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So there's an outside possibility that Cor or I will be on Who Wants to be a Millionaire in January--the Meredith Vieira version of the show, that is--and I'm trying to line up phone-a-friends. Hatrack, of course, is where most of the most brilliant people I know hang out. So I'm wondering if anybody here can commit to helping me out.
What I need: people who're willing to stay home all day on Saturday, January 15, who're very knowledgeable about something specific, or stuff in general. Multiple Hatrackers hanging out together at one phone number would be awesome.
I am pretty good at these sort of things, and am a good jack-of-all-trades kind of guy. I also have a fairly deep knowledge of World Lit, or at least I did, and my wife speaks 5 languages and has a photographic memory. I will see if she has that weekend off, and if she does we would be a pretty darn good team....also we could host a few people from Hatrack if anyone wanted to come down for it, to increase the "talent pool" so to speak.
I am fairly weak in math though, and while I am a little better than average in science I am not real strong there either, nor is Jenni.
In the soft sciences though, we both rock....to the point that no one will play Trivial Pursuit against us, even one on one. Might have something to do with Jenni memorizing the first edition cards when she was sick in the hospital years ago....
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If I could pick just one person to be my life line, it would probably be kayla and/or Rivka. These ladies can look stuff up in a flash. Posts: 1592 | Registered: May 2000
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We did have a recent spate of Dark Ages without Kayla. And heaven forbid rivka take a break from us.
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
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I could certainly stay home and be available but I'm not sufficiently confident in my abilities to net you the million =)
I do play Millionaire "Ask the Audience" via instant messenger when they're filming (although I have to admit that I've not yet seen a weekend film schedule) and I'm batting about .750 overall.
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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Oh hey, and what about having everyone in a chat room for the lifeline to chat with - in a hurry with no pleases or thank yous - in case of backup need?
Seriously, that's a great idea, if I do say so myself! Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Icarus, that is very exciting! If a group of us in the area can get together that day, I'd be all for that.
Posts: 3214 | Registered: Apr 2002
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Sara and Tom could probably get in the same room, and that would be worth it. Short of them, if it were me, I'd take The Rabbit.
Posts: 5600 | Registered: Jul 2001
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Dana, you never know, I could get a theology question I don't know . . .
Bob, you would be great for history--weren't you there for most of it?
Hobbes, this from the man who starts all kinds of "Cousin Hobbes on ___" threads, whose girlfriend is the expert on art and world cultures? Okay, I see how it is . . .
-o-
The chat idea is a good one for a fallback, but it, along with googling answers, has a problem. Thirty seconds is not a lot of time. I know, because I am a regular player of the game at MGM Studios (for pins and prizes, not for money) and even back at DCA back when they still had it there ( ). It usually takes a fast person a good ten seconds to get the question and answer choices read. If the listener knows the answer, great. If the listener asks to have the choices repeated, you're pretty much out of luck. I have also been on the phone myself when other people have been in the hot seat, and tried to repeat the question to another person standing next to me. Trying to listen while repeating it and convey an answer back, all within thirty seconds, is harder than you think. Now, with AIM and google, you're looking at hearing the question and typing it in and getting a response back . . . frankly, I'm not sure it can be done. Still, I think it's a good idea to try, because anything that can increase the number of brains at a single phone number has got to be worth a shot. But if I call somebody and he or she knows the answer, I wouldn't want that person to waste time trying to type stuff. That's how you get people going "Huh?" as the thirty seconds expires.
Anyway, once this thread has been around for two or three days and we have a list of who is really willing to help, I will probably contact each of you by e-mail or something and ask you for your phone numbers. It seems to me that it might be a good idea for me to call you once before the fifteenth, so that I don't find myself on the show calling somebody whose voice I've never heard before.
Having all participants be in an aim chat during the time might be a good idea too, if they are willing and able.
I imagine I would be able to call at least one of you before entering the taping, and upon leaving, in case I don't get in the hot seat, or get out without using the lifeline.
There might also be confidentiality rules, like you might not be able to tell people what level of question you were asked. I'm pretty sure contestants agree not to disclose how far they went.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Yep, Jenni is fluent in 5 languages....Spanish, French, Japanese, Italian, and ASL.
I can understand a little French, but I don't remember most of the 3 years I took it in high school.
But I scored in the top 1% (my total score was 98/99% possible) in the soft sciences...although that was 10 years ago, or more.....still, only 1% (it only went up to 99%) of the whole country scored higher than I did on the ACT in that area of knowledge. I was bored in every psychology class I ever had in college, which is why I quit...I realized that while I like learning about it I didn't want to work in the field at all.
