WWTBAM Bored

Hans von Walter (BB handle hanzz)
Avon Park, FL
medical student

Hans worked really hard to get to the show. He drove 40 hours from Florida to Las Vegas to audition. He got pulled over for speeding in Texas, had to sleep in his truck at some rest stops, and right before the audition he splashed some water in his face and he was ready to go.

Topic Tree: (randomized)
Traditional Cuisine
Sports Honors
Bedside Reading
Coin Customs
Side Jobs
Special Features
Drive-Thru Service
Born Leader
Where to Eat
Beat the Clock

Question #1 (Beat the Clock)
On a standard clock face that uses Roman numerals, how many of the 12 numbers are represented by a single Roman numeral?
A - 2
B - 3
C - 4
D - 5

Hans goes through the entire set of numbers, counting them as he goes.

Spoiler

Answer: B (3)
Value: $3,000
Bank: $3,000

Question #2 (Where to Eat)
An eatery in Evanston, IL, Mt. Everest Restaurant has which of these popular ethnic dishes on its menu?
A - chicken teriyaki
B - chicken pad thai
C - tandoori chicken
D - General Tso's chicken

Spoiler

"Teriyaki is Japanese and Mt. Everest is in Nepal"

, Hans begins.

Spoiler

"Pad thai would be Thai and General Tso's is Chinese, and tandoori is Indian".

He hesitates, but then gives his final answer.

Spoiler

Answer: C (tandoori chicken)
Value: $25,000
Bank: $28,000

commercial break

Hans's parents are in the relationship seats. Hans and Meredith engage in a little mutual admiration.

Question #3 (Born Leader)
In 2011, what pop star created the Born This Way Foundation to promote youth empowerment?
A - Britney Spears
B - Kelly Clarkson
C - Lady Gaga
D - Carrie Underwood

Hans has a lot of friends who would kill him if he got this one wrong.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Lady Gaga)
Value: $10,000
Bank: $38,000

Question #4 (Drive-Thru Service)
Operating out of a truck, a New York City business with the motto "Who's Your Daddy?" charges $350 for customers who need what service "to go"?
A - psychotherapy
B - DNA testing
C - pet neutering
D - tattoo removal

Hans has friends at Loma Linda (where he goes to medical school) who would be mad if he got this one wrong.

Spoiler

Answer: B (DNA testing)
Value: $15,000
Bank: $53,000

commercial break

Meredith asks Hans's parents what they think of their son. Mother Dora says they are proud of him and grateful to God and so excited (father Hans Christian just smiles).

Question #5 (Special Features)
What small island off of Florida was home to one of JFK's secret nuclear bomb shelters?
A - Banana Island
B - Honey Island
C - Ginger Island
D - Peanut Island

Hans didn't know if JFK was a particular fan of any of these foods and even though he knows the audience is smart he's going to jump the question.

Spoiler

Answer: D (Peanut Island)
Value: $7,000
Bank: $53,000 (unchanged)

Question #6 (Side Jobs)
Given his reputation as the "world's greatest detective," what superhero is fittingly listed as a "fictional criminologist" on Wikipedia?
A - Batman
B - Iron Man
C - Spider-Man
D - Superman

Hans said he saw "this movie at 8 o'clock in the morning, I was that eager."

Spoiler

Answer: A (Batman)
Value: $5,000
Bank: $58,000

Question #7 (Coin Customs)
With roughly $3,500 collected each day, coins collected from what famous site are used to subsidize a supermarket for the poor?
A - Leaning Tower of Pisa
B - Trevi Fountain
C - Statue of Liberty
D - Stonehenge

Hans can't think of any good reason why people would throw coins at

Spoiler

the Statue of Liberty or the Tower of Pisa - they might knock it over.

The only one that makes sense is

Spoiler

Trevi Fountain.

Spoiler

Answer: B (Trevi Fountain)
Value: $500
Bank: $58,500

Question #8 (Bedside Reading)
Because its founder was Mormon, which of these hotel chains often has rooms containing copies of the Book of Mormon?
A - Best Western
B - Hilton
C - Marriott
D - Hyatt

Hans grimaces, then looks around says, "there are probably some travelers in the audience" and opts to use his ask the audience lifeline.

ATA results

A - 53%
B - 3%
C - 34%
D - 10%

Hans doesn't like the results. He told himself he wouldn't do this but he decides to jump the question.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Marriott)
Value: $1,000
Bank: $58,500 (unchanged)

Question #9 (Sports Honors)
In 2011, Twitter gave its official logo a proper name and confirmed that the creature's moniker is a tribute to what sports star?
A - Larry Bird
B - Goose Gossage
C - Tony Hawk
D - Lynn Swann

Hans bemoans the category. He reads through the answers and asks, "What's a gossage?" before realizing that the key word is "Goose". Hans is a bit of a Tweeter. The symbol is not

Spoiler

a hawk, a swan or a goose

. It's

Spoiler

"a straight-up bird."

Spoiler

Answer: A (Larry Bird)
Value: $2,000
Bank: $60,500

commercial break

Millionaire question of the day:
On the front cover of The Beatles album "Let it Be," who is the only Beatle without a mustache?
A - Paul McCartney
B - John Lennon
C - George Harrison
D - Ringo Starr
Answer:

Spoiler

B (John Lennon)

Meredith compliments Hans on his game play.

