It's the phone number to Junior Samples used car lot on HEE HAW.

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Dave
Fire is the leading cause of fire.
Was once SAM#0132

Years ago, on Hee Haw, Junior Samples would always do a skit in which he played a used car salesman trying to unload some sort of junk. At the end of each skit, he would hold up a sign with his phone number on it and tell viewers to call his number, "BR-549".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_Samples

I remember this well because we once did a skit in Webelos in which I had to play Junior. While I never got that fat, I have matured into a hick very much like him

Doug

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YORF member #11

It seems silly to sell Estes in a recession... now is the time to for them to buckle down and run with it. This is not a smart move in my opinion.

Damon made other scientific products as well. so it kinda fits

See I told you so about the Toy test laws ... the 1st round of Classics are on the way, so get your originals up on ebay now so you can make some $$$ before the bottom falls out of their value

I heard (joke) that Estes was getting into Pet Toys for dogs and cats!

The 'My Little Rocket Pony' up on ebay was a market test prototype!

For people with bad backs or knees they could market the 'Rocket Stick' for dogs. Its a stick that is rocketed across the lawn that the dog chases down.

They could also do a 'Rocket Frisbee' in the same manor.

But really, I have it on good authority that two parties are in negotiations at this time with Barry Tunic to buy the company. I don't know if Barry will stay on as Fuhrer, I mean President of the company.

And without trying to just be mean or make fun of Barry, he does have medical conditions that might prevent him or cause the new owners to replace him for someone a little more 'healthy'. I think Rogue Pink and Rocket Doctor know what I mean on this one

Bob

BR-549 was the nonsensical telephone number give by Jr. Samples on HeeHaw, many, many, many years ago.

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Layne Pemberton NAR# 83083
Mad Scientist, Minion and Owner
PembertonTechnologies.com
P.O. Box 250760
North Little Rock AR, 72225

L1 on Pem-Tech Space Ark
at NSL2007

pem_tech (at) Yahoo (dot) com
TRF (at) pembertontechnologies (dot) com

Good, I really don't fell all that bad about missing a Hee Haw reference.

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Bill Spadafora
http://www.billsplumbing.com
billspad@comcast.net bill@billsplumbing.com

Even terminally hip people should know two Hee Haw references: BR-549, and the little song whose chorus goes:

I searched the world over
And I thought I found true love.
You met another and
Phbttttt...
You wuz gone.

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Roy
nar12605

Awww Geeeez, not another intellectually BANKRUPT Hee-Haw reference...

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !

The more time I spend reading bills, laws, NRM's, interpretations, letters, FAQ's, and other justifications for the existence of government, the more confusing this argument becomes:

From HR4040 Preamble:

To establish consumer product safety standards and other safety requirements for children’s products and to reauthorize and modernize the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

From the CPSC site concerning HR4040:

Q. What is a children's product?
A. A children’s product is one designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger. If a product is intended for adults or for general use by consumers of all ages, then it is not intended primarily for children.

If you still think a model rocket is primarily a children's product; from ASTM963 97.200.50 1.4:

1.4 Articles not covered by this specification are as follows: ... Model kits in which the finished item is not primarily of play value... Powered models of aircraft, rockets, boats, and land vehicles...

If there is still a question about whether it is a children's product; on January 15, 2009, the CPSC issued the following statement (and NRM):

Manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers should also be aware that CPSC will not impose penalties against anyone for making, importing, distributing, or selling a children’s product to the extent that it is made of certain natural materials, such as wood, cotton, wool, or certain metals and alloys which the Commission has recognized rarely, if ever, contain lead.

If you have made it this far... The new "classics" line is not designed primarity for children, they are powered models, and they are made of "natural materials" instead of plastics that have the lead and pthalate problems, particularly when imported from China.

It is very likely that WalMart (and other big stores) have imposed their own set of standards that are more restrictive than the CPSC. In other words, WalMart may be telling vendors that they do not want to be caught selling "adult" products in the toy section that is loaded with "children's products." In my local WalMart, model rockets are surrounded with real toys that are clearly designed for and intended for the 12 and under market. If the model rockets were moved to the gun shop area, there would not be as much confusion as to whether a model rocket is a toy or general market product, which would be exempt. WalMart is probably taking the easy route and forcing ALL their suppliers to test ALL their products and give them "Get out of jail free cards." It does not cost WalMart anything and it is a super insurance policy. If I was at WalMart, that is what I would do.

I had originally thought that Estes-Cox had designed the "Classics" to get around the problems with lead, pthalates, and other imported toxins. Maybe so, but it is entirely likely that WalMart had other ideas.

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Carl McLawhorn
NAR#4717 L2
semroc.com

Don't Know why you call it nonsensical, I just dialed it and Junior Jr answered
(hate to admit it but I'm old enough to remember 5 digit local numbers)

__________________
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