Uncle Plinko's Little Slice of Cyberspace

2011 Year in Review / 2012 Goal Checklist

2012-01-04T11:47:00.000-08:00

First of all, apologies up front to Tim Connolly and Joe Van Ginkel for stealing their ideas for a year-end post, but they're both so good, I'm combining them into my personal story of the past 365 days.

2011: Year In Review
Battling through partial unemployment
When I started working at Universal Studios Hollywood in December 2010, the Grinchmas holiday season was just getting started, so work was consistent. By the time we hit January, my hours hit rock bottom. To say the least, it was difficult. I had several interviews with places I wasn't too crazy about, none moreso than my interview with Luminance Marketing. That was an adventure. I blogged about it back in February...cehck it out.

From there, I managed to snag a part-time job at Madame Tussaud's Hollywood as part of their "Street Team." My duties? Meander Hollywood Boulevard handing out flyers to passers-by enticing them to visit the museum, saving $5 on admission. Every coupon turned in would get me an additional $1 in commission. I worked there for five days, ended up dumping a lot of my flyers with the tour guides along Hollywood Boulevard just to get rid of them.

It was during one particular shift that I received a call from another place I was interviewing with: Andrew Christian, Inc. For those of you unfamiliar with the organization (and by my money, that's probably damn near everyone who's going to be reading it), ACI is a fashion house specializing in men's swimwear, sportswear, and underwear. The upside? The office was 30 blocks from my apartment here in Glendale, so a quicker commute. I ended up getting the 40-hour, Amazon Data Entry position, ankling Madame Tussaud's in the process, and reducing my full 7-day availability at Universal to weekends only. I only lasted there 8 weeks, before becoming super-stressed, and leaving in a blaze of glory.

Once I left ACI, I asked my manager at the park if I changed my availability back to 7 days, would I get at least 5 days through the summer. In no uncertain terms, he informed me I would. My unemployment woes would be over. Averaging 35 hours a week through the summer, and close to 40 hours a week over Halloween Horror Nights helped me cement my position at USH, and even got me promoted to Shift Leader before this past Grinchmas season. With Transformers coming in the Spring, and Harry Potter down the road in a few years, it doesn't look like I'll be going anywhere soon.

Becoming "Enterprizing"
When I came out to California in 2010, I was informed that we should bring our game show stuff to a gaming convention over Labor Day Weekend. Plans progressively fell through over the course of those few weeks, and I decided to hold off until the next one, which would be over Presidents' Day weekend. After learning everything I could about this "Strategicon" thing, I put together an 8-game lineup and we went on our merry way. Little did I or any of us truly realize how big Strategicon events were.

We set up our equipment in one of the meeting rooms (Salons, as the Sheraton calls them...our Studio, as we call it), and proceeded to perform all weekend, treating it like any other Game Show Congress tournament. The difference was that we had to explain the games that we were playing to the people playing them.

The first con went off very well, with the only hiccup being my projector failing in the middle of a game. We decided then and there to come back to each Strategicon event (OrcCon for Presidents' Day, Gamex for Memorial Day, Gateway for Labor Day), and do more than just our game shows. We filled a three-day schedule for Gamex with 8 more games in our Studio and about 30 board games for the Main gaming room. We went from sideshow attraction to convention fixture by the end of Gateway, and had achieved a small fan base.

The first convention assisted us in getting our business, Home Game Enterprizes, off the ground. We were invited by a convention regular to perform at a corporate conference for Oracle Development Tools User Group. The plan was to set up like we usually do for a night of Family Feud, and a game we hadn't tried yet, Minute to Win It. The conference planners couldn't have been nicer to us and our three-person team. We had full access to the opening meeting (where we had to perform MTWI), including catered dinner, and early access to the room where we to perform Feud. They also comped our hotel room in Long Beach, and paid us $1000 for our work! Once Feud was over, they already invited us to their 2012 conference...in SAN ANTONIO!

The NEW love of my life
In January, my roommates and I were trying to get tickets to "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" to see the new "Doctor Who", Matt Smith. I even went so far as to purchase a t-shirt from Woot! with a DeLorean crashing into the TARDIS (titled, "It Just Came Out Of Nowhere"). Before I moved out here in 2010, I even created a "Doctor Who" themed version of the card game, Fluxx. As you probably can tell, my fandom of the BBC sci-fi series is big.

At the con in February, we finally had a break in our Studio action to visit the main gaming room. My roommate Ben walked over to the volunteer table to chat with the con crew, then came walking back over to me and another roommate, Adam, to say, "There's a girl over here with your shirt." My reply? "What are you talking about?" Apparently, there was a girl at this con who was a bigger "Who" fan than I was, even having the same t-shirt as me. I met this "Amber" girl, introduced myself, told her about my Fluxx variant, and invited her to play. About a half-hour later, she came over to our table, and played two games with us. After the gaming was over, I pitched an index card across the table and asked for her information. We proceeded to game for the rest of the night, and into the next day, leaving as newfound friends.

A day or so later, she posted on her Facebook wall that she wanted to either see "Rango" or the new Nicolas Cage movie. I posted moments later that I had discounted AMC tickets from work, and would be willing to go with. Plans proceeded to change over the course of the week, and we ended up going to Ben's improv show that Friday night. At 2:27 that morning, we decided to become official (by updating our Facebook statuses).

Amber and I have now been dating for over 10 months. Every day we're together, I best my own record. Three failed relationships in the past, and many more unrequited crushes are now history.

So, all in all, 2011 has been an up-and-down year, but overall, I'd give it a 7 out of 10. Good things came out of it, even if it did have a rocky start.

2012: My Goals Checklist
I'm not big in making New Year's Resolutions. Instead, I have decided to set a list of goals to meet in 2012. I'll use this blog as my online diary, tracking my progress in meeting said goals. They are, in no particular order:

Have $5000 in my Savings account
Be 100 lbs. lighter
Have my credit card debt paid down or off, or be expunged in Bankruptcy
Have my student loan debt paid on, or be expunged in Bankruptcy
Get my Ohio University class ring
Get 2 more corporate clients for Home Game Enterprizes
Sell 1 Ineligible Productions game show concept
GO BACK HOME FOR A FEW DAYS!!
Get a cheap car (probably Tim's Mazda)
Get on another game show (hopefully one that I can actually win money)

This post goes out to everyone who helped me through 2011, and will be with me through 2012. You know who you are, and you're too many to mention here.

Luminance Marketing: None Too Bright

2011-02-22T17:09:00.000-08:00

So, those of you who follow my Facebook posts know I had an interview with Luminance Marketing last Friday and this past Monday. While it seemed good at first, I learned that if something is too good to be true, it most likely is. Let me explain.

Last Thursday, I submitted my resume online from a Craigslist posting for a customer service position. A couple of hours later, I got a call from "Luminance Marketing" asking me to set up an interview. Amazed by the almost-immediate turnaround, I gladly accepted a 9 AM interview in their Canoga Park office. For those of you who don't know the area, Canoga Park is about 10 miles away from North Hollywood, and 23 miles away from my apartment here in Glendale. Because I don't have a car, I had to use public transportation...a 3-hour commute.

The interview went very well, but very quick. The person who interviewed me showed me that they are involved in selling DirecTV subscriptions by setting up tables in Best Buy, Fry's Electronics, and Sam's Clubs around the Southland. Given my experience with setting up a table for the OU Game Show club, I was immediately interested. They asked if I could stay till Noon for the second round of the interview. Knowing I had to be back here in Glendale, then down at the Sheraton Gateway hotel for OrcCon on Friday afternoon, I declined, but left my cellphone number. On the bus ride home, they called me back and asked if I could come in Monday at noon. I accepted.

Upon return to my apartment, I told my roommates about it. Ben and Adam seemed pleased about it, but Tim felt immediately apprehensive. Why? A couple of years ago, Tim had a job similar to this one where he sold office supplies door-to-door. He gave me a laundry list of questions to ask upon my next interview, including pay rate, standard activities during the day, and the like.

After a completely successful OrcCon appearance, playing game show games all weekend and making a bushel basket of new friends and connections, I managed to get four hours of sleep before my three-hour commute back to Canoga Park. I arrived in their office just prior to my Noon appointment, and was able to listen in on their meeting going on in the back room. At seven different times during the forty minutes I sat there, I heard Tim's voice in the back of my head screaming, "GET THE F*** OUT OF HERE!!" While I appreciated the concern of my conscience, I felt as if I had to stick it out and see where it was headed. At 12:30, when the meeting broke, I met my second-round interviewer, Kevin, and went to do the on-site interview at the Glendale Best Buy.

In the car ride over, it was the standard "getting-to-know-you" conversation: where are you from, where did you go to school, what kind of music do you like, do you mind if I smoke...y'know...the usual. It wasn't until we got to the store where he broke down the nuts and bolts of the business.

Luminance Marketing is set up with a four-tier promotion scheme. I would first start out as the in-store salesman. I would get a base pay of $288 per week. If I were to make any sales, I would make money per sale ($100 per sale for 1 to 3 sales, $110 for 4 to 7, and $120 for 8 or more). I would be in that position for 2 to 4 weeks, until I managed to get 8 sales in one week. That would move me to the next step, where I would be in charge of training more people to do the job I just promoted out of. After 3 to 6 months, I would be promoted to Assistant Manager...running an office, and conducting preliminary interviews. After a month, I would get promoted to the top of the ladder: owner of my own office, where I could stand to make $100,000 a year. This is what we will call RED FLAG NUMBER ONE. He also told me the job would entail me being in the Canoga Park office at 9:30 AM six days a week (Wednesdays off), then being assigned to a store somewhere in the Southland. With me not having my own transportation, that would make it iffy. RED FLAG NUMBER TWO. He then told me that the work days would not end until around 9 PM every night. RED FLAG NUMBER THREE. So, basically, I would be racking up a total of two to three hours of sleep a night, and my Wednesdays would be spent in bed.