Question #10 (Traditional Cuisine)
Though people debate the origins of the tradition, it is a centuries-old practice to serve what animal whole with an apple in its mouth?
A - fish
B - chicken
C - pig
D - lobster

Spoiler

Answer: C (pig)
Value: $100
Bank: $60,600

CLASSIC MILLIONAIRE

$100K - Perhaps because it originated in his home country of Germany, Pope Benedict XVI reportedly drinks what soft drink every day?
A - Orangine
B - Yoo-Hoo
C - Fanta
D - Kool-Aid

Hans has a slight hunch. He's leaning toward

Spoiler

Fanta

thinking it was a foreign drink and the others are domestic. Hans is a "water kind of guy". $60,600 is a year's worth of med school tuition and he feels like he's played a pretty good game, so he's going to walk away.

Spoiler

C (Fanta)

THE END OF GAME "NOISE"

WTG, hanzz!!!1

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Question #10 (Traditional Cuisine)
Though people debate the origins of the tradition, it is a centuries-old practice to serve what animal whole with an apple in its mouth?
A - fish
B - chicken
C - pig
D - lobster

Spoiler

Answer: C (pig)
Value: $100
Bank: $60,600

I just saw the movie

Spoiler

Contagion, in which a roast suckling pig has an important supporting role. Now I'm even less likely to ever eat one.

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:CLASSIC MILLIONAIRE

$100K - Perhaps because it originated in his home country of Germany, Pope Benedict XVI reportedly drinks what soft drink every day?
A - Orangine
B - Yoo-Hoo
C - Fanta
D - Kool-Aid

E - Fresca

You did very well not to let the audience defeat you. The sort of situation you faced seems to have come up more frequently in the pre-JTQ era, in which ATA seemed to be the most "contestant-friendly" choice, and it usually foretold disaster.

etaoin22 wrote:You did very well not to let the audience defeat you. The sort of situation you faced seems to have come up more frequently in the pre-JTQ era, in which ATA seemed to be the most "contestant-friendly" choice, and it usually foretold disaster.

Best Western was indeed the logical-sounding choice given the Mormons settling out west. I guess the spike for another answer made the difference.
I had no idea on that last question but as jarnon commented I was looking for Fresca to be a choice too.
Congrats hanzz!

Question #5 (Special Features)
What small island off of Florida was home to one of JFK's secret nuclear bomb shelters?
A - Banana Island
B - Honey Island
C - Ginger Island
D - Peanut Island

Hans didn't know if JFK was a particular fan of any of these foods and even though he knows the audience is smart he's going to jump the question.

Spoiler

Answer: D (Peanut Island)
Value: $7,000
Bank: $53,000 (unchanged)

JTQ

Question #8 (Bedside Reading)
Because its founder was Mormon, which of these hotel chains often has rooms containing copies of the Book of Mormon?
A - Best Western
B - Hilton
C - Marriott
D - Hyatt

Hans grimaces, then looks around says, "there are probably some travelers in the audience" and opts to use his ask the audience lifeline.

ATA results

A - 53%
B - 3%
C - 34%
D - 10%

Hans doesn't like the results. He told himself he wouldn't do this but he decides to jump the question.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Marriott)
Value: $1,000
Bank: $58,500 (unchanged)

JTQ

$100K - Perhaps because it originated in his home country of Germany, Pope Benedict XVI reportedly drinks what soft drink every day?
A - Orangine
B - Yoo-Hoo
C - Fanta
D - Kool-Aid

Hans has a slight hunch. He's leaning toward

Spoiler

Fanta

thinking it was a foreign drink and the others are domestic. Hans is a "water kind of guy". $60,600 is a year's worth of med school tuition and he feels like he's played a pretty good game, so he's going to walk away.

Spoiler

C (Fanta)

ATA just because I still have it, then walk away no matter what they say.


YAY HANZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!

Play by play time!

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Hans von Walter (BB handle hanzz)
Avon Park, FL
medical student

Hans worked really hard to get to the show. He drove 40 hours from Florida to Las Vegas to audition. He got pulled over for speeding in Texas, had to sleep in his truck at some rest stops, and right before the audition he splashed some water in his face and he was ready to go.

That's right, Bob###'s, before you saw me, I had been a hot mess a mere few hours before as morning broke in Flagstaff, AZ, on me in my pickup truck in the parking lot of a Howard Johnson.

Topic Tree: (randomized)
Traditional Cuisine
Sports Honors
Bedside Reading
Coin Customs
Side Jobs
Special Features
Drive-Thru Service
Born Leader
Where to Eat
Beat the Clock

So I make a slight face here because I don't get to see my unrandomized category stack. Oh well, I've actually sometimes done better on these when looking at transcripts because I don't get overly stressed when I know I'm approaching a "big one". Rich had told us that some of us would see it, some of us wouldn't, but that "it doesn't really matter." So, let's see, ooh, Coin Customs, I've studied some coin trivia...uh, is that sports I see...oh hey we're starting!

Question #1 (Beat the Clock)
On a standard clock face that uses Roman numerals, how many of the 12 numbers are represented by a single Roman numeral?
A - 2
B - 3
C - 4
D - 5

Hans goes through the entire set of numbers, counting them as he goes.

Spoiler

Answer: B (3)
Value: $3,000
Bank: $3,000

Ahh, a classic "take your time" question. I was praying for one of these, so not a bad place to start. Meredith actually forgot to read the choices, which I thought was weird, so I had started counting through the clock before she realized she'd forgotten and so she read the choices and I started counting again.

