A Perfect Episode

## Episode page

A Perfect Episode (w/ Ophira Eisenberg) on earwolf.com

#### Necessary background

Learning shorthand for real-time court reporting is like learning a new language. All the rules are upside-down and the words look like complete gibberish except to those in the know.

#### How to play

In this game, contestants will be given an English word and its shorthand form, and will have to deduce what the actual word is. Jo will provide the vowel sound to help players along. But beware, some words are brief, which are even further shortened versions of words, and the vowel sounds will not help as much.

Players get 3 points for guessing the word but if no one can guess it, Manolo awards 1 point to whomever is the closest in his opinion. Play ends when players can name every letter on the steno keyboard, or everyone gets tired of it.

#### Shorthand Words

1. tabgs
2. ploeu
3. hopt
4. fut
5. wrifrpbg/–l

### Dr. Mandela Show

#### Submitted by

Staff Sergeant Aaron Pierce (it's pronounced "Trevor") from Westfield, Massachusetts

#### Necessary background

It's a fascinating Internet phenomenon. To those not in the know, the Mandela Effect is the title given to a phenomenon where a great many people strongly believe that something happened in a way completely different from how it actually happened. Its name comes from the fact that a great many people would have sworn that Nelson Mandela died in prison in the ’80s rather than in 2013. It's been declared as evidence of parallel universes that people can bounce back and forth from! Which dimension are you from? Prove you're not a lizard person.

#### How to play

Jo will read aloud a statement. Some are true and some are common misconceptions attributed to the Mandela Effect. Contestants will answer each by first declaring how they are definitely from this dimension, followed by their answer.

House rule: don't do the part about declaring your dimensional native status.

### Dr. Bookmark

#### Submitted by

Valerie Barr from Missoula, Montana (but kind of submitted by Mike DiCenzo. Sometimes the message boards take over the voting process and then these horrible games get played.)

#### How to play

This is what it is. Jo says a book title, real or fake, who cares. Each contestant has to make up the ideal, perfect bookmark for that book and describe it in detail. Manolo says which one wins.

#### How to play according to Sam from New Zealand (Jo picked the other rules to play on the show)

You are the producer of a buddy action-comedy film, and are looking for book Marky Mark Wahlberg as one of the titular buddies. Each player must come up with the other buddy and a name for the film *[editor's note: it seems from the first sentence of how to play, the title has to have "buddy" or "buddies" in it, but I've been called pedantic a time or two].*

 They must then pitch their film to Mr. Wahlberg. However, being a high-profile actor / ’90s rapper, he's busy baking a cake, so [he] has let a surprisingly upbeat Manolo decide which film to go with. The player with the winning buddy / film pitch gets 1 point or a custom magnet. Their choice.

P.S. Mark appreciates bad puns.

## Trivia

One time Manolo made a DJ set out of cardboard.

A caller named Sheila wanted to talk about how she's excited about new Tupperware™ that keeps her vegetables fresher for longer. Unfortunately, she never got the chance.

Ophira grew up in a grocery store in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.