Imagine you are on a game show. In front of you are three doors. Behind one door lies a car. Behind the another is a goat and the third a chicken. You choose a door at random. The host, who knows what is behind the doors, then opens another door to reveal an animal – the goat or the chicken. He offers you the opportunity to change your mind or stick with the door you chose first. Is it more likely you win if you change?

Yes! You might think that  there is just a 50/50 chance of winning the prize with two doors remaining, but if you change you double your chances of success from 1/3 to 2/3.

“Why is it not just 50/50?!” – The solution to the problem may shock you at first, but when you consider the fact the host knows what is behind the three doors it becomes a little clearer.

Imagine the three possible scenarios if the car is located behind door number one, a goat behind door two and a chicken behind door three…

Scenario 1: You choose the car first time. The host opens door two to reveal a goat. He offers you the chance to switch. You do. You lose and end up with a chicken.

Scenario 2: You choose door two first time, the goat. The host opens door three to reveal the chicken. He offers you the chance to switch. You do. You win.

Scenario 3: You choose door three first time, the chicken. The host opens door two to reveal the goat. He offers you the chance to switch. You do. You win.

From the above, switching causes you to win 2/3 of the time! This derives from the fact that the host knows what is behind the door so will never reveal the car when he opens a door. Not switching leads to a 1/3 chance of winning. Go back through the above scenarios and imagine you choose not to switch to see what I mean.

This problem is named after Monty Hall who hosted the game show ‘Let’s make a deal’ described above. The problem was widely publicised by Marilyn vos Savant, who held the Guinness World Record for the Highest IQ ever attained in an IQ test. The record books list her IQ as a staggering 228 though there is debate over the effectiveness of quantifying such high intelligence.

This problem is also known as ‘The Three Prisoners Problem’ and ‘Bertrand’s box paradox’ which both follow the same concept.

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Match Game Belltown “Xmas with the Family” is “an exciting, live, fast-paced, interactive Game Show with a variety of live performances. Watch as 2 contestants, pulled directly from the audience, try to match the fantastically witty minds of rotating Local Celebrity Guest Stars.”  Cover is $8.

I hate Post From The Past.  Why on earth did I start doing it? I now feel compelled to continue.  It’s like a form of eternal damnation.  That said, please enjoy this month’s offering:

14. Post From The Past – December 2007 – This contains a few classic posts such as Mike Robot, some blokes on a see-saw, and some Mr Banana-Penis madness.

13. My Art – Elephant Helmet – It’s a helmet on an elephant.

12. My Art – Helmet Elephant – It’s an elephant on a helmet.

11. Christmas Do –  This photograph perfectly sums up what it feels like to be the table at a ‘Christmas do’.

10. Post From The Past – Best of 2007 – This is allegedly a collection of the best posts from 2007.  There are some good ones, so it’s worth checking out.

9. Uninspired – A Poem – A slice of lucid jazz poetry that neatly sums up what it feels like to be completely uninspired.

8. Postal Strike – A controversial post that was both ‘a post’ and ‘not a post’.  This one will baffle philosophy students for years to come.

7. 10 Things You Never Knew About Sherby57 – You didn’t know them, but you do now.

6. Starship Champy –  This is kind of an avant garde poem and a big, teasing riddle.  If you can work out what it all means then you’re a bona fide genius.

5. The Sherby57 On TV Ultimatum – This features a review of everybody’s favourite game show, Fear My Clit.

4. A Hazard of Parsnips – Chapters 3 & 4 – An emotional powerhouse of a novel.  Read it and literally weep.

3. Fireheart! The Movie – Meet the Director – The lazy sod still hasn’t released the film.  The fans are becoming rabid.

2. My Art – Doctor Angel – This is an artist’s impression of the good doc.  But, that artist is me, so it doesn’t look anything like her.  It’s more metaphorical, actually.  It’s not supposed to look like her.

1. Show Me Magic – It’s a drawing, it’s a poem, it’s a biting satire of the ridiculousness of religion.  What more could you want?

Disclaimer – This is an extremely self-indulgent feature and is a cynical attempt to recycle stuff that I have written in the past in the vain hope that someone will actually read them. Please feel free to slag off “Post From The Past” to your hearts content.

Tapos na ang “Harapan” before mag 1Am kahit actually naka “one line” lang sila.
Unlike sa Isang tanong, hindi na nag tilt up ang camera at pumapasok ang
nakaka-kabang sound effect after each questions.
Marami akong nalamang bago sa kanila, ako ay natawa, napapalakpak
at nainspire sa mga binitiwan nilang salita.

Mas gusto ko ang mga Live na tanong ngayon
sa Isang Tanong na mostly from UST and other Media personnel.
Kasi parang nasa gameshow lang ang 7 Candidates and the prize would be
the choice of all Filipino citizen na gising pa or mga manonood sa youtube kapag na-post na.
Wala nga lang Red Button na dapat pindutin sa pulpit  kasi isa-isa silang sasagot.

These Presidentiables inlcude:

1. Benigno “Noy-Noy” Aquino |||
2. Gilberto “Gibo” Tedoro
3. Eduardo “Eddie” Villanueva
4. Richard “Dick” Gordon
5. Joseph “Erap Estrada”
6. Nicanor “Nick” Perlas
7. Juan Carlos “JC” De Los Reyes

Absent:
1. Manny Villar
2. Jamby Madrigal

Siguro sana si Willie, si Edu or si Buboy na lang ang host para mas masaya. (lol)
Of course this was brought to us by ANC AND ABS-CBN NEWS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
panglaban sa “Isang Tanong” ng GMA7.

