November 19, 2005

Gordon: This is Gordon Pepper, and while playing Final Fantasy 9, I'm now a Gold Chocobo!
Chico: *plays Chocobo theme on keyboard*
Gordon: I can fly! I can wade in the sea! I can lay eggs - just not as big as Martha Stewart has laid.
Chico: That and more, my friends. I'm Chico Alexander and from somewhere in America... GEEZ it's cold! WLTI ... is on!
Gordon: We welcome you to another edition of the show, where we have old and new Chocobo meat alike. The big grizzled meat in the corner is WPLJ's own Mr. Jason Block!
Jason: Hey...less fat on me! I am down to 190 in Gordon Pepper's challenge!
Gordon: And I've lost 15 pound, btw.
Chico: So how did you do in Holland, J?
Jason: I finished 4th. But had a blast doing it! Went to the Heineken factory. Saw lots of "coffeeshops" and did scratch off tickets and casinos. Saw a Poker Final Live - The Lido International with Marcel Luske a/k/a the Flying Fox. Nice guy.
Gordon: Did you get any goodies for yourself, Jay?
Jason: Oh yeah. A jacket, a poker table, chip set, sshuffler. Lots of branded gear. Backpack too.
Chico: Did you go to the Red Light District?
Jason: Yes I did. What happens in Holland...stays in Holland :-)
Chico: Second oldest, back after what seemed like an eternity, Rob Seidelman's here.
Rob: Thanks Chico. 
Gordon: Welcome back to the show, Rob.
Rob: Thanks Gordon.
Jason: Welcome back.
Chico: Cold in Seattle, too?
Rob: It's pretty warm in Seattle. It's 29 degrees.
Gordon: Next up, the Midwestern Beef on the show and MTV Recapper, Mr. Brian Moore. How's the weather?
Brian: About 33 in Cloquet.
Chico: It's actually warmer in Minnesota than it is in NC.
Brian: I've heard that we may get a mild winter in the Midwest, but I think that false.
Chico: And finally, we have the newbie of the bunch. You've seen his work on Pax's America's Most Talented Kids and of course at FlashGames...2:-) Also from Minnesota, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Dan Berger's here1
Dan: Hi gang
Rob: Hi Dan.
Chico: He's helping us out with Replay, BTW.
Jason: Hey Dan. Welcome to the nuthouse.
Dan: By the way, it's 38 degrees in minneapolis...which surprises me.
Jason: It's 36 here.
Dan: When you live in Minnesota, you never know. I finally get to meet the one and only Jason Block!
Jason: I am honored thank you.
Dan: You'll see alot of neat things in store with Replay in the upcoming weeks. I'm actually thrilled that I'm able to sit in for WLTI.
Chico:  Well, we'll get to the good times in a moment, but first, some bad news. Over the last week, Ralph Edwards, seen in our industry as a living legend, passed on.
Jason:  He has basically been or contributed to 7 decades of entertainment!
Chico:  That's right.
Brian:  Wow, 7 decades!
Dan:  He was one of the true innovators of the TV industry. It's a shame...  He was getting up there though
Rob: I never even saw a Ralph Edwards show.
Chico:  Among his notables, of course, "The People's Court"... "This is Your Life"... and "Truth or Consequences."
Jason:  Also, he is credited for the discovery of a young man named Bob Barker, and the People's court.
Gordon: Not to mention a game show award named after him from the Game Show Congress.
Jason:  For his contributions to charity work.
Dan:  Wasn't he responsible for Truth or Consequences, New Mexico in some way?
Jason:  Towns all over the USA tried to get their name changed to Truth or Consequences. Hot Springs wonn the honor. It was a national event. It happened in 1950.
Dan:  Holy smokes...I don't think you'd ever see a contest like that attempted nowadays.
Chico:  Not a chance. I think it's a safe assumption to say that he's done more for TV in general than anyone has ever dreamed.
Jason:  No kidding.
Dan:  Could you almost say that he pioneered reality tv?
Jason:  Almost.
Chico:  This is Your Life was pretty much pre-reality TV.
Gordon: Edward's death spells the end of an era in television. We also have the end of an internet era, as Steve Beverly decides to stop running his daily game show web site.
Jason:  Although I did not wish him my best in that column, I wish him nothing but rest and good health. I  have a funny story about him when he first interviewed me when I was on my WWTBAM millionaire run.
Chico:  Ooh! Story time!
Dan:  *grabs popcorn*
Rob: Tell us Uncle Jason.
Brian:  *grabs popcorn*
Chico:  Many of you don't know this, but when the WLTI crew behaves itself, we get rewarded with story time.
Gordon: *grabs Heather and Eve*
Chico: AHEM.
Gordon: Sorry ;)
Jason:  Well, he interviewed me for his web site and asked if he could interview me for his radio show. I said sure not a problem. He warned me, however, this was a very religious radio station. I usually have a colorful vocabulary, being a native New Yorker and all. :)
Dan:  lol
Chico:  That would've been interesting were it not for the audience.
Jason:  He told me that I had to tone it down so much, I could not even use the word damn in a sentence.
Chico:  But... isn't that a challenge or something?
