything's game.

There are three possible options:

1) Utopian/cliché Future - "If the Future did a documentary of the last fifty years, this is how badly the reenactors would dress." Think Star Trek: TNG or the Time Travelers from Hob. Ever see how the society in Futurama sees the 20th century? Run with it. Your job is to dress with moderately anachronistic clothing and speak in slang from varying decades. Here are some good starters:

- Greet people by referring to things that don't yet exist or haven't existed for a long time. Example: "Have you penetrated the atmosphere lately?" "What spectrum will today's broadcast be in?" and "Your king must be a kindly soul!"

- Show extreme ignorance in operating regular technology. Pay phones should be a complete mystery (try placing the receiver in odd places). Chuckle knowingly at cell phones.

2) Dystopian Future - This one offers a little more flexibility. It can be any kind of future from Terminator to Freejack. The important thing to remember is dress like a crazy person with armor. Black spray painted football pads, high tech visors, torn up trenchcoats and maybe even some dirt here or there. Remember, dystopian future travelers are very startled that they've gone back in time. Some starters:

- If you go the "prisoner who's escaped the future" try shaving your head and putting a barcode on the back of your neck. Then stagger around and stare at the sky, as if you've never seen it before.

- Walk up to random people and say "WHAT YEAR IS THIS?" and when they tell you, get quiet and then say "Then there's still time!" and run off.

- Stand in front of a statue (any statue, really), fall to your knees, and yell "NOOOOOOOOO"

- Stare at newspaper headlines and look astonished.

- Take some trinket with you (it can be anything really), hand it to some stranger, along with a phone number and say "In thirty years dial this number. You'll know what to do after that." Then slip away.

2) The Past - This one is more for beginners. Basically dress in period clothing (preferably Victorian era) and stagger around amazed at everything. Since the culture's set in place already, you have more of a template to work off of. Some pointers:

- Airplanes are terrifying. Also, carry on conversations with televisions for a while.

- Discover and become obsessed with one trivial aspect of technology, like automatic grocery doors. Stay there for hours playing with it.

- Be generally terrified of people who are dressed immodestly compared to your era. Tattoos and shorts on women are especially scary.



And that's it. Remember, the only real rule is staying in character and try to fit in. Never directly admit you're a time traveler, and make really, really bad attempts at keeping a low profile. Naturally, the dystopian future has a little more leeway. And for the record, I've already tried out all of these in real life, in costume. It is so much fun you want to pee yourself.

I just got back from this and it wasn't that fun.

Shouldn't it be International get my a$$ kicked day?

Should there be a warning about this if you work in a hospital?  I think I'd get tossed right into the psych ward.

Sweet! Teachers would all travel to mid-June for summer layoff, I mean summer vacation.

Neat, more Dresden Codak fans .

Now wait a minute, couldn't EVERY day be pretend you're a time traveller day?

Dear Mom,
I visited dad's grave today, and as I stared at the white pickets sticking out like teeth from the yellowed grass, I wondered how he would think of me? I mean, he flew the interceptor that shot down the last plane that was going to bomb Washington D.C., and his best friend dropped the citybuster on St. Petersburg. And what have I done? My team blew up the Boeing factory in Everett so the company could get a bail-out from the government, and my best friend is serving two hundred consecutive life sentences for calling in a fire mission on an apartment building in Seoul.  He pledged his life to defend a flag.  It may be a hollow ideal, but at least it's better than my ideal.  My flag is a bank account, my pledge is my "X" on a contract, written in my own blood.  I've done things, mom.  Terrible things.  And I'm still doing them. I'm just sorry I wasn't there at the end for him.

The Company is 'volunteering' me for some secret mission, and the pay is enough to quit for good. Maybe get you and uncle Steve a spot in the Bakersfield Arcology.  Keep your fingers crossed.  And if you see me around, act like you don't know me.  I'm being watched.

All my love,

Lester

I'll probably just run around with my shotgun and a trenchcoat asking random women if they are Sarah Conner. It's a great plan, right?

Posted By ShumaGorath on 10/07/2007 9:24 AM
I just got back from this and it wasn't that fun.

Exalt!

I like this:

Fake beard+grey hair.
Go up to a vague aquentance, ask if they've seen Kid Kyoto.
Give a package with a complete description of what KK will be wearing and what time he will come.
Run out.
At the appointed time come in sans beard and grey hair.
Open package. Turn white as a sheet. Run.
Have co-conspiritors dressed in black suits, sun glasses and ear peices come in with picture of old you.
As if victim has seen this man.

Posted By pnweerar on 10/07/2007 5:16 PM
Neat, more Dresden Codak fans .

Good stuff but for my geeky/brainy humor I like XKCD better.

http://xkcd.com/

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal rules too.

I am going to do it. Again--or have I never done it.....time travel is filled with paradoxes.......