Cat Stock Blog

This slather-on-the-cheese video appears to be an ad appearing in the Australian reality TV show “Jack of All Trades,” of which Caterpillar is one of the sponsors.

More on the show, if you’re curious

For the peeps in P-town: CNN stops in and reports on how Peorians are coping with the Caterpillar layoffs.

While I’m on the subject, a Motley Fool contributor notes how companies conducting layoffs cut their own throats.

CBS News ran this video on its Sunday morning program in February 2007. The number of assertions proved wrong since then makes it almost comically upbeat, and therefore worthy blog fodder (ridicule is implied merely by posting it).

Watch CBS Videos Online

(Note there’s an annoying ad at the beginning).

More Caterpillar appearances on CBS.

My wife came across a cool Caterpillar-produced film from the 1940s extolling the benefits of hiring the disabled. One comment on the video sums it up:

Caterpillar Tractor Co. presents this WWII-era story of their program to hire handicapped workers. There’s an overview of how the program works, followed by brief bios of about 20 men. They are respectfully presented as outstanding workers with excellent attitudes, who ask no special favors, just the chance to contribute. No camp/humor value here, just a genuinely inspiring little film.

I’m not imbedding the video here because it wants to launch automatically, which you might not want happening unannounced at your work station. Doesn’t happen if you click on the link, though.

Long as we’re getting all old-timey here, bookmark this page if you’re interested in seeing some old tractor pictures next time you’re at the Smithsonian Institution (can’t see the pictures at this link, unfortunately, but it has lots of info on the pictures housed at the Smithsonian).

If you want to know why Wallstrip is the toast of the financial blogosphere, check out this hilarious video profile of Caterpillar from the summer of 2007 (or watch it again if you saw it first time around). The brass at Cat decided WallStrip wasn’t “a good fit” for the Mighty Yellow’s image and refused to set up an on-site visit where the hostess could try her hands at the controls of a shiny new loader. The results are priceless:

Fate had the last laugh: Cat’s down over 50 percent since refusing play along with Wallstrip. Coincidence? You decide.

(I guess I know what’ll happen now when I request a tour of the dealership down the road.)

Addendum: I’m sure Cat Public Affairs is far too sober and serious to have anticipated this outcome, but it strikes me that their refusal to play along guaranteed this video would be twice as funny. Law of unintended consequences is such a nice thing.

This video from TheStreet.com is most interesting to actual options traders:

Pat yourself on the back if you have any idea what they are talking about.

I love videos of unapproved uses for heavy equipment.

I’m thinking the cops could impose a lot more traffic discipline if they turned these beasts loose on the highways.

More Cat 793 videos here.