It's about time ... a fortnight with a little frivolity. And a World Championship worthy of discussion. No, not the Florida Marlins, you arrogant National Leaguers! No, I speak of none other than the World Championship of ... Rock Paper Scissors. Now, that's a truly deserving Fortnight Weekly topic! Or, is it Fortnight W e a k l y ? Anyway, ready? One, Two, Three .....

Yep, they gathered in Toronto last week ... from all over the world, for the true World Rock•Paper•Scissors Championship - the little game you just thought was for twelve-year-olds. I'll have you know that in some nations, mostly in the Pacific Rim, the local version of this uniquely simple little game is the basis for many corporate decisions. This sophisticated, yet novel pastime's worldwide appeal is indicated by the names it bears: Jan Ken Pon, Roshambo, Shnik Shnak Shnuk, Ching Chong Chow, Farggling, or even Scissors Paper Stone for our British friends.

You remember the drill. Rock crushes (or dulls) scissors, scissors cut paper, and paper covers (or wraps) rock. Forget about all the accoutrements some less than honorable players try to add ... like the matchstick (burns the paper), or dynamite (blows up the rock), or for heaven's sake, Mamma's garden tool (the three-prong digging kind that buries the rock).

Nope, in the championships, it's kept simple. Three "throws" to a game, three "games" to a match. And, of course, in real day-to-day circumstances, when this high-level management tool is used for a quick decision, a "Lightning Throw" is acceptable. "One throw takes all", so to speak.

Where else in daily competition can we call our opponent "The Chump", and have a good safe way to resolve disputes. That is, until the players (or, decision makers) get violently upset at the outcome. I guess that's when we get the real rocks or scissors ... or heaven forbid, Mamma's real big digging tool.