I'd love to see him blow out his birthday candles

Rube Goldberg's birthday today.  He's the American version of Heath Robinson; a cartoonist who designs machines which make simple tasks very complicated.  Something I discovered today is that there's also a Danish equivalent called Storm Peterson, who sounds more like he belongs in the cast of an American soap opera.

If you've ever played Moustrap you'll know exactly what a Goldberg-slash-Heath-Robinson-slash-Storm-P contraption looks like:

I first fell in love with them after reading the Professor Branestawm books, which were illustrated by Robinson and are full of ridiculous inventions which never quite worked properly.  (Which, incidentally, is exactly my recollection of playing Mousetrap.  Stupid game.)

Here's Goldberg's self operating napkin:

As you raise spoon of soup (A) to your mouth it pulls string (B), thereby jerking ladle (C) which throws cracker (D) past parrot (E). Parrot jumps after cracker and perch (F) tilts, upsetting seeds (G) into pail (H). Extra weight in pail pulls cord (I), which opens and lights automatic cigar lighter (J), setting off sky-rocket (K) which causes sickle (L) to cut string (M) and allow pendulum with attached napkin to swing back and forth thereby wiping off your chin. After the meal, substitute a harmonica for the napkin and you'll be able to entertain the guests with a little music.