Puzzler of the week

[Scott MacLean]

This week's puzzler:

A few weeks ago, my vacuum cleaner broke. This is a conventional vacuum cleaner -- the kind that's on wheels, with the hose that plugs in on one end. It looks like a torpedo.

Before I threw it out, however, I decided I'd take it apart to see if I could fix it. I surprised myself and found the problem. It was a broken wire.

While I'm fixing it, I notice a huge chunk of iron attached to the base of the vacuum. It looks like it weighs about two pounds.

I remembered two years ago when I took a stereo component apart. I noticed that it also had a similar chunk of iron, so you wouldn't think it was a big empty box with 65 cents worth of components.

I thought, "Do I want my wife dragging around this vacuum cleaner that's two pounds heavier? Of course not! I'll just throw the iron out." So, I pry off the piece of iron and I put the vacuum back together.

It works fine. But something very funny happens. The question is, what happens?

Last week's puzzler:

To get home from the garage, I wind my way through the back streets of Our Fair City, going through various neighborhoods, some of which have industrial buildings, little factories, warehouses or office buildings.

There's one building I pass every day that makes me chuckle.  This building bears the name of the enterprise contained within its walls. I laugh because its name seems so incongruous with the building. There are many other buildings just like this one. And, as a matter of fact, if you went into this building to ask for a demonstration of the product they sell, they wouldn't be able to give you one. However, if they took you to a building a few doors down, they could easily give you a demonstration of the product that they sell.

Here's a hint: each and every one of us has used the product that they sell.

What do they make in the building?

Last week's puzzler answer:

Well, what's unique about this building is that it's a one-story building. And the reason they can't demonstrate the product that they sell in this one-story building is that they sell elevators. It is the ABC Elevator Company. And every time I see it, I say, "What a stupid building to have chosen." And, of course, the other answer is they could be selling escalators.

_______________________
Scott MacLean
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ICQ: 9184011
http://www.nerosoft.com