cornerstone

Pugwash is quite right about this, but thankfully there is some respite for a couple of these matters on the horizon: END OF CHILD LABOUR: Indeed a lamentable problem. Too many rep-making children are getting better offers making sneakers. Or coal-mining. There is a solution though - you may recall how it was possible to stunt feet growth by binding them. Well what they have discovered is that if they bind the kids' hands to the coal picks really tightly, not only do they not drop the picks, but their hands stay nice and small. Just the way you want them for putting the hands on your $90 21J automatic. DRUNKEN MONKEYS: It's about time, but they've just started ramping up the AA for Monkeys campaign - let us all hope and pray that scenes like this will soon be a thing of the past, for all our reps' sakes: [PICTURES COURTESY OF www.ems-exposed.com] Incidentally, tritium lume ended the day up 12 points, so lick it while you can still afford to.

WINNER!! Dan Manley invited Miss Goodbody and Candy Barr to his house for a barbecue. Since Dan's barbecue is only capable of handling two hamburgers at one (Aussie snigger), he wonders how he can cook three hamburgers in the shortest amount of time. It takes 5 minutes for each side of a burger to cook. Therefore in ten minutes two will be cooked, and another ten minutes will be needed to cook the third burger. Candy says all three can be cooked in 15 minutes. How?

It's good...but it's not right! Keep 'em coming!!

You're the main offender Naturally!

GREAT WORK WITH THE VINEGAR AND OIL!! WINNERS!! And great work keeping the questions going, they're getting thin on the ground here (I'll let Melvin call if Pugwash won!) The Amazing Kev, the famous magician, was bragging about his markmanship. He claimed to be able to hang up his hat, walk 50m blindfolded, then turn and shoot a bullet right through his hat. Since The Amazing Kev could not see through his blindfold, how could he manage this feat?

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but it's official about the upcoming price rises. It looks like we're going to be hit by a double hit of price rises too - a kind of "Perfect Storm" of replica prices. As some of you know, monitoring commodity prices is what keeps me in reps, and there are three direct phone lines (as in literally three phones) from China, Japan and Singapore on my desk, so I often end up nattering on about my hobby, and all sorts of interesting information can sometimes materialise. Anyway, here's the low down: 1. CRACK DOWN ON EXPORTING REPLICAS: Instead of hitting counterfeit goods on the way in, they are getting hit on the way out. It stands to reason that if more stuff is getting confiscated, prices go up accordingly. 2. DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE PRICE OF LUMINOL: There are two problems here. One is being blamed on environmental factors, the other on those cuddly Iranians: (1) It's well known that the sun is getting brighter, but the yin to that yang is that the nights are getting darker. Means more luminol is needed all round, demand and supply, you know the rest. (2) Iran is importing a lot of luminol for reasons unknown. There have been some jokes around the office of them attempting to fake a nuclear accident in the near future to make their fission technology look more advanced. Either way it's leading to speculation in the market - spot rates for luminol are up 7% in morning day trading (Singapore). This is going to hit the price of PAM's more than other reps by the way - longer name. 3. A good, honest ARTHUR ANDERSON / ENRON style fuck up: This is unbelievable - I've been reading this a lot on the forum lately - an important component of ALL OUR FORUM CHAT hasn't been adjusted for inflation since 1932!! Hold on to your wallets, this is going to sting when it filters through. A lot of people have been discussing prices on the forum thinking that they are tied to the Chinese Renminbi, but that's not the case. Surprisingly the relevant Consumer Price Index link is actually to the US$. I've been reading a lot of "justmytwocentsworthwhichaintworthmuch" - but guys, this is two cents at 1932 prices. The two cents is tied to the cost of US postage stamps, the cost of writing a letter to the editor - and the current price is thirty nine cents. [For the avoidance of doubt - that is thirty point five eurocents.] This graph explains it better: So it's time to wake up people - from now on it is "justmythirtyninecents, andyouusedtobeabletobuyalotofcandyforthat" Or in eurocents if you prefer. Opinions are going to cost a lot more for all of us, I guess we'll just have to take a deep breath and move on. Oh, and I know that RWG$ aren't in tender any more, but with the luminol price rises, if Robi wants to highlight his name again, it's going to cost more like RWG$1800, maybe RWG$1850. Don't shoot the messenger!

