Merry Christmas
In acknowledgment of a calendar based confluence here’s a little Christmas themed extra video just for Patrons.
Merry Christmas
P.S. If you look in the video description on YouTube you’ll also find a link to another even less impressive exclusive new video. It’s like a Christmas easter-egg hunt where the only way to win is not to play.
Comments (96)
Secret Santa, well, sort of similar thing we did in the 80's with Sinterklaas. But then it was a sport to include as cynical as much poem in the present that went about the persons shortcomings. I got once a present that had an action figure sitting on a toilet as i so frequently went to the toilet. (Later in live found out i had Crohn's disease). I don't care about holidays, or actually loathe them and am glad when they are over.
Very late to this of course, but I'm working my way back through the exclusives having recently joined Patreon - maybe I should have waited until Christmas but I very much enjoyed this one. Inventor or not the gift ideas you had for your team were great! The radio story reminded me of this thing which I remember getting must have been about aged 9 given the date, I loved it and used to fall asleep listening to random AM radio stations! http://cerealoffers.com/Quaker_Ltd/Harvest_Bars/Harvest_Crunch_Cereal_Bars_Rad/harvest_crunch_cereal_bars_radio.html
i am a bit late to the party been busy over Bah-Humbug mass and just like you Mat i am not a Xmas person but i like to see the Grand Children enjoying themselves as i was a child once and loved Xmas - any way long story short - early 2018 diagnosed type 2 Diabetes, changed diet exercised and by late 2019 it was almost back to normal so i was looking forward to 2020 - New Years Morning Fell Down the Stairs and Broke my Neck 1mm the other way and i might not be writing this, neck brace on for 3 month and we got the lock down, after that i got my Brace off i caught Shingles so for me Every Day is a Bonus and i take every day as it comes because that one little slip at the top of my stairs could have been my last. so Happy New Year Mat keep doing what you do as it was watching you and people like you that got me through it when all i could do was watch TV or use my Computer
That’s quite the tale. The only positive thing that comes out of an experience like this is a new found appreciation for the mundane. For me, my health issues completely changed my outlook. Most things that people thought were important and worth arguing over now seemed like petty irrelevance. The phrase “don’t you realise you could die tomorrow and all this wouldn’t matter” came into mind continuously. So much so that I couldn’t work with anyone again because we just didn’t think about things the same way. I’d look around and my colleagues were like rats fighting over the last mouldy crust of bread on a sinking boat.
Merry Christmas!
08:51 The one in the center was used as the Comlink in Knight Rider TV show
Some of those old props used on TV really look dodgy now when blown up on a large HD-TV. I especially notice the painted or taped-over brand names on things now. Casio blacked out with a sharpie.
I do like this kind of thing! Thank you, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Best of luck with the medical trials. Let’s keep ploughing through this together!
Ahhh Christmas, the time of year when Santa Moan flies around the world in his Smart Roadster delivering dodgy cassette players and wrist radios to all the boys and girls who are so naughty that they do nothing all day but watch YouTube videos demonstrating obsolete audio devices. If you've been a good boy or girl all year long, Santa Moan will bring your broken electronic gear back to his workshop at the North Pole where his Elves will replace all the knackered caps.
That's an olde tale. Santa Moan now lives in Phoenix, AZ to relieve his asthma. He sold his Smart Roadster and he now owns a solar-powered hover craft that looks like Luke Skywalker's landspeeder. Last I heard he was only making films; and the elves defected to work for Kris Kringle (who is a hip-hop artist). And Santa's Workshop, thus abandoned, was torn down and replaced with an Amazon Fulfillment Center.