Then, Kevin showed me what was to take place on the job. It turns out that we would not stay in one stationary location. We would be required to walk around the store and approach customers by, in essence, MISREPRESENTING OURSELVES as employees of the store by asking if we can help them with anything, then give the pitch. RED FLAG NUMBER FOUR. By the way, here's the pitch: "Hey, did you hear about what's going on in the store today? Well, Best Buy has authorized me to talk to you about DirecTV." RED FLAG NUMBER FIVE. Essentially, it's telemarketing while face-to-face. While going around the store, we went up to three people, and got three very emphatic "NO" responses. At the end of the day, I told Kevin I had some serious mis-givings about the position, and would need to go through the training to resolve them. He agreed, and said he would call me back that night after talking with his manager to get me set up.

Thankfully, I was in Glendale, so it was only a two-bus trip home. Upon arriving, Tim was the only one awake in the apartment, as he was unloading the car from the previous night at OrcCon. I told him all the details except the promotional structure. His opinion started to waver, until I showed him the paper with the promotional structure. I couldn't have received a louder "NO" response. Apparently, although it was a different company, it was the identical situation he had encountered with the office supplies. So, I waited for my call back from Kevin, which came at 9 PM. I told him that I appreciated the opportunity, but the job raised too many Red Flags, and I would have to decline. Kevin replied, and I quote, "Well, I am making a $900 check next week, so if that interests you at all, call me back." I said, "Oh, will do." and hung up.

So, to sum up, if you're a naive, doe-eyed, innocent person who thinks they can make it big in the business world with very little experience and minimal work: Luminance is for YOU! But, if you know that it takes effort, hard work, time, patience, blood, sweat, and tears to be a success, and have a college degree, half a brain, and a soul: STEER CLEAR OF LUMINANCE MARKETING!

Dear Blog-ary...

2011-01-29T22:32:00.000-08:00

This afternoon, while watching Comedy Central's "Stand-Up Showdown", one of the comics referred to blogs as diaries. Therefore, I'm writing today's "blog-ary" post.

Dear Blog-ary...
The last 24 hours have been a series of ups and downs. It's been a while since I've been on a roller-coaster like the one I've just been on. Let me start with late yesterday.

UP: I checked my email right before we all went to Ben's improv show last night. I, once again, have scheduled hours at the park!

DOWN: I thought I'd better call in this morning to try to get a shift, so that way, I'd at least have a little bit of a paycheck. I called at 7 AM, they put me on the list, and the call-back never came.

UP: Ben decided to make breakfast this morning, in order to use up his two rolls of chorizo. I decided today would be the day I would try chorizo for the first time, spread over a cheese omelet with sour cream.

DOWN: Too much chorizo. My stomach has been in knots all day...partly because of the chorizo, partly for other reasons.

UP: Even though I didn't get a shift at work today, I decided to go up there anyway, say "HI" to co-workers, and others, and take a lap thru the park.

DOWN: So, I was lucky enough to see some of my Guest Relations co-workers, do the Terminator 2: 3D show again, and take a lap thru the park. But, the one co-worker I wanted to see wasn't there.

Thankfully, this day has ended on an "UP". I got an email inviting me and my roommates to lunch next Thursday with a legendary television producer (you know who you are), and Mega Python vs. Gatoroid is on.

That's all for now, Blog-ary. I'm going to enjoy my chicken tenders, tater tots, and Smirnoff Ice before crashing out for the evening. Hopefully, better news will appear in the next few days.

2011: Let's get this party started...

2011-01-19T21:01:00.000-08:00

Well, it's the beginning of a new year, and time for me to start blogging about it. It's been a good start so far. Here are some details:

• I finally got a bed! Thanks to my roommate's co-worker, I received a free twin-size mattress and box spring set...the only caveat was the drive to Pomona to pick it up. Thankfully, I have a friend with an SUV, and the bed has now been slept on for at least a week. I couldn't be happier.

• Even though my job at Universal Studios has become a one-day-a-week schedule (if I'm lucky), I have managed to subsidize my income with some freelance game software work. Thanks to my customers...you know who you are.

• I was invited to a movie fundraiser screening earlier this week. The film: "Come On Down: The Road To 'The Price is Right'". It's a documentary outlining the lives of fans-turned-contestants and their experiences on the show. Also featured in the doc are former staffers, including original Producers Jay Wolpert and Roger Dobkowitz. The upside? I got to see Roger and his family at the screening! Thank you, Randy West, for the invite.

• I will finally get to experience the fun that is Jason's Super Bowl party in Chino in a few weeks. I've heard so many stories from past parties, and now I finally get to go to one and see it for myself.

So far, 2011 has been a great year. Let's hope the rest of it turns out just as good.

Finally, for those interested, I am planning a trip back to the Mid-Ohio Valley at the end of April. So, if you're in Marietta, Parkersburg, Vienna, Williamstown, Belpre, Athens, or any surrounding areas, and want to hang out, let me know.

Our Long National Nightmare...IS OVER!

2010-12-06T20:56:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't already know: after almost 18 months of unemployment, over 100 resumes and applications submitted, and less than 10 interviews, I HAVE A JOB!

I am now a Guest Relations Associate at Universal Studios Hollywood. If you need information about the park, lost or found an article in the park, or have a complaint about someone or something in the park, you will come to me and see me in my snazzy white shirt and black slacks.

This is the most fun job I've had in a great long while, and miles ahead of my last theme park job at Cedar Point.

More news to come later!

Status Update

2010-10-13T21:13:00.000-07:00

OK, so here's what has been happening in my world recently.

I've now delved head-first into the world of the "Paid Audience Member." Game show fans across the country were not pleased when the new CBS version of Pyramid was turned down for the Julie Chen-helmed talk show, The Talk. Since the show premieres on Monday (10/18), they have been doing test shows at CBS Radford in Studio City. None of the f@nb0is are going to like me when I say...

The Talk is actually enjoyable.

Granted, we've received $10 for each day we've been to a taping, but the show is actually worth watching. I even won a $5 Starbucks gift card yesterday.

Anyway, as for the job hunt. I've now put in 90 applications, and have chalked up an additional interview, bringing that total up to FOUR (yes, a number so low, I can type it out in word form). Yesterday's interview was with L.A. Sports Marketing. They have contracts with all major sports teams in the area, and do promotions and giveaways at the home games. I told the interviewer that was right up my street, and I would love to do it. Here's hoping I get in for the next two interviews, then get the job.

Tomorrow, our production company, "Ineligible Productions", has our first serious business meeting. Hopefully we can get the ball rolling on that end as well. We have solid formats that we need to tinker, then get on tape and post online. We just need everyone on the same page.

That's all for now, folks. I'll check back in later!

Some Help Possibly On The Way...

2010-09-20T23:05:00.000-07:00

OK, so a while ago while searching for ways to escape my mounting student loan debt, I came across this site:

http://www.forgivestudentloandebt.com/

Apparently, there is a movement afoot to petition Congress and the current Administration to "Forgive Student Loan Debt to Stimulate the Economy." Honestly, it makes a lot of sense. If the graduates had more money to spend, we would buy more, and not be hounded by collectors and creditors every morning at 5 AM.

I haven't scanned it for a while, but I decided to log on today. To my surprise, there are TWO pieces of legislation out there to add private student loans BACK into the current bankruptcy law. The Senate bill has just been passed out of subcommittee and sent to full committee. Promising, for sure.

For more information, I checked out OpenCongress.org and looked up:

Senate Bill S.3219 - Fairness for Struggling Students Act of 2010
House Bill H.R.5043 - Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2010

Look them up, and contact your Congressional representatives (both sides; House and Senate) to help include student loans under the Big Black Wedge.

Our Long National Nightmare Persists...

2010-09-19T23:19:00.000-07:00

Two months, 70+ job applications, three interviews, no job. So, since I am desperate, I signed up for a thing called "Project PayDay." Turns out, if you click this banner ad:

...and provide your name and email address, I get a buck and a half. Yeah, I know it sounds weird, but you don't have to sign up for anything, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Every little bit helps, especially with the first of the month coming up and the rent being due.

The Job Hunt; aka "Our Long National Nightmare"

2010-09-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

Well, here's the update. We've been in our apartment almost a month now, and I'm still the weak link in the chain...I still don't have a job. My last post outlined 30 job applications and resumes I had submitted. I have since completely lost count, but I'm sure it's in the neighborhood of 50 to 60 active applications out in the ether.

EDIT: I went back thru my emails and found all of my applications. 54 have been sent out.

Among my application locations:
Best Buy
Target
Staples
CBS
NBC
BBC America
E! Entertainment Television
Universal Studios
The Hustler Store
Google
Fry's Electronics
Burbank Airport Marriott
14 Craigslist positions

Tomorrow holds in store the Interview2Hire Job Fair at the Glendale Hilton, just a few blocks from this apartment. I'm hoping I can land something there, because I'm starting to go stir crazy.

Stat Sheet:
Months without a job: 14
Applications submitted: 54
Interviews to date: 3

Will I have a job by tomorrow afternoon? Cross everything you have two of and wish me the best of luck!

The Job Hunt: An Addendum

2010-07-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

So, my last count was off by a few. Counting the fresh ones today, here's the ACTUAL count of applications submitted as of July 27, 2010:

• 6 applications at Best Buy
   - 2 in Burbank
   - 2 in West Hollywood
   - 2 in Los Angeles (Los Feliz store)
       -  Each pair is for Merchandising (Restock) and Cashier

• 4 applications at CBS
   - Page
   - Mailroom Messenger
   - Administrative Assistant at CBS 2
   - Administrative Assistant in Promotional Placement & Awards

• 2 applications to USC
   - Payment Specialist
   - Administrative Assistant in Student Affairs

• 1 applications each to:
   - Staples (Cashier)
   - Borders (Bookseller)
   - NBC (Universal Page)
   - E! (Production Assistant, E! News)
   - BBC America (Executive Assistant)
   - AMF Bowling Centers (Pasadena; Control Desk)
   - DirecTV (User Interface Design)
   - Madame Tussaud's Hollywood (Front Line Host)
   - Historic Hollywood Hotel (Guest Services)
   - Fidelity Creditor Service (Data Entry)
   - Marriott Burbank (Front Desk)

23 applications submitted since I touched down in Los Angeles 9 days ago. Callback count: 0.