Question #2 (Where to Eat)
An eatery in Evanston, IL, Mt. Everest Restaurant has which of these popular ethnic dishes on its menu?
A - chicken teriyaki
B - chicken pad thai
C - tandoori chicken
D - General Tso's chicken

Spoiler

"Teriyaki is Japanese and Mt. Everest is in Nepal"

, Hans begins.

Spoiler

"Pad thai would be Thai and General Tso's is Chinese, and tandoori is Indian".

He hesitates, but then gives his final answer.

Spoiler

Answer: C (tandoori chicken)
Value: $25,000
Bank: $28,000

commercial break

Oh, boy. I think a little bit was cut out here. I talked out my conflict about Mt. Everest being on the border of Nepal and China, and so I was torn between an actual "Chinese" dish and a dish more associated with Indian food (India NOT being a country that touched Mt. Everest). Ultimately, I let common sense override straight up knowledge and locked in tandoori. Roger Craig and Jerome Vered both tell me they would have been out, understandably so. I think I remembered after the fact going to a Himalayan restaurant a few weeks before with someone and he ordered tandoori chicken. I considered jumping this, but Rich had also told us repeatedly that if an answer feels right to you, then just go for it, and save the jumps for the questions they purposely write for you to use them on (essentially admitting that they purposely write WWOQs).

Also, I know you guys hate supercelebrations over $25k being revealed, but I have to say, it was such an emotional pendulum to go from thinking you were out to suddenly having the $25k out of the way, I was just bursting!

Hans's parents are in the relationship seats. Hans and Meredith engage in a little mutual admiration.

Question #3 (Born Leader)
In 2011, what pop star created the Born This Way Foundation to promote youth empowerment?
A - Britney Spears
B - Kelly Clarkson
C - Lady Gaga
D - Carrie Underwood

Hans has a lot of friends who would kill him if he got this one wrong.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Lady Gaga)
Value: $10,000
Bank: $38,000

Ahh, it feels good to know something for sure. I smile whenever this song comes on my running mix now.

Question #4 (Drive-Thru Service)
Operating out of a truck, a New York City business with the motto "Who's Your Daddy?" charges $350 for customers who need what service "to go"?
A - psychotherapy
B - DNA testing
C - pet neutering
D - tattoo removal

Hans has friends at Loma Linda (where he goes to medical school) who would be mad if he got this one wrong.

Spoiler

Answer: B (DNA testing)
Value: $15,000
Bank: $53,000

commercial break

I saw "NYC" and was all ready to ATA until the choices came up. Holy crap, all three big $$ amounts out of the way, and I still haven't used any jumps! I'm doing great! (dun dun dun...). Also, my shoutout to Loma Linda sounded pretty shoehorned in, but since I was playing hookey, it felt worth it.

Meredith asks Hans's parents what they think of their son. Mother Dora says they are proud of him and grateful to God and so excited (father Hans Christian just smiles).

lol "Mother Dora". Her full name is Dora Alba, and it's often contracted to Doralba, so I had put that down as her name, but Meredith couldn't pronounce it for the life of her, so I just corrected her and told her to call my mom Dora. My mom afterwards admitted to me that she didn't hear the question that Meredith had asked her and asked if whatever she said made any sense.

Question #5 (Special Features)
What small island off of Florida was home to one of JFK's secret nuclear bomb shelters?
A - Banana Island
B - Honey Island
C - Ginger Island
D - Peanut Island

Hans didn't know if JFK was a particular fan of any of these foods and even though he knows the audience is smart he's going to jump the question.

Spoiler

Answer: D (Peanut Island)
Value: $7,000
Bank: $53,000 (unchanged)

(Thought process before the choices come up) "Hmm, OK, well, I'm from Florida, I know a few islands there, we've got Sanibel, Marco, Captiva, the Keys...maybe they'll be nice and throw in some choices like "Long Island" "Big Island" or something." (Choices come up) "Oh, WTF?? Never heard of any of these. OK, say something cute about JFK and jump this bitch." The only choice I had maybe a tiny inkling on was Banana Island since that's an actual term but obviously irrelevant.

Question #6 (Side Jobs)
Given his reputation as the "world's greatest detective," what superhero is fittingly listed as a "fictional criminologist" on Wikipedia?
A - Batman
B - Iron Man
C - Spider-Man
D - Superman

Hans said he saw "this movie at 8 o'clock in the morning, I was that eager."

Spoiler

Answer: A (Batman)
Value: $5,000
Bank: $58,000

"World's greatest detective", Batman, done. I've been surprised at how many people didn't know this. Also, I came daaaaaaangerously close to saying something about thankfully missing the midnight Batman premiere but stopped myself (you hear me mention "midnights" at least).

Question #7 (Coin Customs)
With roughly $3,500 collected each day, coins collected from what famous site are used to subsidize a supermarket for the poor?
A - Leaning Tower of Pisa
B - Trevi Fountain
C - Statue of Liberty
D - Stonehenge

Hans can't think of any good reason why people would throw coins at

Spoiler

the Statue of Liberty or the Tower of Pisa - they might knock it over.

The only one that makes sense is

Spoiler

Trevi Fountain.

Spoiler

Answer: B (Trevi Fountain)
Value: $500
Bank: $58,500

It's funny how I only noticed now that the question didn't say anything about throwing coins yet I immediately started talking about which one would make sense to throw coins at. Thankfully that didn't prove harmful.

Question #8 (Bedside Reading)
Because its founder was Mormon, which of these hotel chains often has rooms containing copies of the Book of Mormon?
A - Best Western
B - Hilton
C - Marriott
D - Hyatt

Hans grimaces, then looks around says, "there are probably some travelers in the audience" and opts to use his ask the audience lifeline.

