Rube Goldberg machines

Open window (A) and fly kite (B). String (C) lifts small door (D) allowing moths (E) to escape and eat red flannel shirt (F). As weight of shirt becomes less, shoe (G) steps on switch (H) which heats electric iron (I) and burns hole in pants (J). Smoke (K) enters hole in tree (L), smoking out opossum (M) which jumps into basket (N), pulling rope (O) and lifting cage (P), allowing woodpecker (Q) to chew wood from pencil (R), exposing lead. Emergency knife (S) is always handy in case opossum or the woodpecker gets sick and can't work.

Rube was the mind behind creating exceedingly complex devices that perform simple tasks in very indirect and convoluted ways, they were used by Cayotee to try and catch the Road Runner and the suicidal woman in JP Jeunet's Delicatessen (to no avail). See more machines.