Stay tuned to see if I actually unlock the Achievement that is "Employment."

The Job Hunt Continues...

2010-07-21T10:43:00.000-07:00

For those of you tuned to the situation, here's what has happened in the past week:

• I arrived at my friends' apartment in Glendale one week ago, safe and sound. News arrived soon after that we got the apartment we applied for. We sign the lease tomorrow!

• I've managed to apply for a BUNDLE of jobs, both inside and outside my field of expertise. Included are:
-- 4 applications at Best Buy (2 in Burbank, 2 in West Hollywood)
-- 3 applications at CBS (Page, Mailroom Messenger, Administrative Assistant at CBS 2)
-- 2 applications to USC (Payment Specialist and Administrative Assistant in Student Affairs)
-- 1 applications each to Staples (Cashier), Borders (Bookseller), NBC (Universal Page), E! (Production Assistant), and BBC America (Executive Assistant).

All tolled, that's 14 applications in 7 days, and that's not counting the two I put in thru Craigslist. I don't count those because, frankly, I don't trust them. Why I applied for them in the first place? Desperation, plain and simple.

If there are any Hiring Managers, HR Professionals, or other influential staffers out there: I've been out of work for over ONE YEAR now. It is the longest stretch of time I've gone without a job and, frankly, I'm going a bit stir crazy. I've never gone this long without something to do and somewhere to go to do it. TV's really boring thru the afternoon. Give me a chance to show you that I can work for you!

The Last Hurrah...

2010-06-25T22:09:00.000-07:00

Well, we've finally got a plan about the next couple of weeks.

• Saturday, June 26: Packing up the remainder of the small items in the house and preparing them for transport. Tomorrow night, the UK airing of the second part of the Doctor Who season finale.

• Sunday, June 27: Taking the last loads out of the house and to the farm or to our friend's house across town, leaving only furniture pieces in the house.

• Monday, June 28: Mom has surgery on her back (Lumbar Laminectomy and Spinal Fusion). We have to be at the hospital at 11:30 AM, then the procedure begins at 2. I'll be staying at the hospital until she's moved to her recovery room, then coming home to make full reports to all.

• Tuesday, June 29: Starting at 9 AM, we'll be removing the last pieces of furniture out of the house and out to the farm. The ol' homestead will be the former homestead.

• Thursday, July 1: I'll have to go thru the house with the American General rep for an appraisal. Financial red tape blows donkey...honestly.

• Sometime before the weekend: Mom should be released from the hospital to go home to recuperate.

It's all coming together. It's all real. It's really screwin' with my head.

Packing up the house...

2010-06-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

Yeesh...moving is rough. We've been packing up the house for at least the past three weeks, and it looks like we haven't made a major dent. Granted, we horsed TWO dressers out to the farm house we're moving to (one of which, a cherry dresser, had to go up a narrow flight of stairs on a dolly), but my room is still crammed full of years of crap.

Just a short list of what I still have left: my entire DVD collections, 7 chess sets, my Wii with all my games, my big desktop computer, 24" monitor, Blu-Ray Player, almost every stitch of clothing, and my entire "Price is Right" home game and prop collection.

With all that said, we've imposed a deadline to be out of the house on June 26...a week from tomorrow. 8 days to get everything out of the house and all the utilities turned off. Can we do it? The countdown is on...

How To Fix GSN

2010-03-09T20:43:00.000-08:00

Recently, "Game Shows at About.com" put up a Facebook status message asking, "How would you fix GSN?". Thankfully, I have a plan which may help the network get back their core audience and build that core back up.

The way I have set up the schedule is "theme hours." Some work, some don't...just go with it.

Some of the programming I'm outlining, GSN currently does not have in their rotation or, most likely, their libraries. So, this would take a bit of financial wrangling and fan support, but it would work.

The following schedule depends on a 9 AM-4 AM programming day.

=====================================================

WEEKDAYS

9 AM - 10 AM: Reg Grundy Power Hour

Scrabble (1983)

Sale of the Century (Jim Perry)

10 AM - 11 AM: Trebek out of Water

Classic Concentration

Double Dare (1975)

11 AM - 12 PM: Before Noon Delight

The Dating Game (Jim Lange)

The Newlywed Game (Bob Eubanks)

12 PM - 2 PM: Barry & Enright Block

The Joker's Wild (1975)

Tic Tac Dough (Wink Martindale)

Bullseye

Hot Potato

2 PM - 3 PM: Word Game Roundup

Chain Reaction (Bill Cullen)

Super Password

GSN LIVE BLOCK

3 PM - 4 PM: Shopper's Paradise

Supermarket Sweep (David Ruprecht)

Shop Til You Drop (Pat Finn)

4 PM - 6 PM: Goodson-Todman Block

Family Feud (Richard Dawson)

Match Game '7x

Card Sharks (Jim Perry)

Blockbusters (Bill Cullen)

6 PM - 7 PM: Enduring Classics

Press Your Luck

Let's Make A Deal (Monty Hall, ABC Run)

7 PM - 8 PM: Bob Stewart Block

$100,000 Pyramid (Dick Clark)

8 PM - 9 PM: Heatter-Quigley Block

Catch 21

High Rollers (Wink Martindale)

9 PM - 10 PM: A Prime Time Affair

The Newlywed Game (Carnie Wilson)

Love Connection

10 PM - 11 PM: The New Feud

Family Feud (Richard Karn)

Family Feud (John O'Hurley)

11 PM - 12 AM: Syndie Millionaire

Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (Meridith Vieira) x2

12 AM - 2 AM: West Coast Rebroadcast

Same as 8 PM - 10 PM programming

2 AM - 4 AM: Black and White Overnight

Beat the Clock (Bud Collyer)

What's My Line? (John C. Daly)

The Name's The Same (Robert Q. Lewis)

I've Got A Secret (Garry Moore)

=====================================================

SATURDAY

9 AM - 12 PM: Saturday Morning For The Kids

Child's Play

Fun House

Double Dare (Marc Summers)

Finders Keepers

Get The Picture

Legends of the Hidden Temple

12 PM - 1 PM: The Bill Rafferty Hour

Blockbusters

Card Sharks

1 PM - 2 PM: The Jim Lange Hour

The $100,000 Name That Tune

Celebrity Bullseye

2 PM - 3 PM: Attack of the 1990's

Tic Tac Dough (Patrick Wayne)

The Joker's Wild (Pat Finn)

3 PM - 4 PM: 80's Rebirths

Hollywood Squares (John Davidson)

Let's Make A Deal (Monty Hall, 1984)

4 PM: Deal or No Deal

5 PM: Match Game Hollywood Squares Hour

6 PM - 8 PM: Celebrities Behaving Badly

Tattletales

Body Language

Win, Lose or Draw

Password

8 PM - 2 AM: Saturday Night Mini-Marathon

Full run of Monopoly

Full run of Super Jeopardy!

Unsold Pilots

"Before They Were Stars" on The Dating Game

Video Village

Game Show Moments Gone Bananas

Foreign shows (Countdown, The Mad Dash, et al.)

2 AM - 4 AM: Black and White Overnight

=====================================================

SUNDAY

9 AM - 2 PM: GSN Originals, Then And Now

Whammy!

Friend or Foe

Russian Roulette

Lingo

That's The Question

Camouflage

The Newlywed Game (Carnie Wilson)

Catch 21

High Stakes Poker

2 PM: 1 vs. 100

3 PM: Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (Regis Philbin)

4 PM: Deal or No Deal

5 PM: Match Game Hollywood Squares Hour

6 PM - 8 PM: Celebrities Behaving Badly

Tattletales

Body Language

Win, Lose or Draw

Password

8 PM - 11 PM: GSN Time Machine

Wheel of Fortune (Chuck Woolery)

Wheel of Fortune (Pat Sajak)

Jeopardy! (Art Fleming)

Jeopardy! (Alex Trebek)

Hollywood Squares (Peter Marshall)

Hollywood Squares (Tom Bergeron)

11 PM: Sunday Night Reality

The Mole (any)

The Amazing Race

12 AM: Celebrity Weakest Link

1 AM: Celebrity Millionaire (Regis Philbin)

2 AM - 4 AM: Black and White Overnight

=====================================================

Granted, this does sound like "f@nb0i" ramblings, but by gosh, it'll help GSN regain their currently alienated core audience, and word will spread that the classics are back, and more eyes will come in.

Game Shows != Reality Shows

2010-01-18T08:15:00.000-08:00

This is my first post in over three years. For those of you that follow my blog, I'll be posting a lot more, I'm sure.

Aside: For those of you who aren't computer programmers, "!=" means "not equal to".

After reading some disturbing things about new game shows and their production practices on BuzzerBlog (http://www.buzzerblog.com/), I felt like I had to submit my 2¢.

First, Our Little Genius. Granted, my opinion of this show was low out of the gate. It struck me as 5th Grader Flip Flop. I felt like the concept was played out, and was currently playing very well in syndication. The camel's back-breaker? The fact that they "re-stacked" questions to fit a contestant's strength, then re-shot the whole thing. Dirty pool, Mark Burnett. You should know better than that. Because of that move, OLG is now effectively off-the-air.

OLG was put to the forefront because Fox decided to pass on the brilliant British show, The Cube. When news came out that Fox was bringing Cube to these shores, NBC countered with Perfect 10.

Perfect 10, now called Minute To Win It, was allegedly to have ordinary people perform ordinary household tasks to win ONE MEEELEEON DAWLLARS (yes, I can type how Dr. Evil speaks). With the "household tasks" stigma dropped, the players are now performing basic physical challenges...in an environment similar to ITV's British smash, The Cube. Not only that, but reports are out now of a contestant failing his first challenge twice (which would be a loss), and the producers giving the player a new challenge and re-starting the show! Now, I'm not going to comment on any of NBC's other issues right now (I'm With CoCo), but NBC of all networks should be aware of what kind of stigma is behind "rigging" a game show. Twenty-One, anyone?