I had actually ruled out Hilton out loud, that was edited out. But none of the others were sticking out at me.
But, wait a minute, what's that? It seems like everyone around me is whispering "Bestwsternbestwesterbetststwest". WTF, am I the only one that doesn't know this? It's funny how the audience suddenly sounds very *loud* to you when you don't know the answer. Well, one of my strategies going into the game was that I really wanted to have at least one JTQ available in Round 2, so that I could at least get past the often impossible $100k question and have a nice shot with minimal risk at the often slightly easier $250k question. OK, well, Mormon, Romney's been in the news, New Yorkers are cultured, let's throw this at them.

ATA results

A - 53%
B - 3%
C - 34%
D - 10%

Hans doesn't like the results. He told himself he wouldn't do this but he decides to jump the question.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Marriott)
Value: $1,000
Bank: $58,500 (unchanged)

The moment I say "ATA", I hear a very audible grooooaaaaan resonate throughout the audience, and in that moment, I knew not to trust whatever they said unless it was like 95%. Welp, sure enough, there's Best Western at the top, but that Marriott spike has me very nervous as well. I can't remember if it was afterwards or during the show that hazy memories began to resurface of a 9-year-old me at a Best Western looking into the drawer and seeing the Gideon Bible. Anyway, well, so much for having a Jump in Round 2.

Question #9 (Sports Honors)
In 2011, Twitter gave its official logo a proper name and confirmed that the creature's moniker is a tribute to what sports star?
A - Larry Bird
B - Goose Gossage
C - Tony Hawk
D - Lynn Swann

Hans bemoans the category. He reads through the answers and asks, "What's a gossage?" before realizing that the key word is "Goose". Hans is a bit of a Tweeter. The symbol is not

Spoiler

a hawk, a swan or a goose

. It's

Spoiler

"a straight-up bird."

Spoiler

Answer: A (Larry Bird)
Value: $2,000
Bank: $60,500

Those of you who know about me and my semi-viral hit might rightfully assume that I was horrified when I saw this category (and perhaps haunted for some redemption). Welp, lifelines are gone, so onward I guess. (question appears) Oh. Interesting. Not what I was expecting. I AM on Twitter. I see that bird symbol every day. It has a name? Sports star? Hmm, maybe it's Larry Bird. (answers appear) Oh, hey there, Larry Bird! Well, that doesn't seem so bad. But how about these other choices? What the heck's a gossage? Oh, Goose! Well, like I said, not a goose, not a swan, not a hawk on the symbol. But, maybe it's generically a tribute to one of these? Nah, that's overthinking it. Just go with Larry Bird.

commercial break

Millionaire question of the day:
On the front cover of The Beatles album "Let it Be," who is the only Beatle without a mustache?
A - Paul McCartney
B - John Lennon
C - George Harrison
D - Ringo Starr
Answer:

Spoiler

B (John Lennon)

Meredith compliments Hans on his game play.

Two things are going through my head at this point. 1) We've been playing for a while, when is that horn going to sound? I don't know how long LB played. 2) Well, let's see, Marriott and Peanut Island were obviously the top 2 level questions. Have I seen the #8 question? Tandoori chicken, maybe, but that could be more of a #7. Everything else has been fairly easy/common sensical. Well, here we go.

Question #10 (Traditional Cuisine)
Though people debate the origins of the tradition, it is a centuries-old practice to serve what animal whole with an apple in its mouth?
A - fish
B - chicken
C - pig
D - lobster

Spoiler

Answer: C (pig)
Value: $100
Bank: $60,600

Yay. And still no horn.

CLASSIC MILLIONAIRE

$100K - Perhaps because it originated in his home country of Germany, Pope Benedict XVI reportedly drinks what soft drink every day?
A - Orangine
B - Yoo-Hoo
C - Fanta
D - Kool-Aid

Hans has a slight hunch. He's leaning toward

Spoiler

Fanta

thinking it was a foreign drink and the others are domestic. Hans is a "water kind of guy". $60,600 is a year's worth of med school tuition and he feels like he's played a pretty good game, so he's going to walk away.

Spoiler

C (Fanta)

(see the question)
OK, think of German drinks...Riesling? Uh...beer?
(choices come up)
Oh. Not what I was expecting.
Well, I think I remember hearing somewhere that Fanta was foreign. But how foreign?
Like, Germany foreign?
Orangina looks pretty foreign too.
DAMMIT WHY IS YOO HOO THERE. WHAT IF IT'S THE ANSWER THIS TIME.
Kool Aid. Spelled with a K. That looks pretty German.
What's my risk/reward ratio here? Lose $40k, or gain $40k?
Hmm. Uh oh. Meredith is starting to say things as if pressing me toward picking something.
Yeah, there' s just way too many factors for me to confidently say Fanta.
Walk.
(see the answer)
UGH

Hmm, I don't see much that it looks like they cut out here. What I don't remember saying was the part about thinking that the other drinks sounded a little more domestic. I should have continued that line of thinking. I had remembered going through transcipts that, when it came to Round 2 questions, it really is know it or you don't; no amount of hunches or reasoning is usually good enough for one to arrive at an answer. When I was making my endgame speech, I did say something about having watched the show since I was 9 with Regis, to which Meredith responded "We don't say that name around here." that was cut out.

