This is the new interactive website for GizWiz.Biz.

 AN IMPORTANT NOTE

This new website contains gadgets and gizmos from May 1st, 2009 forward. If you're looking for content prior to May 1st, 2009, you'll find it here: www.gizwizbiz.com

On this website you can leave comments on any of the gadgets, answer Giz Wiz questions and email me quickly with the form on the bottom left.

I hope you enjoy the new site and will check all the pages, including the videos page. If you have any comments, let me know. And if you have a good idea for page or more on this website that you would create and edit, let me know that too.

Thanks,
Dick De
The Giz Wiz

I was here. Er, I am here!

Things the Giz Wiz Loves: real trains & model trains.

I have large scale - known as G scale trains in my backyard.  This one is bigger than that! 

To the left is a diesel locomotive I got to learn about & then drive. It was something you were able to do at the Golden Gate Railroad Museum by making a contribution of $150. The museum was on an old Navy base so I only drove the locomotive back & forth over about a 1/4 mile of track. But there was one railroad crossing, which added to the excitment. I had learn the proper whistle signals to be used when approaching the crossing. The museum has recently moved, so I'm not sure they still offer that perk! (No they didn't have to move the whole museum because of the way I drove the train!) The Navy Yard was being turned over to new owners since the Navy wasn't using it anymore. I don't know the exact location of the museum now, but I did a web search & found they're very much alive & steaming!

Here's info on the Golden Gate Railroad Museum:

www.ggrm.org

A Daily Giz Wiz/MAD Fan comes up with a neat find at CNET.

Dick,  I was watching the "Buzz Report" on CNET TV today. They were talking about a new rule in China that requires all computers to install a government filtering program that block porn and anything else they don't want you to see. (this is when the "Spy vs. Spy" picture came up in the background - see attached screen shot)

I guess it is a real compliment to MAD but, did they give you $$ or ¢¢ for the rights?

Al

MAD's Maddest Writer, Dick DeBartolo, answers:

For movies, TV shows, magazines, books, etc. people seek official permission. Even though I've been in every issue of MAD for the past 30 years I still had to get permission & pay a fee to use the MAD logo and Alfred's picture in my book: GOOD DAYS & MAD. (It was not published by MAD.) My guess is that if something is going up on a website and it's a timely, perhaps fleeting story, they'll just grab a MAD shot & hope MAD's happy with the exposure. I'm not at the office right now, so I don't know the back story to that Spy Vs. Spy picture. Personally, I think it looks great. Time Warner/DC Comics may feel differently.

Dick De

MAD's Maddest Writer

Another MAD sighting in an old Beatles movie! Hard Days Night!

Hey DD: I saw the post about the spy vs spy thing at CNET and I thought of another MAD sighting. I was watching the Beatles movie "Hard days Night" when I saw one of the guys reading a book while sitting in the train at the beginning of the movie...here are the screenshots..

Above - those 2 guys are in the movies with the beatles.
               To the Right: There's the book they were readin' on the train.    

And a nice close-up of the title! William M. Gaines would have been proud.

Just thought youd get a kick out of the piece of history from some 30 yrs ago when this movie was made.

Thanks to Rick the Cabbie for finding this and sending on these shots!

BTW The 1st SON OF MAD paperback was published in 1959. The Beatles movie Hard Days Night was released in 1964. Most early MAD paperbacks featured material gathered from the regular issues of MAD. Later on MAD started publishing paperbacks with original work. I wrote 11 MAD paperback books. 10 regular paperbacks and one MAD large or Trade Paperback, Here's MAD in Your Eye.

My New Place is Squarespace!

I'm excited because there are so many bells and whistles a person can add with a website on Squarespace. As I learn how to use all the new features I'll add them to make it a much more interactive site to visit.

The first new feature is active already. Now under each Daily Giz Wiz gadget of the day description there's a place for you to leave your comments. And you can share the info with friends if you like. (You'll have to get friends on your own though. There's only so much the clever folks at Squarespace can do!)

Do you have an idea for a page or more for this website? I'm looking for suggestions for this website, and I'm open to diehard Daily Giz Wiz fans who have ideas for adding and editing a page or more of their own content on this website. Alfred Chan's Inside DGW is a perfect example. He runs his own website, but also posts his content here.

Ideas? dick@gizwiz.biz Thanks.

Dick De I was here!