Jason:  Very much so. This was my one and only G rated interview in my Millionaire run. We laughed about it off the air afterwards.
Chico:  And then you made up for it by saying "Damnit" all the way home?
Jason:  I was at home and cursed 5 times :)
Rob: At least you got your minimum daily requirement of Swear.
Jason:  Seriously, Steve if you are reading. Thank you for being one of the first to interview me, and one of the best people out there. Get some rest, and we will see you soon.
Chico:  Well... after that I can definitely say that we all have our differences, but you know something.. It takes all kinds.
Dan:  I've always had mixed feelings on the way he handles some of his news stories, but I have alot of admiration for his contributions to the internet. I wish him good luck and all the best..
Chico:  Hear here. Steve's actually quite the gentleman, and I'll say it again, People like him breed people like us. And he ought to be commended for that.
Gordon: Steve will go down as one of the pioneer internet game show journalists, as well as one of the head of the Game Show Congress. Although he may be done with his site on a daily basis, with projects brewing like the Game Show Congress, he will be very active in the game show world - unlike a certain domestic diva.
Chico:  Time for what we call... the Big Question. :)
Dan:  this should be interesting.
Rob: Here we go.
Chico:  Martha Stewart's Apprentice was cancelled this week by NBC, although NBC will swear up and down that it only had its sights set on one Stewart season... The Big Question today is... Do you honestly believe them?
Jason:  Nope.
Brian:  Heck no.
Chico:  I didn't think so.
Dan:  Absolutely not.
Jason:  I predicted this would be the biggest bomb of the 2005 season. I told Gordon this before the season started. I am vindicated.
Gordon: Well, its certainly not close to being the biggest bomb of the season, but it certainly isn't a success by any stretch, either.
Chico:  I say had the opportunity arose, they'd jump at a second season. The opportunity didn't arise, ergo spin control.
Rob: It goes down as one of the shows that was overhyped, and couldn't produce.
Chico: Coupling? =p
Jason:  Like The Cut and any other Apprentice clone.
Gordon: I thought it was more of a grooming process myself, The Donald's contract ends after the Apprentice 5, so if The Martha hit ratings, then we have a permanent new host.
Chico:  Such is not the case anymore. Unless you want to port over Sir Alan Sugar from the British version... There's a thought...
Jason:  When Donald sold her down the river a few weeks ago, that was the beginning of the end.
Chico:  Yeah, and then Martha shot back, and if you think about it, the fight just didn't have to happen. Just another case of overinflated egos... and hair. Because if you look at both versions, sure the Donald's Apprentice is working, but not like it used to.
Gordon: I think that it should go back to what the original idea is - have a rotating person every season that needs an  apprentice. Sometimes it would work, and sometimes not, but you would get the ratings just to see how different people act in the head role.
Jason:  But is that due to bad Apprentice or too many?
Rob: And seeing what she did, including the Lame-brain line "You just don't fit in" and the tacky letter, He would go off.  That Isn't business.  That's sissy.
Chico:  Amen, Rob. It's sissy.  It's sterile. I said it was sterile.
Rob: Donald = Business, Martha = Sunday Brunch.
Gordon: It's political correctness at it's worst - and I think that's why it didn't work. We didn't want a sterilized version of the show - we wanted something real and we didn't get it.
Chico:  Nope. Not by a longshot.
Jason:  They were trying to make nice Martha. We wanted Bitch Martha.
Rob: I actually tried to watch a few eps.  Then i decided to turn on WPT instead.
Chico:  You wanted prison mama, didn't you? :)
Jason:  I wanted her to be a tough unfeeling beeyatch.
Dan:  Well, do any of you think she would have ever displayed that side of herself on national TV?
Jason:  I still wanted them to use our line...
Chico:  "You suck! Get out!"
Jason:  Yes.
Chico:  Not for an audience.
Dan:  That's what I thought.
Rob: BTW, how is her other overhyped show doing?
Jason:  2nd to Tyra I believe.
Rob: I'm shocked that one took off.
Gordon: That one is going to have some shelf life - it's drawing very good numbers on it's sister cable shows, so Martha will stick around for awhile.
Chico:  I guess more people like the leggy model type... that dress in fat suits... Oh well. From the sad and the bad to the downright embarrassing. Two words... Nico Martinez.
Rob: Ah Yes, the College Tourney.
Gordon: I was very disappointed with the tourney - and more importantly, people's decisions in the tourney. It goes back to my biggest pet peeve - you won't win if you play not to lose.
Chico:  Too many people didn't know how to play. Nico's one of the few that did.
Jason:  Which is why he won the tourney. He played to win.
Chico:  Let's look at his performance... I request a Big Board, please.