To all current and potential game show producers out there, here's something to look up:

47 U.S.C. § 509 : US Code - Section 509

Prohibited practices in contests of knowledge, skill, or chance

I'm not going to quote the whole thing here, but trust me, it's important.

Friday @ Television City

2006-10-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

Well, it's Friday again in Los Angeles. Today, I'm in the office, but I'm lucky enough to be flying solo. What does that mean for me? Well, I have to water the plants...that's key. Apart from that? Probably not doing a whole lot else. There is an extensive DVD library of clips and certain shows and such, so I'll probably drown myself in Price is Right DVD history for a few hours.

Tomorrow should be interesting. In Studio 36, Show Me The Money starts taping on Saturday. Guess who's going. That's right, your favorite game show insider...me! Watch for a special report Sunday morning for a full report. By the time I will get out of the taping tomorrow, it'll be Midnight back east. The ticket states that the taping could go as long as four hours...hopefully it won't turn into another Deal or No Deal season premiere.

One of the problems with television...

2006-09-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

I have now officially been working in television for a month. This week, I started performing a sort of "case study" of one of the main problems with television nowadays. That problem? Audience casting.

For those of you who do not know, some shows will actually put notices on Craig's List and other services to get people to basically fill seats in their audience, while paying those people in cash once the show is over. Click this link ((CRAIGSLIST)) to see the ad.

HYPOTHESIS: In order for a television show to be successful, both the home audience and the studio audience have to WANT to watch the show, not be assigned to watch the show.

CASE 1 -- "THE PRICE IS RIGHT": For 34 years and counting, The Price is Right has consistently attracted a studio capacity audience. Why? The audience requested their tickets because they wanted to see the show, with the additional perk of perhaps being a contestant. I have observed the audiences for the 8 shows I have been an audience member and the 13 shows I have worked and have noticed this. Because the audience wants to be there, their reactions to Barker, Rich, the girls, the prizes, and the games are REAL. Even before the show, one can hear mutterings of "Look, that's the turntable," or "Wow, look at those doors," or even "I can't believe I'm in here."

CASE 2 -- "THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON": Personally, I am a huge fan of Craig Ferguson. By being a CBS Television City employee, I was able to get VIP seats for two shows this past week. What did that mean? I was seated right up front with a great view of Craig's monologue and the desk and chair island during the guests and Craig's nightly "Voice Mail Check." However, the audiences for both shows were partially casted. What did this mean? Craig's jokes, the guests, and even the warmup act's jokes were falling dead to the water. The reactions from most of the audience (save for me and a few people who actually requested tickets) were forced. During the warmup, the comedian, Chunky B, uses what he calls "his Double L's." He forms an "L" with both hands to get the audience to laugh at his weak jokes. On Tuesday, he didn't throw up the Double L's a lot during the warmup, and the audience was on fire, even causing Craig to break up during his monologue. Because of this, the entire audience received VIP cards, which allow us to call back anytime and get VIP seating for a future show. Thursday's show was quite a different story. Chunky got tired of putting up the L's, and even went so far as to run out of material for the pre-show warmup. Because of so much of the audience assigned to be there, the reactions were not genuine, causing the show to be very weak.

CONCLUSION: If you're assigned to be there, you have to WANT to be there. You cannot look at a television show audience seat as a job. It has to be looked at as an experience. You're there to laugh, cheer, applaud, and do everything else that a good audience member does. Look at the daily audience of TPiR and use them as an example.

Questions, class?

SPECIAL REPORT: "Price is Right" 35th Season Premiere/34th Season Wrap Party

2006-08-31T22:55:00.000-07:00

Alright, gang. Here's the scoop. As a member of the Price staff, albeit a relatively new and unpaid one, I was invited to attend the Wrap Party after the 35th Season Premiere taped today. Here's what went down.

First, at the taping, I finally met all of Barker's Beauties: Shane, Brandi, Gwendolyn, Rachel, and Gabrielle. I was able to get a picture with them during rehearsal and after the show. Today's show was very photo opportunity worthy, being the season premiere and all. The show airs September 18. MAKE SURE YOU WATCH IT ALL THE WAY TO THE END OF THE SHOW!!

Then came the party. I walked to the party from Television City (not all that far...just up the street) with Gabrielle, Shane, and Brandi. Yeah, I rolled into the party with Barker's Beauties. How awesome is that! So, I got into the bar line and ordered a Cherry Coke (hey, I can't help it...I don't drink all that much). I went over to a table, got some food in the buffet line, and dined with announcer Rich Fields (my new homeboy, by the way). After the food and some awesome conversation, I got my picture taken with Bob before he made a speech thanking everyone for their work. Well, I got a spot standing right close to Bob (front row, yeah).

After talking with Fremantle liaison Syd Vinnedge and thanking him for his work ("whatever he did"), Syd said, "We feel the love." So, Bob got everyone there to say "We feel the love" in unison, with me kicking in a "Hallelujah" directly after...which got Bob's attention. Then, he pointed me out and commended me on a "splendid job" and encouraged me to keep up the good work!

So, after coming back down to Earth, I remained at the party, mainly talking with the other office staff, but having the absolute best time of my life! I finally left the restaurant at 9:30 and grabbed a cab back to the apartment.

Fridays at "Price." In a word: Fun!

2006-08-25T23:02:00.000-07:00

As you Price fans out there know, the show doesn't tape on Fridays. Instead, Real Time with Bill Maher tapes in Studio 33. So, what is there to do on Friday? Well, today was kinda interesting.

Next week is the big 34th Season Wrap Party. About 300 people are invited to attend this star-studded event, including none other than yours truly. At the party, the guests will be presented with a "Swag Bag" full of "35 YEARS" PiR stuff...a baseball cap, beach towel and frisbee. The office manager, Tiffany, and I stuffed all 300 of those bags today. Took us 5 hours, but it was so much fun. She and I did nothing but talk and joke in between phone calls, tote bags, and Pizza Hut pizza & "Quepapas." Right around 4, the office was empty, the tote bags filled the War Room, and Tiff and I were both beat. So, I headed out with an invite to go to the Santa Monica Pier this Sunday. Sounds like fun. I may go. Not sure yet.

So far, this internship has been the MOST fun I've ever had at any job. Monday should prove to be fun as well, with two tapings and very little office time.

Look for a special report Thursday night/Friday morning regarding the 35th Season Premiere and the Wrap Party!

SPECIAL REPORT: "Price" Internship, Day 1

2006-08-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

Well gang, you've waited for the news of how the first day went. So, here it is.

I reported to CBS at 10:35 this morning (with an 11 AM appointment time). I was sent to the other side of the lot to the "Price is Right Bungalow" to meet with Roger and the rest of the gang. Before you ask, yes, the "Price" offices ARE in a bungalow...a little house nestled into the corner of the Television City lot.

I met with producer Roger Dobkowitz to discuss interning, my duties, and assorted other things to be done around the office. He told me that Price is one of the few shows that have their interns actually WORK, instead of cleaning out coffee pots, et al. What was on tap today? Not a whole lot, since Tuesday's the light day around the office. I did get to meet everyone in the office...Roger, Stan, Sue, Scott, Tiffany, Vanessa, Jeff, Bente, Gina, Kathy, and Karen...all 11 people on the Price office staff.

After that, I was taken into the "War Room." This boardroom is where a week's worth of shows' prizes are planned out on a corkboard that takes up almost all the available wall space. We started the process at 11:40, and kept going till about 1, when the gang was headed over to the studio for rehearsal. BUT, before rehearsal, I needed to do one seriously important thing...get my CBS ID Badge. It's basically a photo ID the size, shape, and consistency of a credit card. Even though it's small, it carries a hell of a wallop. Following the ID badge, Roger gave me a quick tour of the studio, including a stop in Bob's dressing room! I GOT TO TALK TO BOB!!

Back in studio, I was able to sit and watch the entire rehearsal of today's show, from back to front. For a while, I sat in the audience in the same seat in which I was sitting when I was called as a contestant. After that, I moved to stage level and sat at the Producer's Table to watch the rest of rehearsal.

Once rehearsal was over, they started herding the audience into the studio. I ducked back into the wings to help Stan and Scott select today's contestants (well, not so much help as handle the signed contestant cards). Once all 9 were selected, the names were given to Jeff to put on cue cards for the first four, and given to Rich to call for the day. I stood back stage next to the sound effects booth and talked with my friend Scott for practically the whole show.

Following taping, Roger sent me with the unused contestant cards back to the Bungalow to shred them. Before I headed back, I spoke with my friend Chuck, now Head Page at CBS Television City. After a quick "how-do-you-do," I headed for the Bungalow. Before I got there, I passed Rich in the parking lot. He said to me, "So, I hear you're an intern now!" I said, "Yeah, it's official. Badge and all." He said, "All the free pencils you want, right?" I said, "Yep." He said, "Congratulations!" I thanked him and headed for the office.

Back in the Bungalow and back to the War Room to finish planning the week of shows, which took an additional hour. Didn't really seem like an hour, seeing as how it really was enjoyable for me. After all that was done, I hopped a bus back to the apartment. Tomorrow, I get to watch the show from the Control Room!

For those of you that wished me good luck and offered words of encouragement, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You were all with me when I went in today, and I will keep you with me thru the whole span of the internship.

SPECIAL REPORT: Family Feud

2006-08-19T17:12:00.001-07:00

I just returned home after witnessing what I would call television gold.

Family Feud, going into its 8th season in its current incarnation, and 30th year on television, is now under the leadership of John O'Hurley, as well as the continuing announcing of Burton Richardson. Here is my full report after watching three episodes.