THE END OF GAME "NOISE"

[/quote]

Ahh, bummer, I don't get to see what my $250k question could have been with an audience member.
Let's see, not really much I could have done differently. A few different scenarios perhaps.
1) I immediately jump the Marriott question. This means I have the ATA, and I use it either on Twitter or Fanta. I probably would have gone against using it on Twitter, since I already had an answer in my mind, and I figured the audience would just use the same logic as I did. On the other hand, though, I clearly wasn't sure about it, and I would have risked getting it wrong and leaving lifelines on the table. If the ATA had survived into Round 2, then maybe, maybe, had there been even the slightest spike at Fanta, maaaaybe that would have been enough for me to confirm and go for it.
2) I take a little more time on the Marriott, remember the Gideon Bible at the Best Western, and just go with the second answer spike, having a jump for Round 2. This is pretty implausible, though, because fresh in my mind was one of the pre-approved episodes we'd watched backstage in which a contestant had almost exactly the same ATA results, but still went for the top answer, got it right, and didn't give a second thought to that weird second-answer spike. So that shook my faith in second-answer spikes. In this scenario, then, I'm more likely to jump Fanta (and perhaps kick myself for doing so after seeing the answer), and see what's in store for $250k.
2) I jump the tandoori chicken question, and somehow recognize the second answer spike on Marriott and get it right. That would have meant I'd have jumped the $25k question, had a bank of $42,600, and gone for the $100k, since I had told myself that if I had a sub-$50k bank going into Round 2 and a hunch on $100k, I would have guessed. I guess there was something psychological about being in the 60s. (I see this as the least plausible scenario)

Bottom line, I basically just needed to grab my balls and go for Fanta. But I didn't. It's definitely a choice that's haunted me the occasional night, but like I said, I am very proud of the game I played, and I had an incredible time. Thanks to everyone for all their support and well wishes!

Good summary, hanzz!

hanzz wrote:When I was making my endgame speech, I did say something about having watched the show since I was 9 with Regis, to which Meredith responded "We don't say that name around here." that was cut out.

What did Regis ever do to her, other than hand over the keys to the most successful game show of her lifetime? Is she equally ashamed to mention the names of all the D-list celebrities who have guest hosted for her?

hanzz wrote: 2) I take a little more time on the Marriott, remember the Gideon Bible at the Best Western, and just go with the second answer spike, having a jump for Round 2. This is pretty implausible, though, because fresh in my mind was one of the pre-approved episodes we'd watched backstage in which a contestant had almost exactly the same ATA results, but still went for the top answer, got it right, and didn't give a second thought to that weird second-answer spike. So that shook my faith in second-answer spikes.

That line of thinking might have led you astray. I believe it is common for Marriott hotels to have both a Gideon's Bible and a Book of Mormon in each room. It's not an either/or thing.
http://www.angelfire.com/ga4/wwwcg/mormon.html

Well played. I'm surprised the audience vote was so bad on the Book of Mormon question. I would have expected a pretty solid vote for Marriott. Congratulations for somehow sensing that they were wrong.

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Hans von Walter (BB handle hanzz)
Avon Park, FL
medical student

Hans worked really hard to get to the show. He drove 40 hours from Florida to Las Vegas to audition. He got pulled over for speeding in Texas, had to sleep in his truck at some rest stops, and right before the audition he splashed some water in his face and he was ready to go.

Hans (or hanzz), if you go to school in Loma Linda, why did you have to drive from FL for the auditions? Inquiring minds want to know.

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Question #5 (Special Features)
What small island off of Florida was home to one of JFK's secret nuclear bomb shelters?
A - Banana Island
B - Honey Island
C - Ginger Island
D - Peanut Island

Hans didn't know if JFK was a particular fan of any of these foods and even though he knows the audience is smart he's going to jump the question.

Spoiler

Answer: D (Peanut Island)
Value: $7,000
Bank: $53,000 (unchanged)

I would have used a JTQ here also. And let me say that you've played a good game so far, hanzz - verbalizing your thought processes and not answering too quickly.

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Question #8 (Bedside Reading)
Because its founder was Mormon, which of these hotel chains often has rooms containing copies of the Book of Mormon?
A - Best Western
B - Hilton
C - Marriott
D - Hyatt

Hans grimaces, then looks around says, "there are probably some travelers in the audience" and opts to use his ask the audience lifeline.

ATA results

A - 53%
B - 3%
C - 34%
D - 10%

Hans doesn't like the results. He told himself he wouldn't do this but he decides to jump the question.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Marriott)
Value: $1,000
Bank: $58,500 (unchanged)

Sorry you had to burn two lifelines on this one. I knew this one for several reasons - having stayed in a number of Marriott hotels and also reading political discussions where there have been mentions of Marriott supporting Mitt Romney.

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Question #9 (Sports Honors)
In 2011, Twitter gave its official logo a proper name and confirmed that the creature's moniker is a tribute to what sports star?
A - Larry Bird
B - Goose Gossage
C - Tony Hawk
D - Lynn Swann

Hans bemoans the category. He reads through the answers and asks, "What's a gossage?" before realizing that the key word is "Goose". Hans is a bit of a Tweeter. The symbol is not

Spoiler

a hawk, a swan or a goose

. It's

Spoiler

"a straight-up bird."

Spoiler

Answer: A (Larry Bird)
Value: $2,000
Bank: $60,500

They should have named it "Tweety".

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:$100K - Perhaps because it originated in his home country of Germany, Pope Benedict XVI reportedly drinks what soft drink every day?
A - Orangine
B - Yoo-Hoo
C - Fanta
D - Kool-Aid

Hans has a slight hunch. He's leaning toward

Spoiler

Fanta

thinking it was a foreign drink and the others are domestic. Hans is a "water kind of guy". $60,600 is a year's worth of med school tuition and he feels like he's played a pretty good game, so he's going to walk away.

