cash....
you can get a good run for your money
you can get fast cash but not when someone is giving you a run for your money.
cash is near death
Holding cash can be an investment hedge or protection.
many notes/coins have knowedgable people on them
Dirty Harry's "dye" is perfect for the first three. The last two are a little sketchy.
What can run but has no legs - dye runs
Can be fast but never when it runs - dyes can be colour fast, but not if they run
Is close to death but never lived? - dye, die, death
Is used to protect but is not a gun - dye bombs in cash bags?
Shows great knowledge but has no brain - development of dyes (particularly purple) was the start of modern chemistry and the industrial revolution (they could use steam power to run mills to make all that fabric and make it in colours that were desirable)
PS The answer has to be something simple so that when you get it people can say "Of course!" If it's too complex then people will be pissed off and say that's bullsh.i.t!
I think Mark's "ink" answer makes the most sense (Dye is just a variant of this).
The Pen is mightier than the sword i.e. Is used to protect but is not a gun.
Good riddle none the less.
My daughter has contacted me and supplied me with the answer. It is ......hang on a
minute.....the wife has just called....I will be back in a while.
cmon!!!!!
Sorry Doggie. 
And the winner is....... (Drum roll)
Come on down.....Mark!!
The answer is INK.
Well thought out Mark.
Your answer
What can run - ink
Can be fast but never when it runs - can be colourfast but obviously not when it runs
Is close to death but never lived? - Writing in ink close to death due to email etc
Is used to protect but is not a gun - Writing protects (laws etc)
Shows great knowledge but has no brain - Writing = knowledge obviously
My daughter said the part about being used to protect was the use of ink by a squid
or octopus.
I forgot to ask about the close to death part but will and will post the info.
Thanks everyone. You all will feature in The story of Sea Breeze part two, when I get
around to it.
Thanks, that was a very enjoyable post.
I thought paint could dry fast but not if it runs. But couldn't quite figure out the shows great knowledge bit.
I should have googled colorfast - had no idea what it was - still don't get why ink is fast but not if it runs.
Hmm I thought paint might be a contender, shows great knowledge well ask one of the great painters.
Protect - people paint stuff to protect it from the elements.
Close to death -- stretching it a bit but maybe they paint coffins? Morbid I know.
Anyway well done Mark... your turn now
What's black and red and sits in a tree.....................
A crow with a fat.
Sorry, couldn't help myself. Over to you Mark.
OK I didn't know it was a perpetual puzzle thread but here we go...
There are three boxes which each contains two marbles:
one has two white,
one has two black
and one has one white and one black marble.
Each of the boxes also is labeled as to its contents, but each label is incorrect.
What is the fewest number of marbles you could remove from the boxes and look at in order to definitely determine the contents of all three boxes?
Three
(this answer is from a man that couldn't work out the last puzzle even after given
5 years.)
The boxes are all marked incorrectly so this offers a big heads up. If you pull a black marble out of the box marked 2w then this one can only be either the 1W-1B box or the 2B box. Next box is marked 2B and you pull a black marble out then this can only be the 1W-1B box. So therefore you only need to pull out two marbles (I think)
Sausage wins!!!
Yes it sounds complex but once you hear the answer it is very obvious.
"Fail proof scenario - pick the Box marked Combo:
You know this box can only be either all white or all black as it can't be the combo box so removing one marble determines it's true designation (i.e. either 2W or 2B). From there you just switch the labels around on the remaining boxes and voila.
One marble is all it takes. Very clever brain teaser."
Sausage's turn now....
Whats red and Black and sits in...............................just kidding.
"from the beginning of Eternity to the End of Time"
A man in black is inside a room. He reaches forward and opens the door. Outside is a
man in white. "Hello" they each say.
The man in black shuts the door then looks around. There are no other doors or
windows in the room.
he opens the door again and the man in white is nowhere to be seen.
Once again he closes the door then waits.
10 seconds later he opens the door once more.
The man in white is back outside again.
"Where have you been"? says the man in black.
"Nowhere. I've been here all along" says the man in white.
And he is telling the truth.
