Known as MAD's Maddest Writer, co-host of The Giz Wiz with OMGchad at www.GizWiz.TV, The Giz Wiz on ABC's World News Now, and on Tech Guy Labs with Leo Laporte on www.TWiT.TV.
Knife Sharpening Truck In the old days, knife-sharpening trucks used to go around ringing their bells to attract the attention of households. Recently Dick heard that familiar bell again, but within the city itself. In 2006, the New York Times ran a story on a cutlery grinder in New York, Mr Mike Pallotta, and in 2008, Mr Pallotta was still going strong: see Sense and the City.
Photo by Don Hogan Charles for NYT Kenner's Easy Bake Ovens Dick's boat has a microwave oven of 400W power. Leo thinks that Dick is better off with a Kenner Easy Bake Oven. Don't scoff, because the Easy Bake Oven has a long history and pedigree. Read about it on about.com. The photo on the left is the 1963 model, from Bill's RetroWorld; on the right is the 1971 model, from Cooking Inn.
Kenner's Easy-Bake Ovens from 1963 and 1971 Dock and Talk Leo mentioned that 20% of households in the States do not have land lines any more, and Clifton Fowler from Florence, Arizona is one of them. He's a truck driver, is often away, and when at home, simply uses Dock N Talk by Phone Labs, which enables him to speak on conventional home phones (corded or cordless) using the cellphone connection.
More Candidates for the Home Office Suggestions for the TWiT Home Office's location keep coming in live from the chatroom - Mud Lick in Kentucky, Bald Knob in Arkansas, Joe Batt's Arm in Newfoundland, Toad Suck in Arkansas, Hookersville in West Virginia, Skullbone in Tennessee, Come By Chance in Newfoundland, Two Egg in Florida, and Punkeydoodles Corner, Ontario. Leo is sticking with Cheesequake, New Jersey for the time being.
For other suggestions, see Answer Giz Wiz Questions, Newfoundland has had the lion's share of funny names. Way back in Episode 164, a listener has written in about some of them. You can listen to that episode again on twit.tv.
The Question To The Answer Dick and Leo do a Carnac the Magnificent session (a segment on the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson). Prescient answer: Sis Boom Bah. Question: Dick and Leo can't remember, but it's something to do with an exploding sheep. Prescient answer: Butterfield ate 8000. Question: How many hamburgers did Butterfield eat? Here's a good example of Carnac's routine.
Another Qualification on Dick's Resumé When Johnny Carson took his leave in the summer, the Tonight Show used rotating hosts, each taking a week. One of them was Gene Rayburn, who once brought Dick on to the team of writers. Dick even appeared on the show as representative of the National Safety Council, which is still on a kinescope recording somewhere. Dick has also written for the American version of That Was The Week That Was (TW3).
Mr Podcast As Milton Berle was called Mr Television, so Leo should be called Mr Podcast, says Dick. Leo is not sure about that title, and Dick has asked what should Leo be called, on Answer Giz Wiz Questions. Check out the answers there.
Titanic - A New Musical Zud from the chatroom suggests to Leo the musical version of the Titanic on Audible. While Zud may have been pulling Leo's leg, there was indeed a broadway show called "Titanic - A New Musical", and you can find the original cast recording on CD.
Morbid Subjects for Cruise Lectures Dick has been on the QE2 as a guest giving lectures and talks (see Episode 225). He found out that apparently one of the more popular subjects for lectures is sunken ships, like the Titanic and the Carpathia.
Giz Wiz Lessons Learnt Ken Ronkovitz from New Jersey had to reset his iTunes subscriptions, and rather than subscribing to individual shows, he decided to subscribe to Radio Leo. Lesson 1: Leo has a lot of podcasts. Ken was falling behind with the Daily Giz Wiz and was going to delete some unlistened-to DGW shows, one of which was Episode 750, the Panasonic Travelvision, until a voice told him not to, as he had actually owned the Travelvision. He listened to the show, and to his pleasant surprise heard his previous letter being read by Dick. Lesson 2: Never delete a Daily Giz Wiz episode.
Allen v American Apparel Inc Woody Allen sued American Apparel for using an image of him as a Hasidic Jew from Annie Hall, with the caption "the high rabbi", on advertising billboards. On 18 May 2009, the case was settled for $5 million. Read the Reuters article. For a picture of the billboard, see the Jewish Journal.
Home Office Relocated Previously Leo settled on Pickles Gap, Arkansas (not Carbuncle Falls) in Episode 831 as the location for the TWiT Home Office. Other suggestions have been floated, including Sioux City in Iowa, Lake Rogerene in New Jersey, Susquehanna in Pennsylvania (Episode 830), and Truth Or Consequences in Mexico (Episode 832).
Listeners (Mark, a brewer; Jeff from Pittsburgh; Joe aka Toyota Boy, Paul Griswold, and Denny Pyott) have come up with the following suggestions: Boring in Oregon; Cheesequake in New Jersey; Blue Ball or Intercourse, both in Pennsylvania; Lake In The Hills in Illinois; French Lick or Gas City in Indiana.
Dick and Leo have now relocated the Home Office to Cheesequake, New Jersey. Pickles Gap, Arkansas will be TWiT's Satellite Office.
For more suggestions from listeners, check out the thread in Answer Giz Wiz Questions on this site, about the TWiT Home Office location.
"The Crap Goes In ... ... before the name goes out", that's DGW's new slogan. There shouldn't be any cease-and-desist letters from Zenith.
Delta Airzound Bike Horn Apart from his pennons, headlights and tail-lights on his Terratrike Cruiser (Episode 837), Leo's got a loud-sounding horn recommended by kiwinerd, the Delta Airzound Bike Horn, which requires no batteries and uses compressed air (refillable from any bike pump) to produce up to 115 db.
Delta Airzound Bike Horn
Health Warning Many people, including doctors and nurses, have written in after Leo talked about the dangers of swallowing the BuckyBalls (Episode 827). The letter which Leo has picked is from Phil Tilsley of Ferndale, Washington. Phil's wife works as a 911 medical dispatcher, and can confirm that strong magnets pose a serious hazard to children. Strong magnets when swallowed can join together inside the intestines causing a blockage.
Clomping in Klompen TWiT fan Michelle from Utrecht in the Netherlands has paid a visit to Leo at the TWiT Cottage, and brought him a pair of Dutch wooden clogs. Now Leo clomps around in his Klompen and dances to the Monday Theme.
Model Trains Dick as we all know is a model train enthusiast, with an LGB G-scale model train set in his backyard, which he first referred to way back in Episode 1. Dick talks about the different scales for model trains (for more info see e.g. Model Train Scales Explained), while Leo talks about a model dream estate of a friend of his, complete with a train set. You can see Dick's train set in action on his archive website gizwizbiz.com or on YouTube.
Answers in Surround Sound In Episode 829, Dick and Leo asked about the possibility of doing the podcast in stereo sound. Answers came back in surround sound. Frank Bailey from Japan who listens to the show on his daily commute on his bike says no, as he listens with only one earphone so that he can listen out for what's happening around him. Ditto for James Glenn. Curt Estridge from Vienna, Ohio listens to the show at work also with one earbud, leaving his other ear or half of it for his boss. Ditto for Eric Burke from Prior Lake, Minnesota, and another listener from Iowa. That's an overwhelming number of one-ear listeners.
June 5, 2009 
