European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 9, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 stars and stripes june 2007 Thomas publisher Richard general Europe Stephen commander news and editorial Robb Grindstaff Doug Cusson executive editor managing editor Europe Sam Europe Bureau chief Joseph Mideast Bureau chief Marni assistant Bureau chief assistant managing editors Mary news Sean sports Brian features Christopher Patrick news editor Joe web editor addresses mail unit Apoate 09211 International mail Postrach 64345 Germany fax on 3498416 49 0 email news  letters  Central office 529 14th Street suite Washington do phone Dan 3127630900 or 202 fax editorial director 52914th suite do phone Dan 3127630945 or 202 How to Call us editor Dan 3498264 0 6155601264 letters Dan 3498237 0 sports Dan 3498225 0 circulation Dan 3498437 0 advertising Dan 0 news bureaus Germany country code Bamberg Mark car 459 Box Apo a 091393703 Dan 4697957 0 or fax Dan 4698007 or 0 email  Baum 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and can be contacted by email at , or by phone at opinion the Price is right is on the Money by Ken Kurson Early in flew to Las vegas to watch the super bowl at the stardust for Esquire we had a Swanky plenty of Cool free passes and carte Blanche in the sports but the instant the game my wife and i sped across the desert to los Angeles with Only one goal in mind to get to a taping of the Price is i wanted to see Pinko up i wanted to touch the wheel that contestants spin to Advance to the showcase show most of i wanted to shake the hand of the karate kicking Tele vision Host from the Rosebud reservation in South Bob who taped his final Price episode wednesday for broadcast june 15 on was one of my childhood he was impeccably and he genuinely engaged the even when the outrageously shirted hoi Pollok didst match the effortless Grace of the More watching the Price is right taught me an enormous amount about i loved the the cars and barkers but what kept me coming Back was the daily lesson in the principles of behavioural if you wanted to know How to exploit or get trapped by Market inefficiencies and the often irrational behaviour of com the Price is right was Essen when a member of contestants Row would guess after a contestant had guessed id yell at the How can you leave yourself a window of just 10 Bucks i cringed when contestants would spin the wheel and inexplicably stick on 50 i noticed How the guesses of some would influence the behaviour of others if a couple of one Dollar bids won in Early contestants in later rounds would play with generally lower guess dozens of web Sites offer game Damian the Price is right fans wait in line outside lbs studios in los hoping to attend the taping of Host Bob barkers final show on theory suitable to the Ever evolving mix of estimation exercises on the Price is id calculate that the amount of solid financial education going on at these Sites is fairly Low someone who needs a web site to assemble game show strategy prob ably int the studying web Sites for mathematical advice Type but just by Mak ing that in drawing on analytic skills i developed watching barkers to theres a concept in education called authentic which refers to the idea that information is More compel Ling when it relates to the real bark ers show combined real prices with Ludi Crous lbs has yet to announce who will fill the great mans shoes and How the show will that the Case with the shows cliffhangers which since 1976 has paired estimating the prices of everyday items with another has been said to have Odds of 571 against a when i visited Price to see the show the Host proudly showed me the sets and shared with me the Large role he played in developing detailing the precarious balance of understand visual Appeal and Novelty that added up to a classic he gave me my yellow Price tag name and he and i chatted in his dressing room As he awaited his i doubt that Many Price contestants or viewers at Home give much thought to Pierre de Fermat or Blaise Brilliant mathematicians from centuries past who helped create probability but with his handheld stick microphone and trademark plea to spay and neuter brought their concepts into millions of Homes for 35 like most Good he made the lesson As painless As Here was this exceptionally Bright who knew exactly How silly the games could seem and How goofy some of the contestants yet Barker remained Ever never playing for an easy laugh at a Contes Tants never a sheathing either sarcasm or disbelief at even an egregiously idiotic Bob barkers show taught me a lot about Bob Barker taught me a lot about How a Man should Ken Kurson is founder of a personal finance Magazine for Young and a contributing editor at this column first appeared in the los Angeles Tell us what you think stars and stripes welcomes your comments on editorials and columns that Are published in the and values letters on topics of importance in the lives of our All letters must be and must include the writers address or 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