Millionaire Phone-a-Friend

[Peter Sarrett]

A friend's going to be in the hotseat for one of the shows taping at Disney World on January 16 (a Sunday, of all things-- with a qualifying call between 5 and 6 AM), and I'm going to be one of his phone-a-friends.  If he doesn't call his wife, there's a pretty good chance he'll call me.

I already plan to be in front of the computer with four Google windows open.  Any past lifelines have other useful tips I might not have thought of?

[Steve McClellan]

I keep a Firefox window open with the following tabs:

• Google
  
• dictionary.com
  
• This map collection
  
• IMDb
  
• IBDB
  
• BabelFish
  
• images of U.S. currency (can't afford the real thing...)
  
• The CIA World Factbook
  
• The USPTO's trademark search function (which, unfortunately, will time you out, so it'd have to be some sort of non-Googlable trademark for this to be of any use)
  

I also keep a physical atlas and dictionary handy, as well as a 25-second timer, which I start when Meredith turns it over to the contestant. The five-second warning gives me plenty of time to finish the portion of the search I'm on at that instant and give an answer and certainty percentage.

Of course, your mileage may vary, especially since I've only been called once, which happened to be when a mutual friend was by my side as a scribe (on a muted second phone - quite a useful addition, if I do say so myself...), and she knew the answer cold.

Oh well, I think there are a couple of good ideas in there. Somewhere.

[thgames65]

[quote name=\'Peter Sarrett\' date=\'Dec 31 2004, 04:12 AM\']A friend's going to be in the hotseat for one of the shows taping at Disney World on January 16 (a Sunday, of all things-- with a qualifying call between 5 and 6 AM), and I'm going to be one of his phone-a-friends.  If he doesn't call his wife, there's a pretty good chance he'll call me.

I already plan to be in front of the computer with four Google windows open.  Any past lifelines have other useful tips I might not have thought of?

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Peter:  Have you (and your friend's other PAFs) signed up for the AOL ATA group?   If your friend has the luxury of having ATA and PAF left in the 3rd tier, he can use it so all of you at home can see the question, stall for a minute or two while you look it up, then call his PAF.  Of course, then be used at any question level but can be most useful if extra Googling time is needed.

Tim H.

[goongas]

Make sure you go to the bathroom before the waiting period begins.  Have something to do to occupy yourself while you are waiting.

[CJBojangles]

[quote name=\'thgames65\' date=\'Dec 31 2004, 08:36 PM\']Peter:  Have you (and your friend's other PAFs) signed up for the AOL ATA group?   If your friend has the luxury of having ATA and PAF left in the 3rd tier, he can use it so all of you at home can see the question, stall for a minute or two while you look it up, then call his PAF.  Of course, then be used at any question level but can be most useful if extra Googling time is needed.

Tim H.

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[/quote]

That's the most ingenius idea I've ever heard! That's a terrific idea! I never thought about that. I commend you on your sneakiness.

[thgames65]

I can't take credit for this.  Th3 idea originates from a WWTBAM message board, where it is commonly known as the Syndie "Double Dip".

Tim H.