Upvote for the Rube Goldberg machine-ness of it all.

Calling this * eco is like calling a Rube Goldberg machine efficient. Just because it uses solar panels doesn't mean it's environmentally friendly.

All that plastic and metal, on top of that driving out to the desert and back, not to mention all the materials consumed in designing it, to do with solar power in a few hours what you can do better in a couple minutes at home with a pair of scissors and a hole-punch.

I actually think this was a pointless interview. We gained no great insights, we heard no new information, etc... All of what was said has been said for weeks AND has been said better, i.e. reasons to be there and reasons not to be there.

Plus, I don't consider the CIA to be anything more than a tool anymore and hopefully it stays that way; as in the past you could make a case that the CIA was GETTING us involved in wars and shaping internal politics. I'm sure they still do this, but enough whistle-blowers came forward to create an environment were the CIA must tread carefully. Especially, after their complete and utter fuck-up of the century for the last Iraq war.

I appreciate this man's council, but in the end he has as much experience in leading a country as I do (armchair generals). He's very well informed in some international dealings, but his answer of "do nothing" is an old answer and it needs to be done away with to some degree. As it's an answer that does nothing; in fact it shows you the shear amount of apathy that our country feels is O.K. to use (like Cambodia, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, etc.). The problem as I see it is that the U.N. passed a unanimous security council resolution on Libya, a U.N. member. Libya said it would comply and then went on to do exactly what @bcglorf has said.

The solution I see is that NATO shouldn't be the watch dog here. The problem is that the U.N. is a useless body without fangs. It NEEDS fangs. The fact that EVERY security council member is not involved in this situation/resolution to me means that their "security club membership" should be nullified. I'm tired of people abusing the U.N. . It's perhaps our best way to solve many of these problems. But, when the military action is ALWAYS carried by NATO at the end of the day, I begin to believe that members that don't participate in resolutions THEY PASSED need to be kicked out of their position (I'm looking at you China).

Until the U.N. gains some fangs and the ability to enact resolutions that are passed UNANIMOUSLY (5 abstains for the countries too scared to take a stance), we will continue to carry the weight via the U.S. Armed Forces or NATO; otherwise, we let innocent people die. We could do nothing, but if we did do nothing the media needs to put the blame squarely at the feet of U.N. Security members that abstain; make them swim in the blood they've spilled by their political maneuvering called "abstain"... We don't do this, but I think it's time we did. If China wants to be a big boy, they need to learn about responsibilities related to their direct inaction. Likewise, Russia needs to learn that the Cold War is dead; holding their feet to the fire internationally might do that.

Eventually, this comes down to the media getting the story right and being willful enough to put countries to the question: Why?

Don't bring up the "reverse angle" of death and destruction. I know it will happen, but this is the cost of choosing and FIGHTING for any side. Death is everywhere; it doesn't make it right, but it makes it true...

Here is the vote for, Resolution 1973:

U.S.-Y*
Lebanon-Y
France-Y*
U.K.-Y*
Bosnia and Herzegovina-Y
Columbia-Y
Gabon-Y
Nigeria-Y
Portugal-Y
South Africa-Y

Abstained (the eternal worthless permanent security council members: China-they never do ANYTHING, and The Russian Federation-who seem to vote just to be contrary); I'll put a mark next to permanent members that abstained^:

^The Russian Federation-NA*
^China (as usual)-NA*
Brazil-NA
Germany-NA
India-NA

I find it hard to keep Russia and China on the security council (they'd whine like babies if removed) as they almost always abstain AND they don't help; in fact they do nothing. The other members are not permanent and may be cycled out in the upcoming year; making me not very concerned with their attitude.

*Permanent Security Council Members

So take it or leave it; but, I think our worldwide diplomacy from every country still revolves around the Cold War and WWII. It's terribly sad to me that we are still stuck on such ridiculous fears and ghostly machinations...