Ano naman ang sunod na pakulo ng Media after nito?
Any way, i commend GMA and ABS for airing such shows like those.

Nakakatulong to para magkaroon ng voice ang mga candidates
about their platforms ng hindi gumagastos ng Milyones sa infomercials.
Makakapamili ng mabuti si Juan De La Cruz kung sino ba ang dapat na iboto.

Sa ngayon,  Intayin na lang natin ang next guestings ng mga
Presidentiables sa kung ano mang forum, debate or event.

And may we keep on choosing for the best candidate.
Choose Wisely!

In another first on Philippine television, eight presidential candidates will be facing off in a forum and before a live audience on Wednesday, Dec. 2, at the UST Medicine auditorium in Manila.

Harapan: The ANC Presidential Forum will bring together former President Joseph Estrada, Senators Noynoy Aquino, Richard Gordon, and Manuel Villar, ex-Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro,  evangelist Bro. Eddie Villanueva, former Angeles City councilor JC De Los Reyes, and environmentalist Nicanor Perlas.

Ikaw? Ano ang masasabi mo sa naganap na Forum? May suggestions o comment ka ba?
Itanong mo na ngayon.

These clips are also from Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai Ya Arahende!! A ridiculous game show on Japanese TV which features “Batsu” games where contestants are subjected to painful and cruel punishment for the enjoyment of the audience. Thank you Japan!

10 minutes in a crazy Japanese game show I

Eating marshmallows with a rubber band pulling your face

The Chinko machine (The penis machine)

Welcome to the wild and wacky world of Japanese game shows! Where pain is good and laughter is uncontrollable.

This clip is from a showed called Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende! The cast members must try to remain silent while acts of pain and cruelty are performed on them during a segment known as the Batsu games.

The way this particular game works is that each cast member must choose a card, and the ones who get a card marked with a X must suffer the consequences. The consequences start off with having your nose hair plucked and eating rolls filled with wasabi, but it quickly gets worse. Luckily for the audience, it also quickly becomes more funny.

10 minutes in a crazy Japanese game show II

The best 10 Japanese pranks

Nothing like a good game show to get you perked up about the economy!

Alright that was a lie (the title). This is because while some of my friends were watching these vids on youtube yesterday, I didn’t really react. Was holding most of it in because I was being stubborn!

But that’s the past now so let’s move on.

Anyway these are a few videos of some Japanese pranks. Makes my Orientalness shine a bit more.. don’t you think??!

The audience laughter in the above video is a bit confusing. When they sneak on unsuspecting people they do it very quietly. NINJAS!

The above video is really funny because they are situated in a library, hence their efforts to stay quiet. I know for a fact I would have had to leave the area if I was there because I got the snowball effect on my laughter!!

Depois de migrar de emissora, trocando a Record pelo SBT para apresentar o 1 Contra 100, Roberto Justus vai encarar um novo desafio no canal: comandar o Topa ou Não Topa, que já foi apresentado por Silvio Santos, em 2006.

Com o término da primeira edição do 1 Contra 100, na primeira semana de março de 2010, o publicitário vai assumir o Topa ou Não Topa.

De acordo com uma fonte de O Fuxico, o projeto de Justus terá a direção de Paulo Franco e estreia em abril, mês considerado mais rentável pela emissora

A Rede Record planeja começar as gravações da sétima edição do reality “Aprendiz” a partir do mês de janeiro. O programa, que terá pela primeira vez em seu comando o apresentador e empresário João Dória Jr., que substitui Roberto Justus na atração, teve suas inscrições encerradas.

O programa recebeu 125 mil inscrições. Agora, a produção do reality parte para a segunda etapa do projeto, que irá selecionar os 16 universitários que irão participar do “Aprendiz”.

Em 2010, o programa dará ao vencedor o prêmio de R$ 1 milhão, além de um estágio remunerado em uma das empresas de João Dória Jr.

A sétima edição do programa estreia entre os meses de abril e maio de 2010 na Record.

What game show or reality show would you kick butt on?

A produção do programa “Qual é o seu Talento?” já trabalha para a segunda temporada do reality, que é uma das maiores audiências da emissora, inclusive tendo liderado o Top 5 da semana passada, com 9 pontos.

 O SBT já renovou o contrato com todos os jurados, com o apresentador André Vasco e inclusive já marcou nova audição, que acontecerá neste sábado (21) em Ribeirão Preto, interior de SP, a partir das 8h. A seleção será na Cava do Bosque.

O SBT está em festa. A segunda semifinal do programa “Qual é o Seu Talento?”, exibida ontem, conquistou a vice-liderança absoluta no Ibope e venceu “A Fazenda” da Record nos minutos de confronto.

De acordo com dados consolidados do Ibope, “Qual é o Seu Talento?” registrou na média geral 6 pontos com pico de 10, contra 5 da Record e 30 da Globo que ficou em primeiro lugar absoluto.

No confronto direto com o reality show “A Fazenda”, entre 20h55 e 21h05, o SBT que exibia “Qual é o Seu Talento?” bateu a Record por 10 a 6 pontos.

No horário fechado de “A Fazenda”, das 20h55 às 22h04, a Record levou a melhor sobre o SBT. A emissora registrou média de 10 pontos com pico de 17 contra 8 do SBT que ficou em terceiro lugar no Ibope.