Transcript 09/17/09 - Liz Bollinger (FloridaGirl) carryover

[FloridaGirl]

Here's an article about Liz's appearance:

http://brandonnews2.tbo.com/content/200 ... aire/news/

Thanks, MarleysGh0st! I didn't see that one.

[FloridaGirl]

Thank you all so, so much for all of your advice and encouragement. I'm so happy to have been invited to the bored and am grateful to everyone with whom I interacted on here before going on the show. Your words were with me! I hope I can pay it forward to future contestants.

Even though I didn't win a ton of money, I'm actually really happy with $5,000. (I'm also very happy the money tree was changed! ) Everyone is telling me to put it to good use, and I will ... after paying for Cash for Clunkers, TARP and whatever else the government decides it wants to do with my tax money! We're planning a trip to Brazil and Argentina (still can't believe I got a question about Che Guevara!), where our money will go a bit farther than it would here.

Oh, and I can't say enough about how great Meredith was. I was able to talk with her quite a bit since I was the holdover, and she really seemed to care about how I was doing -- I have MS and her husband does, too, so that was one of the things we talked about. She also found me after the show taped and said that she wanted to meet my family, then she took some photos with us! Last week, I got a handwritten card in the mail from her and was amazed to find out that she takes the time to do that for all of the contestants. Meredith's the best!

[Bob78164]

There are a lot of other thing that have happened since then -- some things I've heard she's said about people getting in the hot seat who didn't really need the money (apparently that's me). And, she called me before she was leaving to tape her show and said she wouldn't be calling me to be her PAF since she wouldn't expect me to help her after she didn't help me.

It's all very odd and junior-high-school like. It just stinks, but I learned a valuable lesson -- a $5,000 lesson perhaps -- about trust.

Seriously? I think that for the first time in the history of the show, I may find myself rooting against a contestant. Even the infamous Kati Knudsen didn't have the effect on me. --Bob

[Jeemie]

Wow- I am stunned...completely stunned.

I have never before heard of a PAF purposely betraying a contestant before.

I am so sorry, Liz...you deserved a better fate than that.

I'm with Bob- this will be the first time I will completely and utterly root against a contestant...when Jenni gets on.

[ulysses5019]

Wow- I am stunned...completely stunned.

I have never before heard of a PAF purposely betraying a contestant before.

I am so sorry, Liz...you deserved a better fate than that.

I'm with Bob- this will be the first time I will completely and utterly root against a contestant...when Jenni gets on.

I too am stunned. I cannot even believe this. I will be rooting against her as well.

[mellytu74]

Wow- I am stunned...completely stunned.

I have never before heard of a PAF purposely betraying a contestant before.

I am so sorry, Liz...you deserved a better fate than that.

I'm with Bob- this will be the first time I will completely and utterly root against a contestant...when Jenni gets on.

I too am stunned. I cannot even believe this. I will be rooting against her as well.

Ditto.

The whole thing creeps me out.

[mellytu74]

Liz --

Did you ever think of walking with the $15,000?

[FloridaGirl]

OK, well I talked to my PAF this morning because we had to talk this out. The whole thing was making me sick to my stomach. Things were getting out of control with people calling/texting/emailing me about it and I wanted to clear the air. She swears she just froze up and didn't have time to get the answer. And, I feel like I have to believe her. Please don't root against her! I feel like I don't ever want to talk about it again. In fact, I'm sorry I even mentioned it here in the first place.

Melly, as far as walking with the $15,000, I went in saying that I was going for it if I thought I knew the answer, up to $25,000. I was fine with taking the risk. I also know that I would be able to sleep at night knowing I'd gone for it and been incorrect, but would have given myself insomnia thinking about it over and over again if my answer had been right and I hadn't gone with it. I hope that makes sense.

[Hotseat Or Bust!]

Congratulations, Liz! You were a great contestant and I'm glad it was a positive experience for you. I enjoyed reading about how very nice Meredith was to you also.

[doitneatly]

Please don't root against her! I feel like I don't ever want to talk about it again. In fact, I'm sorry I even mentioned it here in the first place.

"Hell hath no fury like a community of vicarious hotseaters betrayed."

[earendel]

And, here's where things go oh-so horribly wrong!

$25,000 * Word Origins
Used to describe food prepared for consumption by Muslims, "halal" comes from an Arabic word meaning what?

A: Lawful B: Trusted
C: New D: Blessed

With 17 seconds left, Liz decides to Phone A Friend.

Liz's PAF team (who get no introduction from Meredith) are Jenni, Wesley Chapel, FL; Robert, Mayfield Heights, OH; and John, Streetsboro, OH.
Liz decides to call Jenni. She paraphrases the question, beginning by spelling "halal".

Liz: Five seconds!

Jenni: Oh my gosh, Liz, I'm not sure!

Liz: Any idea?

Jenni: Ummm--give me the chances again?

[Time runs out.]

This was a very, very bad situation. Jenni and I both went through the auditions together; we both went to Regis together; and, now, we were each other's phone a friends (she was going to the show a week after me). Jenni is obsessed with the show and has a notebook filled with questions that she has transcribed after watching the show endlessly. I figured she would be the ideal PAF. She actually had me practice with her for hours, during which she was very fast on google. We talked about how we would have google, google images, google maps, and wikipedia all open, to be prepared for anything. We also discussed what would and wouldn't be a good google question. So, when I saw this question, I knew there could be no better lifeline to use than the PAF.

