>---> ... but is awfully Rube Goldberg.
>
>Is this something very American-specific or I just have a hard day so am
>unable to understand :-)
>
>Zlatko Krastev

Zlatko - It's a reference to doing things in the most complicated way possible.
         See  http://www.rube-goldberg.com/html/bio.htm
plus the rest of the site to have a good chuckle.

  Richard