Episode 963

Alien and Human: Switching Roles
Rick Barber from Rock Island, Illinois heard Alessandro Abate's letter in Episode 954, about the Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", which was re-made in Twilight Zone: The Movie.  In the film John Lithgow played the human who interacted with a gremlin.  Ironically, later on in the TV series 3rd Rock From The Sun, Lithgow played an alien who interacted with humans.

Canadian Fay Wray
Rick also remembers reading an article somewhere, when the original Nightmare at 20,000 Feet came out, in which William Shatner, who was so good at screaming in the episode, was described as the Canadian Fay Wray.

The Mustang
After watching the video of Leo's test drive, Rick knew it was a Mustang.  Rick has been a Mustang enthusiast and sometime owner, since 17 and he is now 55.  Thanks to Lee Iaccoca for coming up with the idea of the Mustang.

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Episode 962

Sonos ZonePlayer S5
As mentioned in Episode 947, Leo did get a review unit of the Sonos Zoneplayer S5, and has bought another one already.  At least one Zoneplayer S5 or a Sonos Zonebridge BR100 has to be wired to your home network.  The other Zoneplayers can work wirelessly.  Remote control is enabled either using the Sonos Controller 200 (sold separately), or using an iPhone or iPod Touch (with the free Sonos Controller app), or via your Mac or PC by installing the Sonos Controller desktop application.

In the picture below (prepared for Episode 887 when Leo first mentioned the Sonos system), at the bottom left corner is the back view of the Zonebridge, and to its right is the Sonos Controller remote control.

Sonos Music System
Podcast Awards
Things at the Podcast Awards are a little confusing this year for the TWiT Network.  In previous years, usually Leo decided which podcast or podcasts would try for an honour.  This year it's free for all at TWiT.  The Daily Giz Wiz is nominated for People's Choice, along with This Week In Technology (which has won before).  DGW is also entered in the Comedy category (along with This Week In Fun).  Then FLOSS Weekly is nominated in the Technology category along with This Week In Tech and Security Now (both of which have also won before).  TWiT is also entered in the video category (presumably for all the TWiTLive shows).

You can vote now (valid email address required, you may or may not be asked to verify), and may do it again every day until voting closes.  Why not vote for the Daily Giz Wiz in both categories?  Let's hope it's Dick's turn this year.

Beyond Bed and Bath
In Episode 954, Leo asked what's beyond the bed and bath in Bed, Bath and Beyond.  Opher Banarie answers it for Leo, that if you go by what they sell in their stores, it's kitchen, backyard, garage and practically any room that needs better organisation.

Beyond Pesticides
Opher would also like to point out that Triclosan, the active ingredient found in most anti-bacterial soapEpisode 954), is so diluted that it makes little difference to traditional soap but over time it causes a significant environmental impact.  See the various reports by the Beyond Pesticides Group.  Leo also points out that one needs a healthy exposure to bacteria to build up one's immunities. (which Dick and Leo discussed also in

Beyond Ignorance and Apathy
Dick learned from 60 Minutes Plus that people who have lived through previous flu outbreaks are more likely to have an immunity or resistance to swine flu.  So Leo needn't worry.  He should, however, be worried about something else: ignorance and apathy.  Is that a problem for him?  "I don't know and I don't care," quips Leo.

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Episode 961

The GizWiz Toaster
Inspired by Michael Jackson's This Is It, Dick and Leo do the Toaster Dance, just without the giant catapult.  Video thanks to the folks at odtv.me.

The Woon
Ken Ronckovitz of Ronkville, who learned never to delete a Daily Giz Wiz show (see Episode 844), has more to contribute to the Giz Wiz Compendium of Portmanteau Gadgets.  Ken has found out that although the term Spork, a combination spoon and fork, was already  in current usage by 1901, it was not patented until 1970 by Van Brode Milling Company.  The "Woon" is the name given to the curved wooden spatula in the old days for your ice-cream, a wooden spoon.

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Episode 960

NEWS !!
Podcast Awards Voting
The nominations for Podcast Awards have been announced, and the Daily Giz Wiz has been nominated in both the People's Choice and the Comedy categories.  Voting opens today.  You need to enter a valid email address as verification of your email address is necessary after you have submitted your vote.  You can vote in as many or as few categories as you like.  And you can vote once every day until the voting closes.  Go to podcastawards.com to cast your votes in support of the Daily Giz Wiz.

Just Like Fine Wine
Andrew Darlow of Imaging Buffet writes again, after a long hiatus (last letter read in Episode 368).  He opines that the Daily Giz Wiz is like a fine wine.  You get too much of it in one sitting and you will be dozing off in no time; or more accurately, it keeps getting better with age.

Twice as Fast, Half as Boring
Given more and more people are listening to the show at 2x speed, Andrew Darlow suggests a new slogan for the show: The Daily Giz Wiz, now twice as fast and half as good.  Leo demurs.  It should be Twice as Fast, Half as Boring.

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Episode 959

Honeywell HCM-350
The model that Dick talks about in today's show should be HCM-350, not the HCM-300T that Leo suggests.  The album art for today's episode shows the HCM-300T, which is a larger-capacity tower-style humidifier.  See Dick's post.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Warren Buffet is buying the Burlington Raidroad.  Now Dick is jealous.

Piano Stairs
Chad Masters, aka blue green yoshi, writes about "The Fun Theory", a project sponsored by Volkswagen Sweden.  The idea is to make it fun for people to do things which they are encouraged to do, such as taking the stairs instead of the escalator, throwing rubbish into the rubbish bin instead of leaving it around, and recycling bottles.

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