Spoiler

C (Fanta)

Well played, hanzz, even though you didn't make the million. Several visits to the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta helped me with this one. Great stack and good for you.

Congrats!! I enjoyed watching your show and even more enjoyed your "background" insight. Enjoy the loot and good luck with medical school.

PS. Unknown fact to most people I know is a nickname that I had as a young lad was Hans. (and that was a very long time ago) Several of my dad's friends called me that. Just google Hans Schnabel to see the origin of that nickname for me. Wonder if anyone here knew that before googling the name.

Anyway, I enjoyed your run, even way back with your video thingie when they did that several years ago--you had a winner then, it just took them a little longer to get you on the show.

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Question #2 (Where to Eat)
An eatery in Evanston, IL, Mt. Everest Restaurant has which of these popular ethnic dishes on its menu?
A - chicken teriyaki
B - chicken pad thai
C - tandoori chicken
D - General Tso's chicken

Spoiler

"Teriyaki is Japanese and Mt. Everest is in Nepal"

, Hans begins.

Spoiler

"Pad thai would be Thai and General Tso's is Chinese, and tandoori is Indian".

He hesitates, but then gives his final answer.

Spoiler

Answer: C (tandoori chicken)
Value: $25,000
Bank: $28,000

WWOQ #1. Asking about a completely unknown restaurant, so the only clue we have is "Mt. Everest." Fine, that mountain lies on the border of Nepal and Tibet. So are any of these dishes distinctly Nepalese or Tibetan? No, they're not. (Wikipedia says tandoori chicken is "a popular Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani dish;" it might be served in Nepal, but it's not clearly so.) If we're going to consider Indian dishes in Nepal, then why not a Chinese dish in Tibet, since Tibet is (willingly or not) part of China? Wicked.

BBTranscriptTeam wrote: Question #3 (Born Leader)
In 2011, what pop star created the Born This Way Foundation to promote youth empowerment?
A - Britney Spears
B - Kelly Clarkson
C - Lady Gaga
D - Carrie Underwood

Hans has a lot of friends who would kill him if he got this one wrong.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Lady Gaga)
Value: $10,000
Bank: $38,000

Maybe not a WWOQ for fans, but I didn't know it.

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Question #5 (Special Features)
What small island off of Florida was home to one of JFK's secret nuclear bomb shelters?
A - Banana Island
B - Honey Island
C - Ginger Island
D - Peanut Island

Hans didn't know if JFK was a particular fan of any of these foods and even though he knows the audience is smart he's going to jump the question.

Spoiler

Answer: D (Peanut Island)
Value: $7,000
Bank: $53,000 (unchanged)

Certainly a WWOQ. I've never heard of this secret bomb shelter or any of these islands. Was this a recent prominent new story?

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Question #8 (Bedside Reading)
Because its founder was Mormon, which of these hotel chains often has rooms containing copies of the Book of Mormon?
A - Best Western
B - Hilton
C - Marriott
D - Hyatt

Hans grimaces, then looks around says, "there are probably some travelers in the audience" and opts to use his ask the audience lifeline.

ATA results

A - 53%
B - 3%
C - 34%
D - 10%

Hans doesn't like the results. He told himself he wouldn't do this but he decides to jump the question.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Marriott)
Value: $1,000
Bank: $58,500 (unchanged)

I did vaguely remember this answer. Hans didn't comment on it, but this is a classic example of getting a warning from a significant second-place spike.

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Question #9 (Sports Honors)
In 2011, Twitter gave its official logo a proper name and confirmed that the creature's moniker is a tribute to what sports star?
A - Larry Bird
B - Goose Gossage
C - Tony Hawk
D - Lynn Swann

Hans bemoans the category. He reads through the answers and asks, "What's a gossage?" before realizing that the key word is "Goose". Hans is a bit of a Tweeter. The symbol is not

Spoiler

a hawk, a swan or a goose

. It's

Spoiler

"a straight-up bird."

Spoiler

Answer: A (Larry Bird)
Value: $2,000
Bank: $60,500

It's a tribute to Larry Bird, huh? I guess that's totally obvious.

Even if they're accepting this obscure acknowledgment, it may be an obsolete factoid.

Logo

Twitter has become internationally identifiable by its signature bird logo. The original logo was in use from its launch in March 2006 until September 2010. A slightly modified version succeeded the first style when the website underwent its first redesign.

On February 27, 2012, a tweet from an employee that works on the company's platform and API discussed the evolution of the "Larry the Bird" logo with Twitter's creative director and it was revealed that it was named after Larry Bird of the NBA's Boston Celtics fame. This detail had previously been confirmed when the Boston Celtics' director of interactive media asked Twitter co-founder Biz Stone about it in August 2011.[58]

On June 5, 2012, Twitter unveiled its third logo redesign, replacing Larry the Bird with an updated icon simply named as the "Twitter Bird." As of this logo revision, the word "Twitter" and the lowercase letter "t" are no longer used, with the bird becoming the sole symbol for the company's branding.[59] According to Douglas Bowman, designer of Twitter, the new logo resembles a Mountain Bluebird.[60]

BBTranscriptTeam wrote: $100K - Perhaps because it originated in his home country of Germany, Pope Benedict XVI reportedly drinks what soft drink every day?
A - Orangina
B - Yoo-Hoo
C - Fanta
D - Kool-Aid

Hans has a slight hunch. He's leaning toward

Spoiler

Fanta

thinking it was a foreign drink and the others are domestic. Hans is a "water kind of guy". $60,600 is a year's worth of med school tuition and he feels like he's played a pretty good game, so he's going to walk away.