Mat, you're an absolute star and a legend. I for one, totally believe you invented Secret Santa and that's what I shall be telling everyone who mentions the idea. As for Exachange and Mart, I loved it and used to buy a copy just to see what people were selling. There was some weird stuff in there! It did go online I remember but I haven't looked at it it in years. I guess eBay did away with that. Have a super new year. Do not fret too much about video length vs. frequency vs. quality and don't let the comments change the way you speak; in my book, you're doing great. Stay safe and well. SB
1. Ordering things from magazines as a child - I remember wanting to order the 'X Ray' glasses from the Bazooka Joe bubblegum wrappers ("See the bones in your hand!") as a kid. I wasn't really sure how they worked, but presumed they must involve complicated electronics. When I finally got a pair they were, of course, rubbish 2. Secret Santa in the office - in a similar vein, I introduced a 'tea joker' to the office, which you could play on another person as long as they had not already been served it that day. The rules then became more and more complicated, causing all sorts of bizarre behaviour to either deliver it or avoid receiving it. We also did the Secret Santa thing in 1991ish? 3. I think the word you wanted was 'qualify'! Happy xmas Mat, never change!
Merry Christmas to you too, Mat! Thanks so much for everything you've done to keep us patrons amused & entertained this year. Looking forward to whatever you bring us in 2022! 🎅
Flippin eck, it's Crimbo!!! A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you!
A very merry Christmas to you as well Sir! A delightful Christmas video. A real joy. Thank you. Also- While I love and appreciate you putting out videos every week, I will at no point think less of you if you decide to slow down your release volume. Jusy FYI. Have a wonderful New Year!
Merry Christmas Mat! I bought a Scope clock as soon as the video released. I waited to open it up on Christmas and it's wonderful.
It’s good to keep something back for yourself at Christmas. I believe there’s a couple of hundred people on the waiting list now, so you did well.
Thanks Mat. Merry winter break to you too. It was nice to see you clearly more upbeat and laughing a little. Not that I'm saying you're normally miserable. You know what I mean. Thanks for keeping me entertained this last year, I'm glad there's to be more. :-)
Fell asleep on Christmas afternoon watching this! Free extra watch for the channel, haha. Thanks for a great year of content. Hope everyone had a good one.
I hope you listen to 'Christmas in Hollis' at least once today.
Hope you have a relaxing holiday and thank you for all that you do. I enjoy all your videos and especially appreciate the patreon updates you do. In these times during "the event", where many may feel lonely and isolated, it's nice to 'catch up' with a friend every so often. Keep doing what you're doing, how your doing it and don't ever change. Be well and take care.
I remember the wrist radios! I was only a couple years ahead of you (xmas '76 I was 13). The adverts I remember were like the 2nd one you showed where you could see that it was a little ... bigger. Xmas 76 I was much more interested in CB radio. :-) Sorry about your Mom. You, too, please have a great Christmas. Your videos are great the way they are, IMHO.
Happy Christmas Mat and to all the patreons. Did you see the name check by Gav on Slow-mo guys?
I was just about to post about this. Pretty cool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJVpYL44jUQ
Merry Christmas Matt. Hope you are having a fantastic "Wera" time. LOL Adrian & Janette xxxx
Thanks for the video Mat. I had one of those wrist radios in the 1970s. I used to listen to Radio Luxembourg at night.
Merry Christmas Mat! The midi file when you’re talking about the watches sounds like someone’s pushed a piano down the stairs. I think it’s meant to be Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire!
Believe it or not I had to go through dozens of midis to find the tracks I played. Some of the ones I didn’t use could be classified as criminal assault.
Happy Christmas Matt, and thanks for all the fascinating programmes during '21,
Cheers Mat! Likewise wishing you a better 2022. Weird seeing the year in writing passage of time is a bit odd yeah?
I’m still missing the 19 from the start of dates.
Mat, thanks so much for the videos throughout the year! I'm sure you get your fair share of moronic negative comments on youtube...but know that your videos bring me warmth and joy every time I watch them. You rock sir!
Had one of those exact radios myself. I seem to recall the speaker grill was purple, my favourite colour. Pretty useless even when you get a station in because you'd have to constantly keep the radio up and facing you in order to hear it; as soon as you let your arm go down to your side the sound was aimed elsewhere...not to mention the directionality issue when tuning in a station. Loved the gadgetry then and now. Merry Crimble!
Have a good one Mat, not too much eggnog. I hope the experimental procedure yields some kind of positive result.
As do I. If things go ahead I’ll talk briefly about it next time.
