Weird and Wacky Engineering
Three funny videos
Clive Maxfield
11/27/2012 3:55 PM EST
Earlier today I emailed my chum Jim Adams asking him if he had a picture of something I needed for something I was writing.
Jim quickly responded that he didn't (bummer), but as a way of softening the blow he pointed me at an interesting video of a motor bike review. It's not that I actually have a motor bike, you understand, but the way the reviewer talked about things really made me laugh – like the part when he goes for a test drive and you hear him commenting about the guy driving a Volvo.
Of course this immediately reminded me of that really funny Triumph Rocket III video, where they show things like "Performing an emergency stop to help someone who's dropped their badger in road."
In turn, this reminded me of the legendary Rockwell Retro Encabulator video – a spoof that (to my mind at least) has rarely, if ever, been equaled:
This last one just fills me with awe and admiration. How could that guy keep a straight face while saying all of that? If any of these remind you of your own favorite "laugh-out-loud" videos, please share them with the rest of us.
If you found this article to be interest, visit Microcontroller / MCU Designline where – in addition to my Max's Cool Beans blogs on all sorts of "stuff" – you will find the latest and greatest design, technology, product, and news articles with regard to all aspects of designing and using microcontrollers.
Also, you can obtain a highlights update delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for my weekly newsletter – just Click Here to request this newsletter using the Manage Newsletters tab (if you aren't already a member you'll be asked to register, but it's free and painless so don't let that stop you [grin]).
Last but certainly not least, make sure you check out all of the discussions and other information resources at All Programmable Planet. For example, in addition to blogs by yours truly, microcontroller expert Duane Benson is learning how to use FPGAs to augment (sometimes replace) the MCUs in his robot (and other) projects.
Jim quickly responded that he didn't (bummer), but as a way of softening the blow he pointed me at an interesting video of a motor bike review. It's not that I actually have a motor bike, you understand, but the way the reviewer talked about things really made me laugh – like the part when he goes for a test drive and you hear him commenting about the guy driving a Volvo.
Of course this immediately reminded me of that really funny Triumph Rocket III video, where they show things like "Performing an emergency stop to help someone who's dropped their badger in road."
In turn, this reminded me of the legendary Rockwell Retro Encabulator video – a spoof that (to my mind at least) has rarely, if ever, been equaled:
This last one just fills me with awe and admiration. How could that guy keep a straight face while saying all of that? If any of these remind you of your own favorite "laugh-out-loud" videos, please share them with the rest of us.
If you found this article to be interest, visit Microcontroller / MCU Designline where – in addition to my Max's Cool Beans blogs on all sorts of "stuff" – you will find the latest and greatest design, technology, product, and news articles with regard to all aspects of designing and using microcontrollers.
Also, you can obtain a highlights update delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for my weekly newsletter – just Click Here to request this newsletter using the Manage Newsletters tab (if you aren't already a member you'll be asked to register, but it's free and painless so don't let that stop you [grin]).
Last but certainly not least, make sure you check out all of the discussions and other information resources at All Programmable Planet. For example, in addition to blogs by yours truly, microcontroller expert Duane Benson is learning how to use FPGAs to augment (sometimes replace) the MCUs in his robot (and other) projects.
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XCruzer17
11/27/2012 5:08 PM EST
I thoroughly enjoy being one uped or in this case two uped by Max, even though the Rockwell video is one of those oldies but goodies. When I watched the first video, I chuckled, then the second made me laugh so hard that the cold I’ve been trying to get over, came rushing back with coughing spasms. Not to worry, it was well worth it.
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StefanHennig
11/28/2012 12:43 AM EST
There is at least one video that comes close to the Rockwell goodie:
http://youtu.be/7IgF6_jVaj8
A must for all Muppets-fans out there!
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Max the Magnificent
11/28/2012 11:34 AM EST
I LOVE it !!! You have to watch it right through to the end :-)
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Yvon.H
11/28/2012 2:56 PM EST
http://www.405themovie.com/
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canuck23
11/28/2012 3:29 PM EST
A few of the great early traning videos by John Cleese.E.g., "Who Sodd You This Then?" -- preiew here http://www.videoarts.us/product/MIP5
or
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Yvon.H
11/28/2012 4:12 PM EST
I just remembered Don Mcmillan, the funnyest technical person I've seen. :-)
http://www.donmcmillan.com/
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Duane Benson
11/29/2012 12:00 AM EST
405 the movie is one of my all time favorites. For some reason, I couldn't get it to play tonight, but I've see it before. I also thing that the "Air New Zealand An Unexpected Briefing" posted i another blog on this site will go down as a classic too.
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MarvA
11/29/2012 8:54 AM EST
Good ones. Humor is best with a suprise at the end. Super Humor works even though the surprise is known. I've replayed this one many times and it's still funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX95daYgmdA
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Duane Benson
11/29/2012 11:06 AM EST
MarvA - That is a good one. If more companies put that kind of creativity into their ads, I certainly wouldn't mind watching them.
One of the nice things about Youtube is that it has allowed so many really talented and creative individuals to showcase their work. Too many to list.
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MarvA
11/29/2012 11:33 AM EST
Duane - Yes, I love an ad that is just plane fun and not insulting. Oops ! I just discriminated against 99% of the ads out there.
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MarvA
11/29/2012 11:37 AM EST
Oops. Make that plain fun, not plane fun. Actually, 405 was plane fun.
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przem
11/30/2012 8:01 PM EST
I am really curious how the Rockwell Retro Encabulator video came to be. They use real company logos and products, so perhaps this was a contest for their salespeople on who could deliver this complete BS with most gusto. Does anyone know the real story?
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MarvA
12/1/2012 11:35 AM EST
What a great question. I have seen the video a few times over the years but had never done any research. You inspired me to do a search on "Rockwell Retro Encabulator video" and came up with a hit on wiki.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turboencabulator
We engineers take grief all of the time for being "different". It takes an engineer to recognize the total BS in the video and really enjoy it.
Engineers do have fun.
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ErinM
12/3/2012 4:45 PM EST
Fun stuff! I think marketing may have lent a hand with, "Here at Rockwell Automation's world headquarters, research has been proceeding to develop a line of automation products that establishes new standards for quality, technological leadership, and operating excellence. With customer success as our primary focus..."
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Chris-J
12/3/2012 11:21 AM EST
I was recently at Lowes.com looking at how-to videos for flooring, e.g. http://www.youtube.com/v/f2MyCZKcSZQ
But I just kept getting distracted from the project at hand, thinking about all those problems I used to have with capacitive diractance and how the Retro Encabulator helped me!
(Same guy from the video now doing instructional videos for Lowe's...)
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Chris-J
12/3/2012 11:58 AM EST
Well, then I watched the first 10 seconds of the first video, and am now sorry I had anything to do with this page. Not funny. Shame on you, Max.
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ErinM
12/3/2012 4:54 PM EST
Re: How could the guy keep a straight face? I think he had practice. If you watch the Chrysler version of this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXW0bx_Ooq4), the first two minutes is a virutally identical script, but funny to see in an automotive instead of industrial context.
The technician who finishes the video - isn't he the same actor from the Rockwell video?? (And I LOVE what he says to tell customers at 3:30 into the video!)
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