THE SET
For those of you that have seen the photo of the new set online, it doesn't do it justice at all. The board has gone back to the original large oval shape with two side spires for the scoreboards. The main survey portion remains a projector screen with 8 (for Rounds 1 & 2) or 6 (for Round 3 on) answer slots. The score displays are now monitors that display the scores in a sort of Times New Roman like font. The "Face-Off" podium has gone back to the days of Dawson, with the classic rectangle shape and the four mini-squares in the corners. The lights are a grid of little light bulbs with a white border, all of which illuminate on a Face-Off buzz in. The contestant tables, again, go back to the original shape, although they are now back lit, with color changing lights. The families also stand in front of their name rear-projected on an archway screen that covers their POSING ROOM! Yes, the families once again pose in the "Family Portrait" style normal to the Dawson/Combs era.

An interesting little wrinkle is a new audience setup. The audience no longer sits only in front of the stage. There are now two additional audience areas on either side of the board, facing out. It's like Family Feud in the round!

THE NEW HOST
What can be said about John O'Hurley that hasn't already been said? He adds so much class to this show that hasn't been there in recent history. It's like watching a true master at work, albeit a bit nervous (at least from what I could tell from the audience). He runs the show with grace, dignity, and a bit of speed and pinache. It was a breath of fresh air after seeing Richard Karn and Louie Anderson have the Feud and not do it justice. O'Hurley makes me want to watch Feud again.

For those interested, I was in the audience for three episodes...#017, #018, and #019. Check the Feud website for the airdates of these episodes. I'm in the audience just offstage from the end of the right-hand family's bench. I won't reveal any details about who won what and how many times...you'll just have to watch for yourself.

The Countdown Is On...

2006-08-18T19:43:00.000-07:00

Friday night...August 18...7:38 PM Pacific Time.

In less than 96 hours, life will change forever. Tuesday is the day...11 AM is the time...CBS Television City is the place. I'm buggin' out about this, if you haven't already figured that out. I can still remember when I received my first letter from the show on December 12th (oddly enough, Bob Barker's birthday...good omen, yes?) and saw that this opportunity was available. Well, in 3 days, I'm going to cash in my chips and hit the ground running.

As for new and interesting news: I just got back into L.A. last night from a two week home stand. I enjoyed my time at home, and it turned out to be very productive for me. I was able to finish not only the Scrabble software for next year's Game Show Congress, but the display software for this year's "OU Price is Right" event. I know, I'm a nerd.

Tomorrow, the California Contingency (all the guys from the Congress that live in So Cal, now including yours truly) is going to see an episode of Family Feud under the new leadership of John O'Hurley. Judging by early reports of his hosting and the pics of the new set, this should kick a large amount of butt.

This weekend also marks the last weekend at home for all of my Res Life friends from OU. Guys and gals, have fun getting back to campus and going thru orientation. I wish I could be there with you again this year, but I have something that has to be taken care of. Some of you will receive phone calls from me after my first day of work.

That's about all I know for right now. Look for a special post TUESDAY NIGHT with a recap of my first day of work at The Price is Right.

Game Show Congress V Rundown

2006-07-23T19:15:00.000-07:00

Alrighty, for those of you drooling for details as to what happened at Game Show Congress V, here it is...

Thursday, July 13: The Congress begins with a tribute video to Nipsey Russell, Jan Murray, and Peter Tomarken; three fallen legends in the game show industry. Following the moving tribute, the crowd is treated to a special performance by The Ceramic Dalmatians. This group, formed of former and present game show insiders, plays only game show theme and incidental music. Starting off with a rocking version of The Price is Right theme, they move into prize cues, then into Match Game, Press Your Luck, and many others. After their performance, the weekend's Game Show Tournament MC's have a little introductory speech before we kick off with the night's Price is Right icebreaker kickoff. Dave calls down the first four and the Dalmatians play me in. The show went alright with all retired games, only two wins. Match Game and Deal or No Deal finish off the night, and we crash out at Midnight.

Friday, July 14: Day 2 begins with an early call for the tournament MC's. Games begin at 8, and while I'm not hosting anything till 10, I still have to run some software. The games that were designed around software blew people away. Hit Man, Sale of the Century, and Monopoly on the first day brought people directly into the game experience. Later that night, we move upstairs into the hotel for Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour, another Deal or No Deal, and the first Press Your Luck game of the weekend. To wind down the night, J. Keith Van Straaten and the crew from ACME come to the Congress with the last What's My Line? LIVE on Stage. Your panel: audience warm-up comic and video archivist Stuart Shostak, co-host of The Better Sex Sarah Purcell, host of Street Smarts Frank Nicotero, and I've Got A Secret mainstay Betsy Palmer. The night's first guest: Price is Right model Gabrielle Tuite and her line: "Owns Tanning Salon." A pleasant shock to us all, thank you Gabby for coming to the Congress. The Mystery Guest: Shirley Jones (complete with Marty Ingalls after stumping the panel). Later that night, Ben, Gordon, and I play Buzzer Battle in practice for the charity event tomorrow night.

Saturday, July 15: Today will be big. Not only will this finish the Game Show Tournament, but we have special guests in the house. A few rousing rounds of The Joker's Wild and some confusing board configurations in Blockbusters (Jason Block was the only one to connect top to bottom AND side to side), we go to the jewel of the day...the Tic Tac Dough Reunion! Special guests: Wink Martindale, Thom and Jenny McKee, and Executive Producer Ron Greenberg. Interesting insights from "Behind The Dragon" were extoled upon the masses, including the "heartbreak" that Wink felt when Thom finally ended his 46-episode, $312,700 run. Following the panel, Steve Beverly lets us all in on "The State of The Games." You can read all about it at his site, tvgameshows.net.

Next, the MC's get together to plan out next year's tournament while everyone else goes to the Hosts and Announcers panel discussion. Following the panel, we go back to the Big Board and go nuts for Press Your Luck. Starting with Ben, we add three members to "Whammy Theater." Whenever someone hit a Whammy on the board, Ben, Jason Block, Mike Klauss, and Jason Hernandez took it upon themselves to act out the numerous Whammy animations for the unfortunate player. All this goofiness brought chuckles and bursts of applause from the gathered masses. Our top winner: BJ Brown, after hitting "Add A One" in the first round, with $122,700. Take that, Mike Larsen.

That night, Buzzer Battle for the Aids Research Alliance. Our team, "The East-West Connection," got the privilege of going up against Dr. Kevin Olmstead ($2.18M winner on Millionaire) and, needless to say, lost horribly.

Sunday, July 16: One more early day with the live WLTI show, with me running the software for the mini-games. Much fun, gents. Following that, the "Insiders" panel; consisting of DoND executive producer Scott St. John, People's Court executive producer Stu Billett, and Wheel & Jeopardy executive producer Harry Friedman. They tell us practically everything they like and everything they know about putting a game show together. As soon as we come out of the panel discussion, the lobby is full of luminaries prepared to speak at the Legends Luncheon. Among them: honoree and Master of The Hollywood Squares Peter Marshall, permanent top center square Rose Marie, Price is Right announcer Rich Fields, Davidson Price is Right announcer Burton Richardson, GSC regulars Tom Kennedy and Jack Narz, and creator of Sale of the Century and Supermarket Sweep Al Howard. The luncheon begins and ends ON TIME, to everyone's amazement. I manage to get my picture taken with Peter, Rose, Ronnie Greenberg, and Steve Beverly, with the assistance of Tom Gauer. Thanks, Tom!

Following the luncheon, we go to the Game Show Tournament semi-finals and finals. The Semis: Hot Potato and Family Feud. Both games took a total of 30 minutes, moving directly to the finals and Mike Burger's Game Show Machine. After an All-Star Game and the Finals, the MC's take on any challengers. The team we faces lost to us 267-62...a 205 point deficit. Maybe next time. With enough time for one more game, I stay seated in my chair and let Mike K, Tom, and James Dinan join my team. We also take that game by a sharp margin.

With the Congress over, we retreat to bed for the "Pilgrimage" to 7800 Beverly Blvd. in the morning. More on that later...

Here we go...

2006-07-21T17:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I've currently been in Los Angeles for 11 days. I'd have to say this is probably the most unusual and the COOLEST experience I've had so far in my life. Let me take you thru all I've been thru in the past week and a half.

Monday, July 10: Day 1. I fly into Los Angeles and I'm already hit with the first of many good surprises to come. I'm in line at the taxi stand at LAX. A guy in a suit comes up to me and asks if I need a taxi. I say, "Yes, but I'm going to Glendale." (For those of you that don't know, Glendale is about 25 miles away from LAX) He says, "No problem," then takes me into the parking garage. Do I see a cab? No. I see a long, sleek, black LINCOLN TOWN CAR!! My first thought is, "Oh, no. What happened?" But, I go along with it, because I know I've got enough cash on hand just in case. This guy, name Jafar, was originally an aerospace technician. How do I know? He talked to me the entire 25 miles of the trip. Had to have been the quickest trip from LAX, and the most enjoyable. After that, I move into Ben's apartment for a 3-night stay and crash.

Tuesday, July 11: Got my first taste of fast food Chinese that's not $3.75. Panda Express. Try the specialty Orange Chicken. I recommend it. Also, I get my first taste of British game shows The Crystal Maze and Knightmare. Also, I have to crash early that night, because I plan to make "The Pilgrimage" to Television City that night.

Wednesday, July 12: Arrival at CBS Television City. Because of my early arrival, I manage #002 in line!! (Thanks to Gus's arrival at 12:30 AM) Following a long night in line, we had breakfast at Johnny Rocket's (A Pilgrimage tradition), donuts at Bob's in the Farmer's Market (a NEW Pilgrimage tradition), and a stop at the CBS gift shop. Upon arrival in the studio, we discovered one new thing right off the bat. The doors will change for Season 35. That's all I'm gonna say. The show went well, but I'm not giving out any spoilers, unless you really want to know. That night, we connected with the rest of the Game Show Congress gang and enjoyed What's My Line? LIVE On Stage at the Acme Comedy Theater. J. Keith Van Straaten and the crew at Acme has made the show amazing, and I'm sorry to see that was the last show...outside of the live performance at GSC this weekend.