Merry Christmas to yourself and "the missus"! Videos have certainly kept me occupied during my months of shielding! You're "that nice man" to my mother!!
Merrry Christmas! Hiccup! What a treat :-)
Have a wonderful Christmas Mat, and family. And I’m sure I speak for most patrons in saying that if you feel you want to take more time on videos, and release less frequently, we’re totally here to support you in that!
Good news, I could do with some time to recharge every now and then.
Your discussion about Christmas made me smile. I used to get worried about wishing people a Merry Christmas if they didn't observe it, but whatever. It's a cultural thing. So, Merry Christmas from this atheist. Let's keep putting joy into the world and 2022 WILL be a better year! :)
Merry Christmas Matt!
Mat's next claim to fame could be explaining the death of the high street. I guess he was like myself and could never walk past a Dixon's without going in to check the latest gadgets. My biggest bargain was finding the £400 camcorder I had wanted a year earlier for £179 ex-display (but locked in a cabinet) in the January sales. Happy Christmas everyone.
I had a list of must-stop-bys, that dwindled over the years until there were none left. At one point I could fill the entire week of 1hr lunches with different shop visits. When that died off, I realised there was no point commuting to a city centre any more...so I stopped.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (Of course, by happy, I mean whatever happy means to you [and by you I mean you and the people who are important to you {But, really, when I say important I mean not important in a general sense or international impact, but people who mean something personal to you (and personal can be someone you love or somebody you meet down at the shop. You know.)}]) Stay safe. Stay warm. Stay as sane as possible.
You've got the system sorted - it's like an inner madness where you're attacked by multiple personalities, all of which have an axe to grind.
Merry Christmas everyone.
I giggled all the way through this little end-of-year 'filler' video - still chuckling :) A quiet and relaxing merry Christmas to you and yours.
Merry Christmas, Mat! A decade before you, we had ads like that in the back of our comic books for a wrist radio. We weren't trying to be like James Bond, but we were trying for Dick Tracy. The wrist radio was about the same size as yours, but it was a crystal radio. You could wear it on your wrist, but the long line antenna and ground connection seriously limited your mobility!... Now those x-ray glasses! They were a young boy's answer to figuring out girls! But they didn't work either... and girls are still a mystery... even to this very day...
For probably more than half a decade now I’ve been wondering “I wonder when Mat will do a video on the Sony Rolly?”. Just spotted it, and I guess it’s imminent? Can’t wait! Ho ho ho, merry Crimbo, etc.
At some point I hope to get it working. I still don’t really understand the point of it.
Merry Christmas, Mat!
Merry Christmas Matt, have a good one 🎄🎄
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Mat! Keep up the great work!
Merry Christmas, Techmoan and friends!
Thanks, Mat - Keep calm and carry on! Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2022
The noise at 3:46 of the radio watch tear down sounds just like the bridge of the original series Star Trek, was this intentional?
You’re right it does. If it’s intentional it’s a pretty deeply buried Easter egg.
"Rock Strap"....nudge nudge wink wink. The giant wrist radio was hilarious. Thanks for the continuing great videos and Merry Xmas!
yay merry christmas mat you’re the best
If nothing else, I can say Techmoan has changed my life. I now have a lot of old tech I'd never thought about had I not watched this. Don't want to seem maudlin, but this year ain't been my easiest and waiting for the next Techmoan video and Patreon exclusive has made me feel better. Keep on keeping on, Mat.
I for one enjoyed this year's Techmoan Christmas speech. Far more interesting than Liz....
Merry Christmas Mat (or whatevers it is you're doing have a nice time). I really enjoy the story element of the video, hope you do some more (if you have time of course). I had a radio watch too, it was pretty janky....I could only pick up radio 1 on 1053 with my arm near the bedroom window and even then it crackled like a good un. Take care 🎄🎁
I remember getting myself a miniature am radio that was a similar size when I was probably about 10. It was not a wrist model and earphone only but I loved it and you could still get BBC Radio 2 on am back then. The brand was Nentone and it had a blue plastic front and white plastic back.
Have a wonderful Christmas ;)
Have a Happy Christmas Mat and best wishes for the New Year. P.S. for me personal CD players got interesting when they added the anti-shock read ahead, although I never got one that did it as well as Minidisc.