Great answer!! WINNER!!! When Mama boils pasta she adds three drops of oil and two drops of vinegar to the water. While at the market Mama accidentally dropped and broke the vinegar bottle. Undaunted she instructed the shopkeeper to put both the oil and the vinegar in the same jar. How could Mama pour exactly three drops of oil and two drops of vinegar into the water using just one bottle?

WINNER!! Here's one to intrigue - try it without googling though Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was shot on June 28 1914. When the attendants rushed over to him, they could not get him out of his uniform. Consequently, he bled to death. The problem they had encountered was that they could not unbutton or unzip his uniform. Why?

WINNER!! You're right - that's some digging in eight hours!! Rex rode his bicycle 300 km. Three tyres were used equally in accumulating this distance. How many km of wear did each tyre sustain?

Congratulations!!!

Keep 'em coming! The answer on the card was a bald head - but I think you're all right with "something bad happens to a body part!" WINNERS!! Did we do this one already? Not sure, something similar I think. Anyway... If it takes a man one hour to dig a hole 2m long, 2m wide and 2m deep, how long would it take the same man to dig a hole 4m long, 4m wide, and 4m deep assuming he digs at the same speed?

But wouldn't you know by 1.45? (Seven single chimes in a row) Anyway, you've got the right time, etc. WINNER!! This is a bit rubbish, but still.... What does no man want, yet no man wants to lose?

Best of luck Strathfieldboy! I'm sure you'll have the time of your life!

Great stuff! WINNER!! There is a grandfather clock that chimes the appropriate number of times to indicate the hour, as well as chiming once at each quarter hour. If you were in the other room and heard the clock chime just once, what would be the longest period of time you would have to wait in order to be certain of the correct time? (The clock is working properly and is set at the correct time.)

CONGRATS ON THE POWERMAX!!

Pack of wolves will do it for me! WINNER!! Sorry - a long time between rubbish questions - work, work, work.... There are two airplanes heading straight toward each other. One plane is travelling at 15 km per minute, and the other is travelling at 10 km per minute. Assuming that the planes are exactly 1000 km apart, what distance will be between them one minute before they meet?

Like it! JOINT WINNERS!! I have searched long and hard for the question which will wind you up the most A well known fashion designer wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city. She decided to spend a few days at a rural resort. Feeling like some fresh air after a day of reading and relaxing she decided to go for a winter stroll. That was the last time anyone saw her alive. The autopsy revealed that death was due to the pack she had on her back. What was so deadly about this pack?

Any other guesses you would like to make? You should learn to trust your inner-weasel! WINNER!! They are all boys. Another crap one: Hardy Pyle was washing windows on a high-rise office building when he slipped and fell off a 20 metre ladder onto the concrete sidewalk below. Incredibly, he did not injure himself in any way. How was this possible?

WINNER!! A quick, crap one because I should be working Mr and Mrs Jones have five children. Half of them are boys. How is this possible? No chainsaws please!

It's a good answer, but all are alive, well and in one piece!

Or rather, you're right AND a sore loser!

WINNER!!! I like it! It's not what the card says, but I think you're right that the card has got it wrong. There is a cage at the Proton city zoo that holds a variety of jungle animals and creatures. In this cage there are 11 heads and 20 feet. There are twice as many jungle creatures with four feet as there are jungle creatures with two feet. How many creatures of each kind are in the cage?

WINNER!! Let me guess, you're not a big fan of legalese or lawyers are you? Nice and easy one: If 3 plums are worth 2 apples, how many apples are 24 plums worth?

Before airplanes were invented, a suspension bridge was being planned to span the gorge near Niagara Falls. There was no way a boat could carry the necessary suspension cables across the violent water, and the bridge could not be build until the cables spanned the river. One day the builders staged a contest open to the public that solved their problem. The contest was won by a young boy. Shortly thereafter, the cables spanned the water. What contest did they stage and how did they use it to solve their problem?