When she didn't get the answer, I was really, really surprised. I'm not sure if that came through -- because our satellite went out due to heavy rain here and I still haven't seen the episode! -- or not. After the show was over, my mom was saying, well, maybe there are a lot of restaurants with that term in the name and she couldn't find it. OK, I went with that ... until I got home and googled it myself. That's when I saw that it's the very first thing that comes up, no clicking through needed or anything.

There are a lot of other thing that have happened since then -- some things I've heard she's said about people getting in the hot seat who didn't really need the money (apparently that's me). And, she called me before she was leaving to tape her show and said she wouldn't be calling me to be her PAF since she wouldn't expect me to help her after she didn't help me.

It's all very odd and junior-high-school like. It just stinks, but I learned a valuable lesson -- a $5,000 lesson perhaps -- about trust. I keep thinking about how so many of you offered to be my PAF and how I should have taken you up on it.

Am I understanding you correctly, Liz, that your PAF deliberately didn't answer the question? It almost sounds like that. And why would she say anything about "undeserving" people reaching the Hot Seat? I'm sorry this didn't work out for you.

[Jeemie]

OK, well I talked to my PAF this morning because we had to talk this out. The whole thing was making me sick to my stomach. Things were getting out of control with people calling/texting/emailing me about it and I wanted to clear the air. She swears she just froze up and didn't have time to get the answer. And, I feel like I have to believe her. Please don't root against her! I feel like I don't ever want to talk about it again. In fact, I'm sorry I even mentioned it here in the first place.

I feel for you.

I did want to say that I obviously don't know Jenni as well as you do, but her explanation to you doesn't pass the smell test for me. The question was simply too easy a Google for me to believe she froze up.

But I'm a suspicious character sometimes.

[ulysses5019]

OK, well I talked to my PAF this morning because we had to talk this out. The whole thing was making me sick to my stomach. Things were getting out of control with people calling/texting/emailing me about it and I wanted to clear the air. She swears she just froze up and didn't have time to get the answer. And, I feel like I have to believe her. Please don't root against her! I feel like I don't ever want to talk about it again. In fact, I'm sorry I even mentioned it here in the first place.

I feel for you.

I did want to say that I obviously don't know Jenni as well as you do, but her explanation to you doesn't pass the smell test for me. The question was simply too easy a Google for me to believe she froze up.

But I'm a suspicious character sometimes.

Well, you are a character. But I do agree with you.

[Bob78164]

I did want to say that I obviously don't know Jenni as well as you do, but her explanation to you doesn't pass the smell test for me. The question was simply too easy a Google for me to believe she froze up.

But I'm a suspicious character sometimes.

That, the extensive practice, and the statements attributed to her, lead me to the same conclusion you've reached. --Bob

[ghostjmf]

$12,500.00: No idea. ATA & hope.

25K: I am Jewish. Raised fairly Conservative (this is a religious designation used in Judaism, not a political one; means family "kept kosher" as in "followed the kashrut laws in Leviticus", observed all the holidays, etc). I am also interested in word origins, though certainly no maven on the subject.

That just background; you will all hate me anyway (those who don't already!) when I say I knew this one cold. Because Hebrew, in which I mainly know religious terms & Arabic are cognate Semitic languages. "Baruch" in Hebrew is "Barak" in Arabic. All the Hebrew blessings begin with "Baruch", translated as "blessed". Pronounced, usually, in English as "bless-ed". OK, I've rubbed it in enough.

"Barak" in Arabic means "bless-ed", I would bet. Its also the name (with a diff spelling) of the current President of the USA. Which doesn't mean all should be able to translate it. I couldn't give you the meanings of the names of most Presidents of the USA, even the ones derived from Hebrew words. But because "Barack" is, admit it, a kinda unusual name for an American president, I would hazard a guess that this meaning has gotten some media coverage. More than "George" got previously, anyway.

So I could rule out the one answer the contestant & the completely useless "expert" homed in on.

I also knew the right answer, also based on knowledge of Hebrew religious terms; without looking it up, I've always thought that the Arabic "halal" as relates to Arabic laws about food has the same root as the Hebrew "halacha", as relates to "the law". Whether that's true or not, I did know that the word "halal" specifically related to Arabic laws about food, specifically butchering of animals allowed to be eaten by Muslims (which are a wider range of species than Leviticus allows observant Jews, but neither religion OKs pork).

[ghostjmf]

I didn't read your responses in the thread before I posted because when I play this "if it was me" game (which, due to my job turning into "the job from hell" I don't have much time to do any more; I won't even see today's show because I forgot to turn the converter box on before I left [duh] & either would not have been allowed to race back home to do it or would have had it come back to bite me, so didn't even ask) I don't want to color my true response with "what other people said".

Having said that, I just read how your PAF did what is my worst fear if I were to use PAFs from the board who I haven't met yet. I have to say that all the PAFs here are have such reputations as trivia mavens to uphold that even the ones that do truly hate me would probably try to pull through as a PAF just to make themselves look good. (Their real feelings might affect their response time on Google in spite of their desire to look good, though.)

But you met this person. You went to the PT show with them. You bonded with them, you thought. For someone to commit to being a PAF & then to refuse to give the right answer or to Google, & to make spiteful comments about it afterward too; she's evil. She's pure evil.

I am a person who got to the ROF in April 2001 via an audition, got both FFs right but not fast enough, & have been rejected by the show on auditions ever since. This did not exactly make me your biggest fan going in, as the show plucked you from the same kind of ROF situation I was in to be a locked-in contestant on syndie. Knowing that, I admit I was not necessarily rooting for you. But a PAF should do their job. Or bow out. Not use the opportunity to try to make you fail. Evil, evil, evil.