Have a Merry Christmas Mat! And keep doing what you want to do, as long as you're keeping yourself happy :)
I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas and thank you for the joy, interesting, knowledge and fun you’ve brought to us this year! 😊
Have a good time Mat! 🎄
Music can help me work but if a TV is on I literally cannot continue a conversation, even if it's total cr*p, which let's face it, most tv these days is. Sorry to hear about your mum, hopefully, you get to spend a little time with her and your dad in 2022. While I don't celebrate christmas as such, I do have the bank holidays off work, and am looking forward to eating far too much over the next couple days - so... Merry Christmas/Seasons Greetings/Happy Hogmanay, Happy New Year/Bah Humbug* *delete as appropriate.
Merry Christmas Matt. Have a good one. 👍🏻
Am I the only one who saw this and wanted to know more about the live chameleon? Merry Christmas anyway.
Mat. Relax. Your videos are just fine. I know there are probably stats that prove me wrong, but it pains me to hear you say you’ll do better. Happy Holidays.
Thank you, Mat! Merry Christmas!
I can’t carry a conversation if there’s music plying in the background. Even if I hate the music, I find myself listening to it and absolutely cannot tell what anyone is saying. I tell people it’s because I’m a musician. Makes me feel better, anyway. Just once, you should end a repair job that went awry by taking a hammer to the thing. That would be satisfying. Or put it in a blender, and say, “ok, fixed.” Merry Christmas, Mat.
Have a great Christmas Mat. See you next year.
A very Merry Christmas to you and yours. Hope there's some good telly on!
I had a watch that controlled my VCR around 2000
Happy Christmas Mat and All on here!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Mat! 2022 will be a better year. Let's make it so.
Merry Christmas Mr Moan, and to all who follow him!
The best patreon videos are the ones where your tangents go on tangents. Have a happy/great/merry/fantastic day/week/month/year/holiday/work day. :)
A very merry Christmas to everybody! =)
Merry Christmas! We need to edit your wiki page and establish that you invented Secret Santa in the UK.
Also, more videos is ALWAYS good, sir.
Happy Christmas to you too and a merry new year. Thanks for the videos - both the interesting products and the moans are very enjoyable.
Thanks for the post, merry Christmas to you too. That radio really did look disappointing
In the early 1980s, my mom went to our bank and asked if she could take out a new mortgage to pay off the current mortgage, but at a lower interest rate. The bank had never heard of it and the manager eventually approved it ... as such, she "invented" refinancing in much the same way. :)
There is an episode of 1970s sitcom The Good Life in which Tom wants to do "Equity Release" on his house. The Bank Manager tells him it that it is a ridiculous idea which the bank would never consider. Now you can't get away from Equity Release adverts ! Happy Christmas everyone.
Merry Christmas to you, Mat, and thank you for another year of entertaining content! :-)
We still do the BINGO in insurance call centers, so you invented that, too. 😃 We mix it up and have different call types we might get (add vehicle, remove coverage, etc.) or discounts we can offer. "Over-explaining" is what people say I tend to do when I go on and on. Go ahead and talk as long as you like, though. I very much enjoyed this video. Merry Christmas to you and yours (and to all reading these comments).
Now I’m happy to declare the ‘Secret Santa’ as a coincidence - but insurance policy number Bingo - that one was definitely me. Perhaps not the most impressive claim to fame though. Anyway, Merry Christmas to you too.
Happy Christmas! Thanks for all of the great videos. The Oddcasts are something I always look forward to watching.
Totally agree... Undiluted Mat for the paying customers, were happy to get extras regardless... You could probably just livestream and we would happily watch :) Have a great Christmas and awesome choice of cliche Christmas jumpers. Anyhooo watching you in TV now and ignoring you to send this message... You're on about a wrist watch gizmo or something... Must rewind! Omg it's HUGE
You did that TV watching/message typing thing, too? 😃
Merry Christmas Mat and thanks for all great content!!
The less impressive exclusives are definitely the reason I carry on subscribing 😀