Creativity

We never realised, before reading this week's crop of readers' suggestions, how useful compact discs can be in the production of music. Norman Foster uses his CDs as wheels on a cart specially constructed to move his old 78s from the record cabinet to the gramophone and back. Any spare CDs he finds useful as templates for making sure that he puts full stops in exactly the right places. Lyndon Thomas is one of many who advise cutting spiral grooves in CDs which could be used to store music and other sounds. Mr Thomas says - though we find this a little difficult to believe - that the sounds can be reproduced by means of a pin and various amplifying devices. Or, he suggests, ungrooved British CDs could be used to tile the roof of the Millennium Dome.

Any of these ideas would solve a problem for Jack Dolan and Renee Gallagher, who have been spinning their CD on the end of a pencil while shining a lamp on the coloured sound, but have been unable to get any sound out of it at all.

The Lusby Taylors from Edinburgh cool their CDs in the freezer, then place them over their eyes to reduce skin wrinkling when listening to Radio 3. Or, they say, folded like a taco shell, a CD would make a fine portfolio for a minister without one.

"Frisbies for fairies or coasters in pubs on karaoke evenings," says Doug Whetherly. He also mentions road tax discs for diplomatic corps vehicles to match their CD plates. Peter Little also advises sticking them over your number plates to claim diplomatic immunity.

Judith Holmes develops the frisbee idea, claiming that with practice you can skim them across flowerbeds to decapitate the deadheads from the comfort of your deckchair.

More ideas: Sequins for a giant Come Dancing dress or dividers for filing Danish pastries (R Hyde). As a talisman to ward off vinyl (Heather Gregg). For a new game somewhere between curling and shove halfpenny (Estelle Clark). Emergency blades for bacon slicers or handkerchiefs for an iron lady (Rohan Van Twest). Mirrors for people with an unsightly pimple on the end of their nose, or a medal for golfers who get a hole in one, or infinitely reusable target for a very good shot, or tutu for a dancing worm, or woggle for flamboyant scout, or elephant's fly button (all from Peter Thomas). Chic wheels for Smurf chariots, ankle bracelets for flamingos, hoope for performing snails to jump through, or in a row, attached horizontally to the wall, as a handy used condom rack (all from James Hickey).

Maguy Higgs want to ban the use of CDs in threes, just to stop Sian Cole from using them to make a bikini. Ms Cole herself, incidentally, looks so delicious in the photo she sent with her entry this week that we have been blinded to the bit where she explains where she intends to dangle her CDs from.

Janet Rimmer says that pygmies never grow tall because they have compact discs. Roy Askew likes to take his CDs to a CD nightclub - the seedier the better, he says. "Is a Sex Pistols CD really a Vicious circle?" he asks. Bob Reeves suggests - too late - using them to reflect the light into the eyes of Australian batsmen. Chris Keating wanted to write his suggestions in cdircles cdisappearing into a hole in the cdentre but his cdomputer wouldn't let him.

Prizes to Peter Thomas, James Hickey and Rohan Van Twest.

Next week, how to address a letter to "Creativity". Meanwhile, the Government and the inhabitants of Montserrat seem to have no good ideas for things to do with a volcano. Can you help? Ideas will be welcome at: Creativity, The Independent, 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5DL. Chambers Dictionary prizes for the best.