You think you've got problems?

The Japanese are facing a chopstick crisis. In response to a new tax and other costs, Chinese chopstick exporters have raised the price of chopsticks sold to Japan by 30 per cent with the threat of another 20 per cent to come. Sales may be banned entirely in 2008. With chopstick production devouring 25 million trees a year, the new tax and the ban are designed to help save China's forests. Each Japanese uses on average 200 pairs a year with almost all of them imported from China.

However, if you think having to eat sushi with a fork is tough, try dealing with inflation in Zimbabwe. At last count, and this will be out of date before I finish this paragraph, it was running at over 1,000 per cent. Something that cost one dollar US would have cost $100,000 Zimbabwean in April 2006 and $1,142,900 Zimbabwean in April 2006. Add that to 70 per cent unemployment, food shortages and a delusional president, and you have the recipe for abject misery. If Zimbabweans didn't have bad luck, they wouldn't have any luck at all.