Chico:  The title: Nico Suave.
Dan:  has a nice ring to it.
Gordon: I'll start this board. #1. Day 1 of the Finals. If the opponent has $26,000 and you have $10,000, what do you bet on the first Final Jeopardy question?
Jason:  $10,000.
Chico:  All you can eat, baby.
Dan:  Shoot the works.
Rob: I bet $10,000.
Gordon: You bet it ALL.  You don't bet $3,000. The first placed person isn't going to bet a lot. This gives you a chance to catch up - and if you don't get it, then at least you gave it a shot.
Chico:  And that's precisely how Nico won it.
Gordon: Next problem. After the first day's competition, you have $399. You have to catch up by 28,700 and change. You have $7,500 and hit a Daily Double. How much do you bet?
Rob: The max.
Jason:  All of it!
Dan:  You might as well then bet it all.
Chico:  All you can eat, baby. You have nothing left to lose.
Gordon: YOU BET IT ALL. You don't bet $2,500. If you don't get at least $20,000 in this round, you won't win $100,000. You don't play to not lose - because usually, you do.
Rob: I'm actually listening to that song.
Chico:  #3. Prelims: Nico built up a nice lead and had $16,200 to his nearest opponent's $9000. If you were in this position, what do you do? Going into final, of course.
Dan:  Wager 1,801
Rob: $1,801
Jason:  $1,801
Chico:  That's exactly what he did.
Gordon: DING DING DING
Chico:  Semis: Nico scores again, this time wtih $22,400 to his nearest opponent's $13,200. What do you do?
Gordon: Bet $4001, I believe.
Rob: Wager $4,001.
Dan:  Same approach as before...
Jason:  4,001.
Chico:  Again, correct. And again, desired effect achieved.
Gordon: Well, now we know why Nico wins - he was not only smarter, he played to win - and he got help from 2 other people who didn't want to be aggressive players.
Chico:  How would he fare in the upcoming TOC?
Rob: I say he gets to the semis - And then he loses to David Madden.
Chico:  Damn.. Way to be cruel, Rob. :-D
Gordon: I agree with Rob. I think he gets to the semis, but the path ends there. The path starts to the News though, right now. Anyone for jackets?
Chico:  Yes, it's balls cold in here!
Jason:  (Tosses jackets)
Rob: Have they been washed?
Jason:  They have been in the dry cleaning back clean thank you.
Rob: Eh, It's not cold enough for me to wear a jacket.
Dan:  I'm in the basement. I'm wearing two sweatshirts.
Gordon: I'll take the jacket, you bunch of pansies...and Roll that Beautiful
Brain Footage, Chico.
Jason:  Wimps :)
Dan:  =p
Doug:  (impersonating Mark Thompson) From the four corners of the globe...to your frontal lobe... this is WLTI Brainvision News... with the award winning Brainvision News team.
Gordon: People just don't know good taste when they have an opportunity to wear it, Jason.
Jason:  Sorry :)
Chico:  Okay, first news item...

Wheel of Fortune has announced two partnerships with the NFL and Circuit City this week. The NFL will present its 10th Anniversary Players Week later in the season, and viewers will get to score some Sony swag from Circuit City.

Gordon: I'll take a piece of that $250,000, thank you.
Chico:  Yeah. You think Sony is compensating for that?
Dan:  Oh yeah, they have to be.
Jason:  from what I saw...it's some sweet stuff.
Rob: Don't they own a stake in Wheel?
Gordon: SONY makes millions off of that show, I'm sure they won't mind spending $250,000 of it
Jason:  50" Plasma, 34" LCD Home Theatre, Computer, a whole load of stuff.
Chico:  PSP, dog.. PSP :)
Rob: Blech. PSP: Horrid battery life and too high of a price point.
Jason:  Do you have a PSP?
Chico:  I have a PSP.  Can't stop playing GTA...Gordon get us out of this before we lose our PG rating.
Gordon: Will do...

We have 2 new shows coming up in the next few weeks. The Good News - Deal or No Deal, which shows up in a 4 day block in NBC in late December.

