Reporting live from the front, a bit forward and to the right of the side, our intrepid correspondent, Michael McGan uncovers a world exclusive on the use of 'weapons of laugh production':

‘Humorous tensions mounted in the Giggle region today as the people of Highbrownia discovered that Slapstickia, neighbour, and long time brunt of Highbrownian jokes, was stockpiling "weapons of laugh production".

Gag inspectors were forced to leave Slapstickia, wearing bright red clown noses, after discovering warehouses filled with frozen cream pies, and catapults with long-range capabilities. Also found were canisters of laughing gas, tons of banana peels, and anvils, including the two thousand pound bunker-buster anvil.

A spokesman for Slapstickia said that the anvils would in fact be destroyed. He went on to say that they first thought the sight of an anvil dropped from a plane and striking someone like a Highbrownian on the head, making that loud "BONG!" sound, would be incredibly hilarious, but upon further consideration they felt that there was a real potential for injury and they didn't want anyone actually getting hurt, because that's not funny.

So, they will be replaced with plastic anvils attached to parachutes. They will contain a recorded "BONG!" sound that will be triggered upon impact.

The official Highbrownian response was a derisive chuckle and a vow that they would respond with their entire arsenal including biting satirical criticism.

In this region there is a great diversity of what people believe is funny. In this case, unless these two sides can agree to poke fun at themselves and respect the other's sense of humour, this could get very silly.

This is Michael McGan, reporting from Slapstickia.’

Note for Americans - this is satirical irony... we think.

Michael McGan - 2nd May 2003