Canadian officials became alarmed when they discovered a website offering counterfeit gun registration forms. The site allowed users to enter information and print out the forms to mail into the firearms registry center.

A website that generated fake Canadian gun registrations continued to operate for more than a year after federal officials tried to shut it down.

A file from the website, registered in the United States, allowed visitors to fill in and print reproductions of Canadian firearms registration certificates.

Documents obtained through the Access to Information Act show that the government agency responsible for gun control knew about the website early last year.

Though real certificates are printed on a special watermark paper, the web versions "have the look of official documents," David Pimm of the Canadian Firearms Centre said in an internal e-mail.

That does sound alarming. Was the site collecting information on Canadian gun owners? Were they using the site to set up their own private gun registry? Well, not exactly.

Details on the. . .site suggested it was created partly to poke fun at the firearms centre.

Under gun type, the drop-down menu included "nail gun," "hair dryer" and "pointy stick."

The form also had a note that it was "Not a CFC (Canadian Firearms Centre) Document" and "Education purpose only."

Canadian government officials eventually got the site shut down, which is a big mistake. Without registration, Canuckers will now have to learn to fend for themselves against people armed with pointy sticks and fresh fruit. If the government isn't going to force people to register their pointy sticks, then they should provide them with a self defense class.

Sgt.: ...Now, self-defence. Tonight I shall be carrying on from where we got to last week when I was showing you how to defend yourselves against anyone who attacks you with armed with a piece of fresh fruit.

(Grumbles from all)

Palin: Oh, you promised you wouldn't do fruit this week.

Sgt.: What do you mean?

Jones: We've done fruit the last nine weeks.

Sgt.: What's wrong with fruit? You think you know it all, eh?

Palin: Can't we do something else?

Idle (Welsh): Like someone who attacks you with a pointed stick?

Sgt.: Pointed stick? Oh, oh, oh. We want to learn how to defend ourselves against pointed sticks, do we? Getting all high and mighty, eh? Fresh fruit not good enough for you eh? Well I'll tell you something my lad. When you're walking home tonight and some great homicidal maniac comes after you with a bunch of loganberries, don't come crying to me! Now, the passion fruit. When your assailant lunges at you with a passion fruit...