Whoa! An original wedding congrats cards from Al "fold-in" Jafee & his lovely non-fold-in wife, Joyce.

Back in the William M. Gaines MAD days, the Usual Gang of Idiots met fairly often. That's because MAD's publisher/founder Bill Gaines liked to get people together and use the meeting as an excuse to order and eat lots of food!

These days, it doesn't happen very often. So it's only recently that Al Jaffee and his wfie Joyce learned that Dennis & I were married back in August. But as soon as he found out, he went to his easel to create an original card for the two of us. Dennis & I liked it so much, we wanted to share it.

Some of the "Usual Gang of Idiots" Gather at MAD for CBS Sunday Morning.

Oh, okay, we knew CBS This Morning was coming by MAD to videotape some stuff for an upcoming segment celebrating MAD's 60th Anniversary. But what got the guys to the MAD office was those three magic words. No, not 'what me worry?", but  "There's free food!" The CBS This Morning segment should run on Sunday, October 28th.

From left to right, Al Jaffee - world famous for his MAD Fold-Ins and "Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions".... Tom Bunk, famous MAD cartoonist who fills each panel with weird and wacky details..... James Worhola who has painted many MAD covers, and once painted my office, plus MAD Art Director Sam Viviano seen here slowly moving the tray of cookies away from the others ....  (By the way, Al Jaffee has passed his 92nd birthday and still does the MAD fold-in for every issue!)

Tom Richmond, another super-famous MAD artist, has illustrustred many MAD movie satires, including The scAVENGERS send-up I wrote a little while back. Here Tom tries to make a call on his cell phone without crushing it. He goes through about 3 phones a week, so don't ever fall for his 'Can I use your phone for a minute?" --- Yes, Tom does some weight lifting, so he tends to paid very quickly when he turns in MAD jobs. Sitting at the desk is Tom Bunk, making phones to foreign countries. Hey, it's not his phone or phone bill.

Yep, after 32 years of being best friends, Dick & Dennis Tie The Knot.

More info! http://gizwizbiz.squarespace.com/dick-dennis-tie-the-knot/

Dennis did a search for a groom and groom online. Turned out they wanted $75!! Pricey! So he designed one himself.

A fan finds a motion-activated candy dispenser!

Hi Dick:  This might be a good item for the TWIT show.....  I imagine it is available at the SkyMall  too.  It does not appear to dispense baked goods.  

All the Best, Mark

Here's the info from Brookstone:  

Our CandyMan motion-activated dispenser is the fun alternative to messy candy bowls and too-big portions. Perfect for unwrapped candy, unsalted nuts, gum balls Wave your hand under the dispenser-out pours your favorite treat Three settings: Small Handful, Large Handful, Bowl Easy-fill top with 12.5 cup capacity Runs on 4 AA batteries (not included) or AC power adapter (sold separately) Fun for families, perfect for the office. Sure to be a hit, the CandyMan Motion-Activated Candy Dispenser from Brookstone satisfies your sweet tooth in a flash. Just wave your hand under the dispenser, and the perfect amount of your favorite treat pours out. In no time, your countertop or desk will become a popular gathering-place! The smart way to healthy portion control. Unlike traditional candy dishes, CandyMan helps you limit portion size. Just choose from three settings: Small Handful, Large Handful or Bowl. Once set, the same perfect portion is dispensed every time. Also helps prevent the spread of germs. Touch-free operation isn't just fun-it's a big improvement over germ-filled candy bowls, especially if you have kids around. CandyMan runs on 4 AA batteries (not included) or AC power adapter (sold separately) Dole out sweet treats cleanly and easily with the CandyMan Motion-Activated Dispenser from Brookstone. Order yours today. It's $34.99. (Candy not included -- otherwise I would have ordered one already!)

http://brookstone.store.buy.com/p/candyman-motion-activated-candy-dispenser/227038928.html

Be a part of the NEW Giz Wiz Netcast! We want to see your videos!

The Weekly Daily Giz, formerly known as the Daily Giz Wiz, is changing again! 

Starting with the 1st broadcast, which will be live from the TWiT Brick House, on Tuesday, July 24th, it will simply be called The Giz Wiz. 

The format will still be loose (formless, even) but they'll something different about it. Rather than Leo and I taking all the glory (ha!) we're going to let you, the listeners and viewers, share the glory (blame) for the show. Yes, we want to incorporate your videos, your thoughts, and even some of your gadgets in the new netcast!

Here's what we're looking for:

Videos -- two to three minutes along - in the following categories:

I bought a piece of crap! Did you buy something you ended up hating? We won't get you a refund, but we might be able to give a platform to vent your disappointment. Remember, "family friendly" language applies.

I Invented This! Do you invent something? (Or did a friend or relative invent something.) We can't market it for you, but we can help get the word out. Show us what it is, and how it works. Even if it's a prototype, you can get our (and the audience) reactions. 

My Gadget Warehouse! Okay, so you don't have a warehouse. It doesn't matter. Just tell us about your favorite old gadget. When and where you bought it, and why you're still hanging on to it. 

Post them on YouTube and send us the link! We'll do the rest. (Or possibly nothing, but that's unlikely.) Remember, video should be just 2 to 3 minutes long. Low production value is fine. Even welcomed, so our stuff doesn't look too bad by comparison. We've set the bar low. Don't trip over it. 

An important note from Lillian Banchik, Dr. Mom in the chatroom regarding video submissions:

Just a quick comment/suggestion.  I was checking with Jason (Giz Wiz producer) to see if the production quality of the video I did was crappy enough & he said that he'd never got the e-mail with the link. I'd used the 'share video' e-mail link from inside YouTube & apparently that address is being stripped out by
their spam filters.  I sent another direct e-mail from my own account & he got that fine so you might want to add to your blog post not to use the 'send e-mail' button directly from the YouTube page to send in videos.

Thanks, Lil, you actually just told them!

Suggestions for the show? We'd like them to!

We even have a producer now, Jason Howell. Yep, we're spreading the blame on everyone! (Let's see if Jason's career can survive producing a show this low.)

Our email address: gizwiz@twit.tv  

We want to hear from you.