Thursday, July 13: GSC Day 1... But first, we all have to go to Wheel of Fortune. Upon arrival at Sony, we link up with the remaining GSC bunch; Andrew Greenstein (150 lbs less, thanks to Gastric Bypass), and everyone's favorite Scotch-a-holic, Tom Gauer. We had tickets to get in, but the possessors of the tickets were late in getting to the studio. However, we said we were with Game Show Congress. That was the secret word. We all got yellow "Production Guest" stickers and moved to the FRONT OF THE LINE!! What does that mean? Front row seats with great views of the Wheel, the Board, the Pat, and the Vanna. Three shows later (the first three episodes of season 24), and we motor out of Culver City for a taping at CBS of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Bob Barker's supposed to make an appearance, so 9 of the GSC bunch goes, with the rest going to Burbank. Barker does make an appearance, with Rich, Gwendolyn, Brandi, Shane, and Gabby. Why? To help Craig destroy his set. Barker took one karate chop wallop to the desk and BOOM, it's in two!!

More details on GSC and all the rest on the next post. Life is still kinda slow, so there probably won't be much news for a while.

The final weekend...

2006-07-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, this will be my last weekend in the Mid Ohio Valley until December. If you don't already know, I am about to embark on an exciting adventure.

On July 10, I will be flying out of Columbus to Los Angeles for the fifth annual Game Show Congress. It's the annual convention of game show superfans, former contestants, and insiders. This will also be the first year that I fit all three categories.

On August 22, I will start my internship at The Price is Right. I will be spending four months studying under the tutelage of the legend, Bob Barker, and his staff.

I'm all packed, with three days to go before I fly out. Keep checking back to the blog for more info as this newest chapter in my life opens.

Game Show Marathon Report Card

2006-06-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

The tape has been snapped, the confetti has been dropped, the trophy has been awarded, and the charity has been paid. Now, it's time for the Final Exam of "Game Show Marathon."

The subjects to be graded:
Ricki Lake
Rich Fields
Game Selection
Set Replication
Celebrity Choice
Individual Games
"History Class"
Editing
Rule Changes
Other

RICKI LAKE = B- (2.67) Ricki had a lot of enthusiasm for the show, and hosting these seven classic formats. I had a problem with that enthusiasm drowning out her ability to successfully host a show. I thought it would wear off at first, but it stuck with her from walking thru the Big Doors all the way to Fast Money.

RICH FIELDS = A (4.00) A masterful job, as always. He had some acoustical trouble, what with a studio that's shaped like a bowl, so a lot of post-production plugs had to be done. Don't fault Rich, fault the acoustics of Stage 46.

GAME SELECTION = A+ (4.33) Combining a show that's in syndication, five highly anticipated recreations of classic formats, and a retooling of a juggernaut, this was perfect.

SET REPLICATION = A (4.00) Oh...my...God. I think I uttered those words every night when the giant TV opened to reveal the classic set (albeit the "Price" set was a reproduction of the current set, not the classic set). Art and Electronics Departments, I salute you.

CELEBRITY CHOICE = C (2.00) While most names were recognizeable, I'm still scratching my head. Who IS Brande Roderick?

INDIVIDUAL GAMES = B (3.28)

THE PRICE IS RIGHT = C+ (2.33) Bad editing, a missing 2nd putt, a confusing (for some) Showcase Showdown, and an overly enthusiastic host made for a not good first night.

LET'S MAKE A DEAL = B+ (3.33) The show, as a whole, was enjoyable, and much like the original. Bringing in civilians for Tim's deal was a classy move. But, not having Rich come out with the trays and Ricki mugging with some of the products brought the grade down.

BEAT THE CLOCK = A (4.00) A wonderful adaptation of the Bud Collyer classic. Keeping the celebrities sequestered during the description of the stunt was a stroke of class. Also, with the show being a clip-fest, the grade was increased.

PRESS YOUR LUCK = A- (3.67) A light explanation of the rules during the game to the players drew away from the show. Also, not to fault the guys at FlashGames, but the cash slides on the board were lacking. The font for the original slides isn't that hard to get. However, this WAS "Press Your Luck," so I kept it in the A range.

CARD SHARKS = B+ (3.33) Good use of the classic theme all the way thru the show, and I loved seeing the dual turntable set. Also, I loved how they even incorporated the classic opening poem along with the four-way split screen. However, the cards should have been turned over a little faster and with more authority.

MATCH GAME = B+ (3.33) Although I didn't see the show all the way thru due to a power outage, I have seen clips and heard reports. That being said; the choice and placement of panelists was wonderful. Good to see Betty White in her old seat on the bottom tier. The REAL Rayburn microphone added brownie points to the show. However, Lance's poor performance took something away.

FAMILY FEUD = B (3.00) The players KNEW what they were doing! Plus points for that. Ricki yelling and pointing at the board CONSTANTLY! Minus points for that.

"HISTORY CLASS" = A+ (4.33) Excellent...all the way around.

EDITING = D (1.00) Editors, take a lesson from the director. Some shows have to have certain things included...LIKE A SECOND PUTT and EVERY PLAYER GETTING A DEAL!!

RULE CHANGES = C+ (2.33) Adjusting the Showdown rules, while it made sense to me, confused the general populous. Adjusting the max values on the Money Cards and the Super Match was cool. Not sure I liked the Audience Poll question in the middle of a Perry "Card Sharks" tribute...especially when played for a car. Increasing the dollar values on the "Press Your Luck" board was a nice touch.

OTHER = B+ (3.33) The home player aspect was good. Bringing in civilians on a couple of things was a nice touch.

OVERALL GRADE = B (3.127)

SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT ON A POSSIBLE GAME SHOW MARATHON 2:
1) Put Todd in studio and Ricki on the truck. The general populous like Ricki from her TALK SHOW days, and honestly isn't ready to be a game show host. Throwing her into 7 different formats with no prior game show experience was a tragic error in judgement.

2) A-List celebrities that actually want to be there. In my opinion, Kathy Najimy and Brande Roderick could have cared less if they were there. Evidence? Kathy was slumped over the Showcase podium, and Brande was "confused" about the trip to Australia. I would suggest, CBS, that you put your top stars in this tournament. My lineup for the next Marathon:

Jeff Probst - Jennifer Love Hewitt - Charlie Sheen
Kathryn Morris - Craig Ferguson - Victoria Rowell

3) Try to adapt the show to tape on Stage 33. It would be better for acoustics, and there is already a camera paddock at the back of the audience.

4) Perhaps a new game lineup, with some remaining the same. GSM2 Lineup:
The Price is Right
Let's Make A Deal
The $100,000 Pyramid
Sale of the Century
Tic Tac Dough
The Joker's Wild
Family Feud

with the necessary rule changes:

TPIR = Eliminate Bidder's Row. Have all 6 celebrities come right up to the stage to play a pricing game (a la Doug Davidson). Also, bring out pricing games that are easy to comprehend. Race Game and Hole In One may have been a little to advanced.

Pyramid = Since the contestants are celebrities, celebrity partners may not be needed. Simply pick people directly from the studio audience to partner with the celebrity contestants. Should they make it to the Winner's Circle, the civilian would win the cash.

TTD and TJW = Best of three match with "Dragon" and "Devil" for home players.

5) Timing, timing.........timing. Seriously, game shows are supposed to be faster paced. Don't drag on talking about who cares what. Play the game.

6) Don't spread the shows out. Game shows, in the traditional sense, as a rule, are stripped. Start it on a Monday night, and run it for a full week, ending on the following Sunday night. Ratings will increase. Look at the premiere week of "Deal or No Deal."

That's the end of my rant. Hopefully either GSM will be back, or PYL will be its own show again.

Game Show Congress Pre & Post Itinerary

2006-06-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

Looks like my first week in L.A. will be mighty fun...

--July 12: The Price is Right and What's My Line? LIVE
--July 13: Wheel of Fortune, then the start of GSCV
--July 13-16: Game Show Congress 5
--July 17: The Price is Right...again
--July 18: Moving into my new digs and trip to Disneyland
--July 19: Deal or No Deal

Fun stuff. Stay tuned...

3 weeks to go...

2006-06-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

June 19 has come and gone. I'm now officially old enough to run for Congress and rent a car. I got my Price is Right tickets yesterday for July 12, 13, and 17. That was the first sign that I'm ready to leave town!

What's been going on recently:
--Dropped $173 on a new wardrobe, including khakis and conservative Hawaiian shirts, for work.
--Got confirmation about the dress code at CBS from Roger D. Casual is OK, except for shorts. What's that mean? Every article in my wardrobe has been pre-approved!
--Finished up the software for Game Show Congress V. Took me long enough.

Game Show Marathon is now in the home stretch, with one semifinal down. Brande is in for Family Feud, and Kathy and Lance play Match Game on Thursday. My report card for the Marathon will be up after Feud on the 29th.

Early June Musings...

2006-06-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

My last night in Bromley Hall. I'm one of four people in this entire building. It's kinda cool, but kinda creepy at the same time. I'm going to be leaving here at 10 AM tomorrow, and won't be back to Athens for at least six months.

To all my Bromley Hall staff members: Thanks for making this whole year my favorite in the department. I wish you all well for next year, whether you return to Cathy's staff, moving to a different staff, or moving on altogether.

To the Ohio University Game Show Appreciation Society: Although I will not be there during Fall Quarter, the team is in confident hands, and a piece of me will stay behind. I've left my game bag and banner with Dave, and they will be prevelant during Fall's meetings. Also, Ben, I'm sending you all my software so you can use it during the meetings.

To EVERYONE: I'll keep in contact with you all during my tenure at CBS, although it may not be very often, as I will only have internet access at Television City. I'll try to keep my Facebook profile updated with the newest pictures from inside the studio and all around Los Angeles. Stay tuned to this blog for constant updates about my internship, as I will use this as my journal.

Now, some news about my job and apartment. My apartment is official! Once I move in on July 18, I will send you my mailing address. Also, I have received a definite start date and time for the internship. I am to report to CBS Television City at 11 AM on Tuesday, August 22. WOO HOO!!

More to come later...

Game Show Marathon Thoughts

2006-06-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

After watching the first episode of the US "Game Show Marathon," I decided to surf thru the message boards and blogs to see what other people thought, and I couldn't have been more appalled. So, I'm going to use this time and this column to allay concerns about the show, one issue at a time.