Spoiler

C (Fanta)

Another hard one, bordering on WWOQ territory. I was pretty sure Fanta was a Coca-Cola brand, while I didn't know the origin of Orangina (French Algerian, it turns out).

The background story for Fanta is pretty interesting. It is a Coca-Cola brand, but only as an effect of WWII.

History

Fanta originated due to difficulties importing Coca-Cola syrup into Nazi Germany during World War II due to a trade embargo.[2] To circumvent this, Max Keith, the man in charge of Coca-Cola Deutschland (Coca-Cola GmbH) during the Second World War, decided to create a new product for the German market, using only ingredients available in Germany at the time,[2] including whey and pomace – the "leftovers of leftovers", as Keith later recalled.[3] The name was the result of a brief brainstorming session, which started with Keith exhorting his team to "use their imagination" ("Fantasie" in German), to which one of his salesmen, Joe Knipp, immediately retorted "Fanta!"[3]

While the plant was effectively cut off from Coca Cola headquarters during the war, plant management did not join the Nazi Party. After the war, the Coca Cola corporation regained control of the plant, formula and the trademarks to the new Fanta product — as well as the plant profits made during the war.[2][3]

You did well with the nasty stack you were handed, Hans. Congratulations!

Incidentally, I think you mentioned in your audition report that the AP had a comment about you not mentioning your J! experience. I noticed that there was no mention of that on the show, either.

My Dad worked for Marriott for 15 years, so every family vacation from the late 80's till the early part of the new millennium was spent in a Marriott owned hotel.... still the only places I have ever seen the Book of Mormon....

Congrats hanzz!

lb13

TheConfessor wrote:Good summary, hanzz!

hanzz wrote:When I was making my endgame speech, I did say something about having watched the show since I was 9 with Regis, to which Meredith responded "We don't say that name around here." that was cut out.

What did Regis ever do to her, other than hand over the keys to the most successful game show of her lifetime? Is she equally ashamed to mention the names of all the D-list celebrities who have guest hosted for her?

Mentioning that name reminds Meredith that she still can't do what Regis did with panache, while turning this game show into a blockbuster hit: interact with contestants who weren't hand-picked for their personalities.

I had actually ruled out Hilton out loud,

OK, an infrequent contributor here, so I apologize if this tactic has been brought up before.
If you were sure it was wrong, would a dissembling strategy of "leaning toward it being correct, but not really sure, so ask the audience for help" have worked? Or does the audience see through such shenanigans?

Paucle wrote:

I had actually ruled out Hilton out loud,

OK, an infrequent contributor here, so I apologize if this tactic has been brought up before.
If you were sure it was wrong, would a dissembling strategy of "leaning toward it being correct, but not really sure, so ask the audience for help" have worked? Or does the audience see through such shenanigans?

Any thinking out loud before asking the audience, whether genuine (as Hans was) or tricky, skews the results and makes them less reliable. Better to just ask them and then weigh the results against your own knowledge.

jarnon wrote:

Paucle wrote:

I had actually ruled out Hilton out loud,

OK, an infrequent contributor here, so I apologize if this tactic has been brought up before.
If you were sure it was wrong, would a dissembling strategy of "leaning toward it being correct, but not really sure, so ask the audience for help" have worked? Or does the audience see through such shenanigans?

Any thinking out loud before asking the audience, whether genuine (as Hans was) or tricky, skews the results and makes them less reliable. Better to just ask them and then weigh the results against your own knowledge.

If you're going to try to influence the audience, a better gambit would be to directly ask them not to vote at all unless they're certain of the answer. That risks sounding obnoxious and provoking the opposite reaction, though. Best of all would be if the warm-up comedian offered that suggestion, before the taping began, but Paul is only really concerned with getting loud reactions, applause and laughs and so forth, at the called-for moments.

MarleysGh0st wrote:

jarnon wrote:

Paucle wrote: OK, an infrequent contributor here, so I apologize if this tactic has been brought up before.
If you were sure it was wrong, would a dissembling strategy of "leaning toward it being correct, but not really sure, so ask the audience for help" have worked? Or does the audience see through such shenanigans?

Any thinking out loud before asking the audience, whether genuine (as Hans was) or tricky, skews the results and makes them less reliable. Better to just ask them and then weigh the results against your own knowledge.

If you're going to try to influence the audience, a better gambit would be to directly ask them not to vote at all unless they're certain of the answer. That risks sounding obnoxious and provoking the opposite reaction, though. Best of all would be if the warm-up comedian offered that suggestion, before the taping began, but Paul is only really concerned with getting loud reactions, applause and laughs and so forth, at the called-for moments.

Ron (shoefresh) shared with me a strategy that he wishes someone could test out: essentially, if a player is absolutely sure one of the choices are wrong, then he/she could direct the audience to vote for that choice if they are not absolutely sure of the answer. So, say here, all the people who blindly guess Best Western migrate over to Hilton (which you'll notice had 3% of the vote, maybe, maybe not due to my out loud elimination of HIlton), leaving Marriott perhaps with a much more respectable spike. Where I see this going badly is if, like at an airport where clearly inexperienced travelers still misjudge themselves and pick the "expert traveler" lane, you still have a good chunk of the audience think they've reasonably deduced it out to be Best Western. Additionally, some of the 34% of Marriott voters were bound to have been blind guesses, so you may still be left with something like 28% Marriott, 12% Best Western, 2% Hyatt, and 58% Hilton, still not the most inspiring results.

