Episode 900
August 21, 2009 Mail Order House of a Hundred Names
J.A. Börnschaft was just one of a variety of exotic-sounding labels used by the mail-order company Raffoler, also known as Direct Marketing Enterprises Ltd, from Westbury, Long Island. Other names included Carter & Van Peel, Abernathy & Closther, Knoxx & Londonderry, Gem Collectors International, and National Historic Mint. The New York Times did an article on the company back in 1988 ("Mail Order House of a Hundred Names").
Plans for Episode 1000
Dick and Leo have hardly celebrated Episode 900 when they're already having a rethink of the arrangements for Episode 1000. They plan to do the show live on the show floor of CES 2009, in the first week of January. It's going to be a real spectacle, with show girls, Cirque du Soleil, elephants, Dick will be diving from the Stratosphere Tower, and the Beatles will reunite for the Daily Giz Wiz 1000.
Episode 900 Gifts
Dick and Leo are thrilled by the presents sent in by listeners for Episode 900:
- Howie Woo from British Columbia, who has done cartoons for the Lab with Leo, made a set of crochet creations, including Dick sitting on the Giz Wiz Logo, Leo sitting on his blue ball, a crochet Spork and a crochet Toothpick Bird. Plus a solar-powered LED for Dick. Howie also reveals that it was his girlfriend MJ who sent Dick the Handler featured in Episode 476. You can check out his works at woowork.com.
Howie Woo's Crochet Creations
- Barbara Snyder from Sebastopol (who wrote in Episode 873) made some fanny bags embroidered with the Giz Wiz Logo, the TWiT Logo, and the number "900". Her works can be seen at emb2order.smugmug.com.
- Sue McAllister from ColorSpotPrinting.com sent in Polo shirts for Dick and Leo. The one for Dick has embroidered on it "GizWizBiz" and the Giz Wiz Logo, while Leo's has the TWiT Logo and "Chief TWiT" and, at the end of the sleeves, a subtle "Screw You" sign! Sue has also got some sample TWiT apparel, at twit.deco-apparel.com.
Video Excerpts
Here are excerpts from Episode 900. You can see all the gifts, Dick's "demo" of the frying pan, and the "Screw You" sign. Video from odtv.me.
More on the Leica DISTO
Jeffrey Duke used to work at Leica. When they first started selling the DISTO (Episode 880), they had a whole warehouse full of them, until Home Depot started carrying them. Also, Leica the camera and lens company had little to do with the DISTO. It was a licensing deal.
Listen to Episode 900
Go to TWiT
Read Dick's Write-up
Find DGW Info on GizWizSearch
Reader Comments (1)
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