Issue #1: Ricki Lake
Granted, Ricki is no Bob Barker. But, honestly, who is? I was hearing complaints of her being "too excited." That, sir, makes no sense. If you had grown up watching these games all of your life, then you finally get a shot to M.C. the show that is so near and dear to your heart, you WOULDN'T be excited?? Personally, I would be giddy! Also, I heard mention of Ricki mentioning Rich "too many times" during the course of the show. Question: how many is too many? Bob either mentions or talks directly to Rich at least 6 times during the course of the show. Ricki may have gone 10 or 11 times. That's fine! There's nothing wrong with that! It shows a personal connection between host and announcer...much like Gene and Johnny or Richard and Gene.

Issue #2: Rich Fields
OK, we all know (if our ears were trained properly) that Rich did a lot of post-production announcing. With the kind of noise level that 400 people give off, combined with a bowl of a studio, it makes sense that some prize plugs had to be redone. I don't fault Rich for that. I believe he did a masterful job, just like every morning on TPiR.

Issue #3: The Celebrities
For a choice of celebrities, I'd say the producers made a mostly good effort...4.5/6.

Issue #3A: Lance Bass
Lance wore a "COLEGE" shirt on the show, as did several people he was seated next to in studio. Ladies and gentlemen, that was not "making fun" of "Price." That was a TRIBUTE to how "Price" truly goes. What day have you watched the show and NOT seen a group of college students in the audience (mainly the UC-Santa Barbara campus)?

Issue #3B: Leslie Nielsen
Personally, I'm a huge Leslie Nielsen fan, and it was good to see him doing this. I wasn't too thrilled about seeing him called last, but I look forward to seeing him in other episodes of the Marathon. On the boards, I heard people say that he looked "out of it" when bidding on the bubble chair. That was probably the 2nd or 3rd hour of a 4-hour taping session. Wouldn't you be out of it, too?

Issue #3C: Tim Meadows
I love the Ladies' Man! Granted, he didn't get a lot of "playing" time, being stuck in the Row, but he'll be around for more games later. I predict big things for Tim and the Chris Farley Foundation.

Issue #3D: Paige Davis
Ah, our Plinko player. I thought she played the game well, and her antics at the top of the board were funny...not guffaw-on-the-floor funny, but chuckle-because-no-one-has-ever-thought-of-doing-the-staircase-gag-behind-the-board funny. I thought it was awesome that they gave a Dell DJ Diddy MP3 player to everyone in the audience when Paige won her chip for that. Dude, I want a Dell (DJ Diddy MP3 Player)! I was sorry to see her spin double nickels (literally) and get knocked out of the Showdown.

Issue #3E: Kathy Najimy
Here's where my half-point comes in. Kathy played The Row well, but when it came to Hole In One, I thought she could have taken it a little more seriously. Also, her slumping over the Showcase podium was a tad dramatic...as was the $81,000 bid.

Issue #3F: Brande Roderick
Where do I start? First off, I feel she was the token hottie of the sextet. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, though. I think she could have been a little smarter about game play, however. Saying that, I've seen daytime contestants play Race Game worse than her, so I can't fault her for that. Also, being "confused" on whether she had to take the boat to Australia...that showed her true self.

Issue #4: The Edits
Any first episode of a new show is going to have a lot of edits. Just look at the first week of "Deal or No Deal." Edit City, right? Right. That's to be expected.

Issue #4A: The Hole In One Debacle
I know that it's supposed to be "...or Two." I know Kathy got the second putt. I know they edited it out. But, she MISSED the 2nd putt. Had she made the 2nd putt and it had been edited out, I would have been livid. However, if you "Price" students out there remember...Hole in One used to be ONLY ONE PUTT! So, editing out the 2nd putt, although a crass mistake in editing and directing, is somewhat justified.

Issue #5: The Games
I fully expected Plinko to come out. However, for the other two, I would have picked less-complex games. I'm going to stop the fanboys now before you say, "Well, those games are in the road show." I know that. However, the road show doesn't take place on the same lot as all the original game props! Had I been in charge of the games, I would have picked Let 'Em Roll, Plinko, and Danger Price. "But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong."

Issue #5A: Race Game
"$6495? They'd never do that in an MDS." This isn't a Million Dollar Spectacular. Stow it.

Issue #5B: Plinko
"$99? Not likely in daytime." This isn't daytime. Stow it.

Issue #5C: Hole in One
(see Issue #4A for this one) Stow it.

Issue #6: The Showcase Showdown "Fiasco"
Unlike many of my constituents out there, I was not confused by the outcome of the Showdown. If you consult the rulebook of the Endless Games 2nd Edition Price is Right home game, you'll notice that the rules for 3-player Showdown are almost IDENTICAL to those they played last night! I saw that on the show and thought, "That's how I wrote it in the home game!" Now, let me elaborate a little further. Kathy had 55¢ and stayed. Paige got a dime total, which couldn't beat Kathy and knocked her out of contention. At that point, for Brande, it was the "one-spin-to-try-to-get-a-dollar" situation. The top two scorers advanced to the Showcase, and with Brande tying 55¢, she didn't have to spin again.

Issue #7: The Showcases
A 1966 Mustang Convertible? Frickin' Random, but I LOVED it!! Overall, the Showcases were good. The "Time Machine" theme was fitting, seeing as how "Marathon" is its own time machine.

Issue #8: The Post-Mortem
As I stated earlier, I was appalled at the reactions I was seeing for this. People, you have to understand that this *WAS NOT* "The Price is Right." This was an HOMAGE to what Barker and his crew do on a daily basis in Studio 33. Do not discredit the entire Marathon because you didn't think that $6495 should have been played in Race Game.

In conclusion, here are my personal thoughts. They're doing Marathon for a reason...to get game shows back into the mainstream. Also, we the fanboys are not the target market for this. What we can do is help the ratings by watching EVERY EPISODE and messaging Fremantle, thanking them for putting the 5 shows in the middle BACK ON THE AIR! If you like these shows, contact Fremantle and let them know! Also, for those of you that don't know, I have built my college major around game shows. I have also founded and presided over a student organization here on campus celebrating game shows. If these shows get back on the air, that would open up an entire career field for me, and others like me.

First in a while...

2006-05-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

Alrighty, for those of you Blogheads out there, you'll know that this is my first post in a great while. Nothing new and exciting has really happened recently, so no need to post anything.

So, last week, OU Price is Right returned to the Ohio University campus, and was a smashing success. Thank you to all who attended, especially to those that stayed for the whole night. Next year will be bigger and better than ever.

Can't say things since the show have been going wonderfully. I lost my cell phone that I got at the beginning of the year. Such a nice phone too, and it ended up gone. So, I ventured to Radio Shack Friday and got a new SWEETER phone, a Samsung A560.

The end of the quarter is approaching, and so is hall closing. This is gonna be hectic, I know. And with hall closing comes the move home, then the BIG MOVE to Los Angeles for 6 months, then the convention. I CAN'T WAIT!!

It's a big news day...

2006-03-23T10:13:00.000-08:00

Both ONN and WTAP just left my house, each after interviewing me about my love affair with The Price is Right. And, check this out. I get to go to WTAP's studio THIS EVENING to be interviewed for their live 5 :00 newscast!

Weird day.

The Ohio News Network

2006-03-21T17:05:00.000-08:00

OK, so I have been in touch with Brian McIntire at ONN for a couple of weeks now. He's going to come to my house Thursday morning to tape a story about me and my dealings with The Price is Right. This should be interesting, as we've just cleaned and straightened the living room of the house to allow him to even be here.

Oh, and as a side note, I will be taking Miss Hannah Young out for her birthday after we return to campus. Her birthday is, unfortunately, while we are on break, so it will be a belated excursion.

Hannah: You...me...the 31st. Uptown won't know what hit it.

The Internship...

2006-03-20T19:43:00.000-08:00

Here's what I'll be doing, per Roger D. himself...

"You will be doing various office work, e.g. Xeroxing, stuffing envelopes, helping staff members out with their jobs. In the studio, you will help with loading and unloading graphics with our games. You will also be delivering envelopes to various offices here at CBS."

Sounds like this could be fun. Stay tuned...

Press Your Luck Marathon

2006-03-19T15:23:00.000-08:00

It's just after 6 PM in the Eastern time zone. The Press Your Luck marathon in tribute to the fallen Peter Tomarken just ended. I'm proud to say I watched all 9 hours of it. Peter was a legend of his time and one of the inspirations for me to become a game show host. He will truly be missed.

Now to what's going on the rest of the time...

Since I'm not too hip on watching the umpteenth Millionaire rerun on GSN, I started flipping around until I landed on something that caught my eye. Jason X on Sci-Fi. Probably one of the stupider, yet better Jason movies there are. After that? Freddy Vs. Jason. Oh yeah. This is gonna be a fun night.

Game Show Marathon...26.2 miles of gooey goodness

2006-03-18T13:54:00.000-08:00

OK, so, who hasn't seen the news about the new CBS retro-ganza, "Game Show Marathon"? From what I hear it sounds AMAZING!! If you haven't heard about it, I suggest you read it.

Now, on to other things.

If you have a chance to spend $1.99 on an order of Long John Silver's Buttered Lobster Bites, you may want to either save your money or get two pieces of fish. It's a tiny box, granted it contains about 20 to 30 bites in it. They're good, but not worth the $1.99, unless the size were bigger. I ordered a large, and I got the one-size-confuses-all box.

Also, something that grinds my gears...

I have to nix mail while I'm on duty in Bromley. Why is it that mail is still misdelivered while I'm at home?!? I just went down the hill to check the mail and we got mail for our neighbor TWO DOORS UP THE ROAD!! Who does that?

That's it for now. Peter Tomarken tribute starts at 9 AM tomorrow (3/19) on GSN. 18 back-to-back episodes of Press Your Luck. Don't miss a minute.

Your Spring Break Begins...NOW!!