Has the world become a deus ex machina to politicians? Do they believe complex problems can be solved with the smallest of effort? This is what it seems to be coming to and it's scary to see people like Donal Trump in the runnings for president. Sarah Palin is a walking and breathing Captain Catherine Janeway in the sense that she believes she has answers and solutions that are easy to implement and as ridiculous as every piece of deus ex machina "Voyager" ever used. AND she is not alone...

I see this in our country and in others. Simplistic leanings that help no one except to further their own agenda. It's as though politicians and leaders use Rube Goldberg machines, yet these do have a purpose: they grab your attention, they pacify, they cause you to become their disease--ready to even spill the blood of what they hate. It's true in every country on the planet. So when Russia and China take the easy way out, that is what I think of them. It is also why they should NEVER be given leadership, as they seemingly don't know what it truly is or they abuse it.

/My long two cents with a little drama to get a dialogue started...

>> ^blankfist:

@<a rel="nofollow" href="http://douchebag.videosift.com" title="member since July 26th, 2007" class="profilelink"><strong style="color: rgb(0, 136, 0);">rottenseed


?

Not exactly a Rube Goldberg machine, but still pretty cool. I bet it was spectacular to watch in person. And I like how it was timed to the song. Not perfect, but close.

The video is here.

>> ^Payback:
Disappointed there were no treadmills...


There were... on the TV showing the old video... which was then destroyed.

Brilliant.

That's their sledgehammer response to your call of/for cynicism too.

>> ^maatc:
Possibly, yes. Thought I´d like to imagine it was all done without.

From the editing it looks to me like:

1) they built a significant subset of this machine.
2) they ran it in sections (the placement of the band in different locations suggests cuts).
3) they pieced it together with some kick ass digital editing (this can account for some of the syncing).
4) they added more "stuff" to the machine in post, to make some parts look more interesting.

The "we don't like computers" line at the end of the making-of seems suspiciously like a smoke screen.

[edit] what would be mind-bendingly kick ass: If the whole thing, including the making-of were green screened.

Possibly, yes. Though I´d like to imagine it was all done without.

@2:27 somebody seems to be holding the curtains shut, which makes me think they just HAD to have some bits where they could compensate for timing issues! (Similar to the Spice Girls in "Wannabe" which I was told had a few cleverly hidden bits that were edited later.) Edit: Can anyone find a Making of Clip for Wannabe?


Otherwise this would just be too mindboggling.
Or CGI of yourse.

>> ^dgandhi:
Nice CGI.

>> ^eric3579:
So I'm guessing this was take number nine, due to the eight broken TVs.


If they got that with taken nine I'd be stunned! Take nine hundred maybe

Awesome video.

>> ^KrazyKat42:
these dudes need to get laid, bad.


Dude, you know how much Mensa pussy they're gonna get after this?

Your video, OK Go - Rube Goldberg Machine Version of This Too Shall Pass, has made it into the Top 15 New Videos listing. Congratulations on your achievement. For your contribution you have been awarded 1 Power Point.

>> ^deathcow:
I'd rather there be a creator, there be an intention for this universe to exist specifically to evolve and house life. I dont subscribe to any Earth religions though. There in fact does have to be a WHY... I belive cosmology, probing the big bang, will get us eternally closer to an answer. The cosmic microwave background is a last scattering surface for electromagnetic energy, but it is transparent to gravitational energy. Cosmologists/physicists are attempting to map the earliest universe with gravitational waves next. I hope it works and they can take our understanding further with it.


There has to be a "how", there most certainly does not need to be a "why". You only need a "why" if you can't subscribe to life having no purpose, that was it just random chance and there is no ulterior motive for its existence. Which is fine, you don't need to subscribe to that but there it is, no "why"

Your video, The Ultimate Rube Goldberg Machine, has made it into the Top 15 New Videos listing. Congratulations on your achievement. For your contribution you have been awarded 1 Power Point.

Tags for this video have been changed from 'balls, set up, shenanigans, wow, hard, to, tag, this, one' to 'balls, set up, shenanigans, wow, hard, to, tag, this, one, rube goldberg machine' - edited by maatc