4 posts tagged “atlantic”
Flaming Fruitcake
Combustible Christmas Log
Dick's Gadget Warehouse
Made by Grandma Keenan Specialty Products, the Flaming Fruitcake looked like a Christmas log but was intended for the fireplace as a combustible log. Made of sawdust, wax, colour wood and colouring agents, it was not a food product. "Have fun burning these calories." "Finally a fruitcake you will enjoy." Dick got it in 1991 from a PR agent, and the only reference to it on the web one can find is on Living On Earth, 24 December 1993.
Gadget Ideas
Steve Greenberg writes in his book Gadget Nation that it's not enough to have a good idea for a gadget. It's all about marketing and distribution.
Mad Over Time
The Mad cover with Obama morphing into Alfred E Neuman (Yes We Can't) has been named by Time Magazine as one of the Top 10 Magazine Covers of 2008. Obama has also been named 2008 Person of the Year.
Gadget Ideas
Steve Greenberg writes in his book Gadget Nation that it's not enough to have a good idea for a gadget. It's all about marketing and distribution.
Mad Over Time
The Mad cover with Obama morphing into Alfred E Neuman (Yes We Can't) has been named by Time Magazine as one of the Top 10 Magazine Covers of 2008. Obama has also been named 2008 Person of the Year.
When Mad first turned itself into a comic magazine, Time's review predicted that it would be a "short-lived satirical pulp". Not only did Mad continue to thrive, but Warner Bros/Time Warner in due course acquired it and brought it under the same division as Time Magazine. In the acquisition deal, Bill Gaines slipped a clause into the final draft of the contract reserving to himself the right to be unreasonable. He also felt confident that the affairs of Mad would be totally unaffected because for the first few years, the new owners wouldn't even realise that they had acquired the new property.
For a fuller account of Mad's management after the acquisition, check back at Episode 68. For the "unreasonable" contract clause, see Episode 106.
Book Royalty
Dick has written 11 or 12 Mad original paperback books. For one of them, Dick got $12,000 as an advance payment from the publishers. Dick was puzzled by the sheer size of the advance, and Bill Gaines explained that the big corporations never read the contract and he inserted a clause that the publishers had to print a million copies.
Powerline Technology
Mike Knox who has been listening to DGW since Episode 1 writes to clarify something about powerline carrier technology (PLC). In Episode 713, Leo thought that the Belkin Powerline AV Plus Starter Kit would not work in Dick's situation as powerline technology would not work over 2 fuse boxes or power meters. Mike points out that while there are different implementations of PLC, they will pass through fuse boxes and utilities meters and are completely transparent to the conduction of electricity and any signals multiplexed on to the power. The signals will stop at utility transformers and will degrade over distance, but can go over to other homes. Dick's own test has proved Mike right.
TWiG
Dick has a T-Shirt with a TWiG logo - This Week in Gadgets.
Listen to Episode 725
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
For a fuller account of Mad's management after the acquisition, check back at Episode 68. For the "unreasonable" contract clause, see Episode 106.
Book Royalty
Dick has written 11 or 12 Mad original paperback books. For one of them, Dick got $12,000 as an advance payment from the publishers. Dick was puzzled by the sheer size of the advance, and Bill Gaines explained that the big corporations never read the contract and he inserted a clause that the publishers had to print a million copies.
Powerline Technology
Mike Knox who has been listening to DGW since Episode 1 writes to clarify something about powerline carrier technology (PLC). In Episode 713, Leo thought that the Belkin Powerline AV Plus Starter Kit would not work in Dick's situation as powerline technology would not work over 2 fuse boxes or power meters. Mike points out that while there are different implementations of PLC, they will pass through fuse boxes and utilities meters and are completely transparent to the conduction of electricity and any signals multiplexed on to the power. The signals will stop at utility transformers and will degrade over distance, but can go over to other homes. Dick's own test has proved Mike right.
TWiG
Dick has a T-Shirt with a TWiG logo - This Week in Gadgets.
Listen to Episode 725
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Safe-T-Bug/Safety Bug
LED Light
Link: Panther Vision
From Dick's favourite LED gadget makers Panther Vision, the Safe-T-Bug (or Safety Bug) has 5 ultra-bright red LED flashing lights which you can attach (by pin, adhesive or magnet) to your cap, backpack, clothing or even your dog's leash for showing you the way. It is so new it's not even on Panther Vision's website yet. A real scoop by Dick!
[Update: The product has finally appeared on the PantherVision website, and is now called the Safety Bug.
The Queen Mary 2
Dick had a great time on the Queen Mary 2. Listen to Dick's account of how well-equipped the Queen Mary 2 is, and learn what is the difference between a boat and a ship.
Dick has posted some of his QM2 photos on Flickr. Here's the link.
More Gas
Ray from San Antonio in Texas was prompted by the recent references to the Mad "It's A Gas" recording to look for his Mad CD which had Alfred E Neuman on its cover. Lo and behold, or Hark, It's A Gas was on that CD.
