It was a bit quiet yesterday lunchtime down at Vulture Central, so we retired en masse to the local boozer to verify Aberdeen University's Gaussian probability distribution darts theory.

During the course of our essential scientific research, a certain amount of beer was taken and, as a result, someone rather brilliantly suggested we run an online poll and competition for our beloved readers' all-time fave El Reg headline.

Yes we know - self indulgent tomfoolery, but that's what happens when you sup 16 pints of Thrupplethorpe's "Crafty Cockney" strong ale between stepping up to the oche.

Here's how it works: send us five nominations for what, in your opinion, represent the very best in eye-catching Register headlines. We'll take the top ten most nominated, and present them as an online poll for you lot to make the final selection. If your original pick correctly matches the final top five, you'll go into a draw for one of our Cash'n'Carrion goodie bags.

Alternatively, if you can't be arsed to pick five, or only have one or two top picks, throw them over anyway.

Oh yes, and the hack who secures the overall top headline crown will get a bottle of scotch and an all-expenses-paid trip to a detox clinic.

Simple as that. The deadline for nominations is midnight GMT, Thursday 29 March. Send them directly to me (lester dot haines @ theregister.com, or click on my byline at the top of this story to submit via our marvellous reader response form), marking the subject "Black Cocks". The online poll will run for a week from Friday 30 March. Get to it. ®

Rules

• The nomination process is closed to Reg hacks. And their mums.
• Multiple nominations entries are permitted.
• The nominated headlines must come from The Register, Reg Hardware, Reg Developer or Channel Register, so sadly "Stick it up your Junta" is inadmissible.
• Emails which begin "I don't have a favourite headline but the worst one ever is..." will be binned (until we do a "Worst Headline" poll).
• Your statutory rights are probably affected.
• May contain traces of nuts.