And if it is a question about fantasy novels, I would pick me in a second...I have an extensive knowledge of it....
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Heh, it may be possible for me to be available. That is the day before my birthday, though .
edit: ooh, and if I were called, I'd have to resist the urge to call you "Icky".
I'd be happy to at the least stay around in a chat room much of the day to be part of whomever is called's collective wisdom, assuming nothing big comes up.
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I'm echoing Irami -- trap Sara and Tom in the same room with a speakerphone and one other person who can try googling in the time allotted. Otherwise, run with Fugu for science, Dag for law/Catholicism if he's available, unquestionably Hobbes for biking trivia...
And for Mexican culture, you have me. I can rattle off almost half of the menu at Taco Bell! Viva Lalo!
Good luck, pookie. If you win, I supported you the entire way and doubtless deserve a sizable cash reward or at least something German with wheels.
By which I mean the option that's not a foreign hooker on rollerblades.
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I would love to be in a chat room part of the day, I have lots of animal knowledge, and quite a bit about cars, though my dad knows more, he's always in the room
edit for lalo: we have a german on wheels for sale, it's a 79 bug with no engine, probably in your price range too.
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If it's about Islam, Fahim's your guy. He's also fluent in 5 languages. English, Sinhala, Tamil, Hindi, and Arabic. Well, he doesn't consider himself fluent in Arabic, but then, he doesn't call himself fluent in Tamil either, and he can speak to absolutely anyone who speaks that language and be understood, so I don't know what his hang up is. Oh, and I'm also gonna mention - cuz I like being a show off that all of those five languages have different alphabets, so that makes him even more impressive.
If it's about Mennonites, count me in. Although I can't imagine a question on Mennonites ever coming up. Um, er, do I know anything that's useful? Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Of the things that haven't been mentioned, I know greek mythology. I scored 3rd at the national junior classical league convention one year. I know a fair bit about alternative health. Possibly we could juggle a clump party that day. What time are you looking at? I also know a lot about photography and linguistics... as I once bemoaned I'm not very unique on Hatrack. I'm pretty good at actors and movies.
Just don't overload your thinker memorizing who to call in case of what sort of question. That would be rather counterproductive. What do they do if someone isn't home?
Posts: 666 | Registered: Dec 2003
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quote: quote:I do play Millionaire "Ask the Audience" via instant messenger when they're filming
I must do this! Can you give me details, Goody?
http://millionairetv.com/ Information is on the right side about halfway down. Once you sign up for it, you put MillionaireIM onto your AIM buddy list, and when they have a question, you get an IM message. You answer, and after a minute or so they send you the right answer and the dollar value of the question. They don't tell you how the contestant answered, though.
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I could answer questions about sinkholes, consolidation theory or maybe appropriate pile-driving equipment.
When you call a phone-a-friend, are they allowed to put it on speaker phone so everyone in the room can hear the question?
Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
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No, I haven't seen that one. To be honest I have already found 3 mistakes in the cards......they keep refering to teh movie on questions, even when the catigory isn't movies.
I broke out the book and proved my self correct three times...
That is why I didn't want the DVD editions, which is completely based on the movies. I vastly prefer the books.
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I would be less like a lifeline and more like a First Aid Kit where most of the items are either outmoded or out of date. But call me with any drug questions!
Posts: 1870 | Registered: Mar 2003
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JenniK is also a Pharm Tech...not as useful as Alucard in that area, but a good fall-back area for her.
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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You have the greatest adventures, Ick! What fun! I would offer up my services in the field of early childhood education, but I will be celebrating Nathan's 11th birthday with him that day! Good luck to you and Cor! Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
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Ha! Just got an invite in my e-mail to be in the audience for the shows taping that week. I'd have to put up with sitting in the audience for 5 hours at a time (they're taping 20 shows from Jan 12-16) but I'd get a free park pass for whichever day I volunteer for. Hmmm...
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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). It usually takes a fast person a good ten seconds to get the question and answer choices read. If the listener knows the answer, great. If the listener asks to have the choices repeated, you're pretty much out of luck. I have also been on the phone myself when other people have been in the hot seat, and tried to repeat the question to another person standing next to me. Trying to listen while repeating it and convey an answer back, all within thirty seconds, is harder than you think. Now, with AIM and google, you're looking at hearing the question and typing it in and getting a response back . . . frankly, I'm not sure it can be done. Still, I think it's a good idea to try, because anything that can increase the number of brains at a single phone number has got to be worth a shot. But if I call somebody and he or she knows the answer, I wouldn't want that person to waste time trying to type stuff. That's how you get people going "Huh?" as the thirty seconds expires.![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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