Leo was sent a disco version of "It's A Gas" which Leo plays on the show. The belches were made by Dick and Sara Fowler. Leo also found a big-band version of "It's A Gas" on seeqpod (thanks to the chatroom), which he likes better.
Mad Minute
Alfco FastFoods's new service: Ordering by Letters.
Listen to Episode 581
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
[Update: The product has finally appeared on the PantherVision website, and is now called the Safety Bug.
The Queen Mary 2
Dick had a great time on the Queen Mary 2. Listen to Dick's account of how well-equipped the Queen Mary 2 is, and learn what is the difference between a boat and a ship.
Dick has posted some of his QM2 photos on Flickr. Here's the link.
More Gas
Ray from San Antonio in Texas was prompted by the recent references to the Mad "It's A Gas" recording to look for his Mad CD which had Alfred E Neuman on its cover. Lo and behold, or Hark, It's A Gas was on that CD.
Leo was sent a disco version of "It's A Gas" which Leo plays on the show. The belches were made by Dick and Sara Fowler. Leo also found a big-band version of "It's A Gas" on seeqpod (thanks to the chatroom), which he likes better.
Mad Minute
Alfco FastFoods's new service: Ordering by Letters.
Listen to Episode 581
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
USB Tape Dispenser Hub
USB Hub/Wacky Gadget
Link: ThinkGeek
From ThinkGeek, the home of wacky gadgets, this Scotch Tape Dispenser is also a USB Hub with swinging ports. It comes with an LED light and the tape too!
Dick thinks they should make a DGW-branded Toothpick Bird USB Hub.
For a previous equally wacky USB hub, see Episode 161, the Self-Destruct Button USB Hub.
WTHII April '08
It's not a juicer. What a shocker! It's a Roller Drying Cup.
Dick's Radio Studio
As a child, Dick built his own radio studio which broadcast on to the front lawn, and played pranks among the hedges. That's the budding entertainer at work.
Seinfeld's Soup Nazi
No one at Mad dared go and buy soups at The Original Soup Man because his reputation preceded him.
Rowing with Audible
Leo gives more details about his podcasting plans with female rower Roz Savage who is going to try to be the first woman to row solo across the Pacific.
Video or Audio
Brian Taylor from Walnut, California is in a dilemma. He watched the streaming video of Dick and Leo recording the show. Now he has nothing to listen to for the next week. He suggests they do 2 sets of episodes, one on video, and one just with the audio.
Twitter Again
Leo wants to know if the SoupySales on Twitter, who is profane and very funny, is the Soupy Sales. Dick is now on Twitter as well. Follow him at thegizwiz on Twitter, or follow Alfred E Neuman on Twitter.
Listen to Episode 569
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Dick thinks they should make a DGW-branded Toothpick Bird USB Hub.
For a previous equally wacky USB hub, see Episode 161, the Self-Destruct Button USB Hub.
It's not a juicer. What a shocker! It's a Roller Drying Cup.
As a child, Dick built his own radio studio which broadcast on to the front lawn, and played pranks among the hedges. That's the budding entertainer at work.
Seinfeld's Soup Nazi
No one at Mad dared go and buy soups at The Original Soup Man because his reputation preceded him.
Rowing with Audible
Leo gives more details about his podcasting plans with female rower Roz Savage who is going to try to be the first woman to row solo across the Pacific.
Video or Audio
Brian Taylor from Walnut, California is in a dilemma. He watched the streaming video of Dick and Leo recording the show. Now he has nothing to listen to for the next week. He suggests they do 2 sets of episodes, one on video, and one just with the audio.
Twitter Again
Leo wants to know if the SoupySales on Twitter, who is profane and very funny, is the Soupy Sales. Dick is now on Twitter as well. Follow him at thegizwiz on Twitter, or follow Alfred E Neuman on Twitter.
Listen to Episode 569
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
iSoniCast
iPod Accessory - Wireless Streaming
Link: Monster Cable
Turn-The-Tables-Tuesday
The iSoniCast enables wireless streaming from your iPod to your home stereo or other powered speakers. Monster Cable calls it a "wireless audio bridge".
Connect the base station to AC power and to your home stereo and to one of the audio inputs of your home stereo (via the mini-jack to RCA cable provided). Plug the transmitter into the iPod (which draws minimal power from the iPod), start playing and the music will be streamed by 2.4GHz wireless technology (with a bandwidth of 4 Mega-bits per second) to the base station receiver. The iPod doubles up as a remote control.
Mad Currency
Randal Schwartz, Perl expert, co-host of FLOSS and long-time fan of DGW, came across an entry on Wikipedia about fake denominations of US currency and found that the Mad currency (3-dollar bill) which Dick talked about in the past (see, e.g. Episode 121) has made its way into that entry. Dick goes on to describe the Alfred E Neuman postage stamps that Mad used to make.
Spork Cartoon
Dick and Leo mention in passing a spork cartoon which listeners have written in about. Leo says he is going to save it for the Letters Section, but naturally he forgets. While we wait for Dick and Leo's memory to come round, here's one which is pretty good, by Jakin J Waldock.
Listen to Episode 567
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