2006-03-17T13:43:00.000-08:00

Alrighty then. I'm currently sitting at home on Spring Break. It's good to be out of Athens for a little while. Now, here's the funny part. Mom took apart her bed, and stacked it on mine. So, right now, I'm sitting a mattress, two box springs, and a leveling board. It's pretty tall, and I'm diggin' it.

So, Spring Break plans. Let's see. Perhaps a bowling or mini-golf excursion, laundry is at the top of the list (and will be done tomorrow), and a trip to one of the many slot machine parlors in Williamstown so Granny can gamble a little bit.

Gang, this is my last Spring Break at home before the big West Coast Excursion. It definitely has a weird feeling about it, but it's good. I think it's about time I got out of my house and did something, right? So far, the plans are still a go to moving out July 1 and coming back right before Christmas. I still need the hard copy description from Roger D. before it's completely official.

When I go back to campus in a week, it'll be my last quarter in the Department of Res Life. It's going to be bittersweet, not gonna lie. I'm definitely gonna miss all my RA friends when I'm on the Left Coast, but I promise to keep in touch. Also, Spring Quarter will be the BIGGEST quarter of my college life thus far. Why? My Tier III class, THREE Game Show events on consecutive weekends (starting with OU Price is Right on 5/6), and a full 16 credit hour load. I can do this. Why couldn't I?

Well, that's it for now. More to come over the course of the week, I'm sure...

First Post in a while...

2006-03-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

Alright, I figured I've left my blog unattended for too long. Thursday should be good...Bobcat Baseball Home Opener tomorrow afternoon, after a meeting for our College Bowl television debut on Friday.

OU PRICE IS RIGHT STATUS: All ordered prizes are IN and descriptions have been written.

I'm currently watching Arianna Huffington and Stephen Colbert fighting about truthiness. Very interesting.

Four months from today (Mar. 1), I'm moving to L.A.!! More to come there...

Back in Athens...

2006-01-02T05:55:00.000-08:00

Well, I've returned to Bromley relatively unscathed. It is definitely great to be back in Athens with my friends, and to be back on a schedule. Classes don't start till tomorrow, but there's still been plenty to keep all the RA's busy as a hive of bumblebees. Most (if not all) of the GSAS has returned to campus. Our kickoff meeting is this week...should be fun.

First, "The Price is Right." Now, "Family Guy."

2005-12-18T18:01:00.000-08:00

What the Hell is up with Bush pre-empting DECENT television shows to spout off at the neck about what he's doing overseas? Seriously, say this stuff to the press, and we'll get it at the next available newscast.

If you want this country to move on with their lives and not worry about anything, by God, keep the decent television shows on the airwaves and NO MORE PRE-EMPTS!!

That was a DIRTY deed...

2005-12-16T10:31:00.000-08:00

I watched "The Apprentice" finale last night. I was predicting an all-out Randal win, until about the one-hour mark last night. Both Randal and Rebecca were performing to the BEST of their abilities, with star-studded events that went off completely well. Both of their team shared with The Donald their glowing recommendations for each candidate. So, I had come to the conclusion that, with the unusual events that had happened this season (a double and a quad firing), that Donald may just hire BOTH candidates. The assumption was backed up when he asked each candidate which job opportunity they would prefer (a construction deal in Jersey City, or a casino expansion in Atlantic City). They both chose a different project, and Donald claimed it would make the choice that much easier.

Well, my initial assumption was correct, and Donald hired Randal for the casino expansion. HOWEVER, he called Randal back to the table after his congratulatory hugs and what-not, and asked him whether or not, with her shining accomplishments, he should hire Rebecca anyway. Randal said, "It's 'The Apprentice,' not 'The Apprenti,'" and Donald abided by that decision. DIRTY DEED, RANDAL!!

However, knowing Trump's business style like I think I do, he's gonna hire Rebecca anyway. I hope he does.

Some good news on my desk today...

2005-12-12T14:40:00.000-08:00

Hello to all you out there in Cyber-land. I just got a heck of a letter in the mail today. Who from? Producer of The Price is Right, ROGER DOBKOWITZ!! I had sent a resume and cover letter two weeks ago, and I got the reply today. Here's the letter's text verbatim:

Dear Mr. Schario:

Thank you for your recent letter. Belated congratulations on winning a Cadillac!

It is great to read about all that you have so far accomplished. You have done quite a bit and you should be very proud.

We do occasionally take interns on our show. The spring internship looks like it has already been taken. We do not have summer internships. The next opening for an internship would be for next fall. You certainly do seem like a most probable candidate.

To be an intern on our show we need the candidate to get actual school credit. We need the candidate to be with us at least four months. (We actually get our interns to do stuff and we want to get some mileage out of spending the time teaching them something!)

If you are interested in the Spring internship, let me know. As stated earlier it is taken but in case that student changes his mind I can let you know.

Sincerely,
Roger Dobkowitz
Producer
"The Price is Right"

Wow.

Brother, can you spare a dime?

2005-12-08T09:57:00.000-08:00

You know, some people say that money isn't the answer.

Then they become college students.

Being an adult sucks. Car insurance, cell phone bill, credit card bill; and I barely have dime one to myself. Maybe I shoulda got a winter job. Damn me for making the "smart" decision.

Yet another reason to like CBS

2005-12-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

So, I started flipping around at 10 PM tonight when lo and behold, The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show! Fantastic! Now that I have something to watch, I'm happy! I really need a social life, I know.

Well, instead of having one, I've decided to put some work in on "OU Price is Right" coming up in February. Hey, the more I have done now, the less work I have to put in during the quarter. So far, I've managed to get the donation letters done for College, Follett's, and Specialty Bookstores; the board graphics for Any Number, Poker Game, and 3 Strikes; and most, if not all, of the Staff Info Packet. There may be some stuff I'll need to add to it. Thankfully, there are still 24 days before I go back.

I'm totally ready for Winter Quarter. GSAS now has THREE events to put on during the Quarter, two on the SAME NIGHT!! "Wheel of Fortune" for West Green, and "Press Your Luck" for UPC, and neither one we have to buy prizes for! BOTH ARE COMPLETELY FUNDED!!

Wal-Mart this close to Christmas...

2005-12-06T13:56:00.000-08:00

...is definitely a bad idea. We just got back from The Evil Empire with groceries for the week and a couple of things needed for Christmas. WALL TO WALL PEOPLE!! It was just SOO much fun to wrangle my way around the throng of society under the girdered, flourescent ceiling. Well, that's my rant for today.

I put "Monty Python's Flying Circus" in my PS2 to watch. Hopefully, that will cheer me up after the events of this afternoon and last evening. Did anyone see the joke of a football game last night on ABC? GO SEAHAWKS!!

Also, just as a side note, is there a girl out there for me? I'm starting to think not. Someone prove me wrong.

Monday, Monday (Na na...na na na na)

2005-12-05T09:19:00.000-08:00

So, how is everyone on this lovely Monday afternoon? Not going too hotly up here.

Since I woke up with a stuffy nose and achieved a 5 minute sneezing fit during "Price" this morning, Mom has decided to haul the beagle puppy back out to the farm. Maybe my sinuses will fall back under control then.

I took as many notes on the show as I could this morning. It was pretty easy though...72nd perfect show! Then, I came back to my room, ready to finish my game in Madden. However, I saw Sean Cullen on Comedy Central, so I decided to watch him instead. Funny Stuff! There's still more of this day to come, so expect a post later.

The First Post

2005-12-04T18:13:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well. Here it is. The first post on my first blog.

So, let's see...what has gone down today?

I've managed to straighten up my room at home again to make it more video game friendly. I watched Pete Weber win this Sunday's PBA Tour event (way to go, PDW!). Ooh, I had Chinese food for dinner...General Tso's chicken. Yum yum. Not the same as Athens $3.75 Chinese, but just as good. There's some left over that I may have to finish off before the night is over.

So, after PDW's 3-pin victory, I've managed to drown myself in NFL action. Cincinnati won (that shouldn't have happened), and, tragically, Denver lost. After that depressing defeat, I decided to go rent Madden 2005 and recreate the game. So far, 1st Quarter's over and Denver leads 3-0. I stopped playing (saved the game) so I could watch "Family Guy" before I realized it was a rerun (Brian the Bachelor), but Family Guy is Family Guy.

Oh, what a social life I lead. Well, more news to come tomorrow. "Price is Right" @ 11 AM, and it's my turn to recap for Game Show NewsNet. Take it easy for now, you bloggers you!

Uncle Plinko's Little Slice of Cyberspace

2011 Year in Review / 2012 Goal Checklist

Luminance Marketing: None Too Bright

Dear Blog-ary...

2011: Let's get this party started...

Our Long National Nightmare...IS OVER!

Status Update

Some Help Possibly On The Way...

Our Long National Nightmare Persists...

The Job Hunt; aka "Our Long National Nightmare"

The Job Hunt: An Addendum

The Job Hunt Continues...

The Last Hurrah...

Packing up the house...

How To Fix GSN

Game Shows != Reality Shows

Friday @ Television City

One of the problems with television...

SPECIAL REPORT: "Price is Right" 35th Season Premiere/34th Season Wrap Party

Fridays at "Price." In a word: Fun!

SPECIAL REPORT: "Price" Internship, Day 1

SPECIAL REPORT: Family Feud

The Countdown Is On...

Game Show Congress V Rundown

Here we go...

The final weekend...

Game Show Marathon Report Card

Game Show Congress Pre & Post Itinerary

3 weeks to go...

Early June Musings...

Game Show Marathon Thoughts

First in a while...

It's a big news day...

The Ohio News Network

The Internship...

Press Your Luck Marathon

Game Show Marathon...26.2 miles of gooey goodness

Your Spring Break Begins...NOW!!

First Post in a while...

Back in Athens...

First, "The Price is Right." Now, "Family Guy."

That was a DIRTY deed...

Some good news on my desk today...

Brother, can you spare a dime?

Yet another reason to like CBS

Wal-Mart this close to Christmas...

Monday, Monday (*Na na...na na na na*)

The First Post

Monday, Monday (Na na...na na na na)