Jason:  I want to see this.
Chico:  YAY!
Rob: Amen.  After watching a Dutch DonD, I'm eagerly anticipating it.
Dan:  But having seen the dutch episode and comparing the formats to the what is expected of the American version...as if that American version will hold up to those expectations in excitement is another question.
Chico:  I need to see that episode.
Dan:  Chico, it's an absolute must you do.

The Bad News - The Bachelor 8, which shows up 2 weeks later on January 8 on ABC.

Chico:  Boo.
Jason:  And the Bachelor is a doctor.
Gordon: If the Bachelor picks up some women in Amsterdam, could that be considered a Dutch Treat?
Rob: booooooooooooooooooo
Dan:  *hits gong*
Chico:  Grrr...Next article...

After a diving accident last weekend, former Baywatch babe and Dog Eat Dog host Brooke Burns is now in recovery mode. They expect her to make a full recovery...

Dan:  poor Brooke.
Jason:  She almost was paralyzed.
Chico:  ... Unfortunately, she's going to be in another crappy WB show. I can't unring that bell...But yeah, it could have been a LOT worse.
Brian:  Amen to that.
Rob: Yes.
Dan:  She was very lucky and very fortunate to have not been paralyzed.
Chico:  Of course we at the Net extend our best wishes to her.
Gordon: By all means - a speedy recovery to you, brooke!
Chico:  Hey... does anyone hear Ludacris in the background? *plays Area Codes*
Gordon: Ready for hoes?
Jason:  sure.
Rob: Bring them in.
Chico:  Right!
Dan:  oh my...
Chico:  Relax, Dan. These are media hoes. People we want to forget... but can't because they won't allow it.

In this week's Media Ho Report, former Idol judge Pete Waterman goes after the way American Idol treats contestants, Gordon Ramsey gets blamed on the way that he treats contestants is related to the decline on Cooking classes in Scotland, no complaint on how Bo Bice treats his baby boy, as we get to see pics of him, Jeop Uber-Champ Ken Jennings is treated right as he visits Sam Houston State U., Vernon Kay treats himself to the Feud, an Iraq hostage who is treated much better now plays for contestants in Temptation, and Donald Trump Jr. better treat his new wife right, as they get married.

Chico:  Probably to get closer to Daddy's money.
Dan:  *coughs "golddigger"
Gordon: I ain't saying she's a gold digger, but...next article?

News of the World next. Remember that article about Martin Flood having a strange fit of coughing on the set of the Australian version of Millionaire?

Rob: I do.
Jason:  Sure.
Brian:  Yes.
Gordon: Yah
Dan:  Yeeeup

Well it turns out there is no wrongdoing afoot, and he becomes the second Millionaire in three weeks to clear the 15.

Gordon: Congratulations to Martin!
Rob: Good for you Martin.  Enjoy that Million
Jason:  Good job.
Brian:  You rock!
Chico:  The big question... Who was never 'Time' magazine's 'Man of the Year'? A: Adolf Hitler, B: Ayatollah Khomeini, C: Joseph Stalin, D: Mao Zedong. Guesses?
Jason:  Stalin
Brian:  Hitler
Rob: Mao
Dan:  hitler
Chico:  Gordon?
Gordon: D. Mao ze Dong
Chico:  D is correct. In Martin's defense, though, he did have to use the 50/50. Left the Ayatollah and Chairman Mao.
Rob: Ayatollah I believe was late 70s.
Jason:  1979. Hitler made it in the mid 1930's.
Chico:  And Stalin was in the 50s, I believe.
Gordon: Very good, all.
Chico:  Okay, Gordon. Last one.

Finally, it was determined in a recent study that the greatest amount of money on the internet was spent on...gambling. That beats the one thing that has always been number one on internet dollars - porn. Your thoughts?

Jason:  Both of them have different meanings of all in.
Chico:  I quote Avenue Q... The internet is for porn.
Brian:  And that led to a song by DaVinci's Notebook...Internet Porn.
Rob: It's going from being a pervert to being Rich in a few moments.  If you're lucky enough of course.
Chico:  Of course, not that we condone that sort of thing... It's a waste of time and energy...
Jason:  When the net first broke out in 1995...40% of the money was made by porn. I am not surprised gambling took it over.
Chico:  If you happen to be bad at it. Gambling, not porn.
Brian:  LOL
Dan:  Dirty joke I could make here, but I'll watch my p's and q's
Gordon: And your J's, Q's K's and A's.
Chico:  And speaking of which, we have to go make some non-money. When we come back, gifts and threesies. But first, we have to fish out the fountain for some extra change... so we can gamble with it.
Brian:  And I'll look for some in the couch.

(Brainvision News has been sponsored by Meal or No Meal. Contestants pick out various ingredients from suitcases  - but watch out for the Castor Oil!)

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