That's right, dearest Song Challenge!rs, we're back with your favorite frontal lobe tickling Mudcat activity!! I've missed you all and I'm looking forward to seeing a flurry of funny verbosity from you as those long fallow fields of fancy are once again filled with the fruits of your fantasy . . . ;-) So all right then, no further delays allowed -- Go For It, Challenge!rs!!

-- Áine

The Day That Saji's Sari Slipped and Baji's Bobbin Got Buffed -- India's health minister has banned the use of condoms to lubricate bobbins used in weaving saris.

CP Thakur has told parliament sari makers are using condoms to speed up weaving because condom lubricant was also good at stopping yarn from snapping. Mr. Thakur claims the use of so many condoms in the sari industry is affecting India's population control programme. "Instructions have been issued to stop this practice," Mr Thakur said.

Mr Thakur says the use of condoms in weaving is causing shortages and instances of unscrupulous government health workers meant to distribute free condoms to contain population instead selling the condoms to sari makers.

Workers rub the condoms on bobbins while they make their brocade saris. The industry is using an estimated half a million condoms every day. Each of the 125,000 looms in the city of Varanasi uses an average four condoms per day. It takes nearly 15 condoms to produce one Benarasi sari. The lubricant on the condom smoothens the bobbin and makes it move faster between threads.