Additionally, confession time, I didn't really have much solid reasoning to eliminate Hilton other than the Hilton sisters.

Incidentally, I think you mentioned in your audition report that the AP had a comment about you not mentioning your J! experience. I noticed that there was no mention of that on the show, either.

Hmm, I don't remember what I said about my audition, but my J! past was more or less downplayed from audition all the way to tape day. I would put it down in the appropriate sections of any forms that asked for past TV game show experience, and maybe in one part that asked about past honors, but other than that, it seemed to be something they really didn't care about. When I got The Call and the AP asked me if I'd been on any previous game shows, she sounded surprised when I said yes, on Jeopardy, as if she hadn't gone through my application, where I had mentioned it once or twice. My hook/story that I basically rode from beginning to end was my 40 hour journey to audition and my recent weight loss.

Well, that was my basic thought. Rather than tell them outright to vote for an answer you know is wrong, make them think you think it's right. Then, with any luck, anybody who has no idea will "vote for you" and most of the people voting anything else actually know you're wrong and vote for the correct answer.

What if you had tried that and the results came back Hilton 56% (assuming you were sure it was wrong), Marriot 34%, then 6% and 4 % for the others? Wouldn't Marriot look pretty good?
Another reason to try it the "sly" way is to add to the drama. "OOoooooh, going for a minority option that differs from your initial impulse? How bold!"

Wow, another great BB showing! Congratulations, and well done!

On the subject of the pre-randomized categories, Geoff and Rich both said that the "pre-randomized" categories are actually in no particular order and to avoid reading into their positions on the list.

earendel wrote:

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Hans von Walter (BB handle hanzz)
Avon Park, FL
medical student

Hans worked really hard to get to the show. He drove 40 hours from Florida to Las Vegas to audition. He got pulled over for speeding in Texas, had to sleep in his truck at some rest stops, and right before the audition he splashed some water in his face and he was ready to go.

Hans (or hanzz), if you go to school in Loma Linda, why did you have to drive from FL for the auditions? Inquiring minds want to know.

I met hanzz in person at the Las Vegas audition so I can answer this since he doesn't seem to have seen it. This is his first year of medical school. So he moved from his home in Florida to the Loma Linda area, and stopped in Las Vegas on the way. I infer that a relative lack of money induced him to economize by traveling as quickly as possible and sleeping in the back of his ride. --Bob

Hans (or hanzz), if you go to school in Loma Linda, why did you have to drive from FL for the auditions? Inquiring minds want to know.

Missed this question, sorry! There is actually much more to the story that never got told. Basically, I was backpacking Europe this summer with a friend as a graduation gift to myself (I graduated in May from undergrad), and while there, I saw when auditions were being held. At first, I bemoaned the fact that none of them were in Florida, then that they would be in Chicago a mere two or three days before I got to Chicago for my cousin's wedding, and then that I would probably be heading out to Loma Linda for orientation several days after Vegas auditions had passed. I had written off auditioning basically until I took a long hard look at my schedule and realized that, if I reeeeaaaaally wanted to, I could make those Vegas auditions, but it'd require me to make my cross country haul in the space of 3 days, when I was planning on taking it a little easier and caravaning with my eventual roommate, who basically followed me a day or two behind. I got to the Vegas audition and then that night made it to Loma Linda, and the next day visited my apartment for the first time.

Edit: Ah, Bob, you seem to have beat me to my own punch, and much more succinctly, to boot.

CaptainObvious wrote:Wow, another great BB showing! Congratulations, and well done!

On the subject of the pre-randomized categories, Geoff and Rich both said that the "pre-randomized" categories are actually in no particular order and to avoid reading into their positions on the list.

Except that doesn't seem to be true.

That Everest question is brutal, just brutal. I was wondering at home if I would have gone with General Tso (as I knew Everest was on the Chinese border), Tandoori (as I sensed that was what the writers were getting at), or JTQ. Second question... probably would have jumped it and then been mad.

Good job on a tough stack. Way to have the stones to forge through a couple toughies.

Bob Juch wrote:

CaptainObvious wrote:Wow, another great BB showing! Congratulations, and well done!

On the subject of the pre-randomized categories, Geoff and Rich both said that the "pre-randomized" categories are actually in no particular order and to avoid reading into their positions on the list.

Except that doesn't seem to be true.

No argument here.

hss501 wrote:That Everest question is brutal, just brutal. I was wondering at home if I would have gone with General Tso (as I knew Everest was on the Chinese border), Tandoori (as I sensed that was what the writers were getting at), or JTQ. Second question... probably would have jumped it and then been mad.

Good job on a tough stack. Way to have the stones to forge through a couple toughies.

Thanks, Scott! Hope fate dealt you a much better one. Yeah, I had forgotten this as well when watching it, but I say something like "I think I'm going to be..." before giving my answer, I think that was me starting to say "I think I'm going to be safe and JTQ" before I changed my mind.

Bob Juch wrote:

CaptainObvious wrote:Wow, another great BB showing! Congratulations, and well done!

On the subject of the pre-randomized categories, Geoff and Rich both said that the "pre-randomized" categories are actually in no particular order and to avoid reading into their positions on the list.

Except that doesn't seem to be true.

OTOH, we'll accept hanzz's report that Rich confessed that they've built in WWOQs specifically to burn off JTQs, because that statement corresponds to observed reality.