1. Baden Baden is in Germany; Bora Bora is in French Polynesia; Dum Dum is in India; Mitta Mitta is in Victoria, Australia; Wagga Wagga is in New South Wales, Australia; Walla Walla is in the USA
2. a. Nectarine b. Rhetorical c. segregate
3. He was the first Australian to win a VC.
4. Jack (of Jack and Jill)
5. Men’s trousers
6. The USA (On a goodwill mission around the world)
7. Finland, Russia, Norway, Sweden
8. Calorie
9. A. Lewis Carroll
10. Three
by: Mal Vickers
I think everyone is aware of the problem – magnetic underlays, ear candles, homeopathy and bogus weight loss products, to name but a few examples of modern day snake oil; products that make therapeutic claims but are unsupported by evidence that they work. The government agency responsible for protecting consumers from the greed and self-interest of quack medical products, the Therapeutic Goods Agency (TGA) appears powerless to stop it.
For quite some time there have been calls for change and the government appeared to be listening. With the SensaSlim scandal, the deaths of Gloria Sam and Penelope Dingle and the astonishing 90% level of non-compliance found with a random check of the ARTG by the Auditor General, changes seemed inevitable.
What happened? Where did the expected reforms go?
The first week of December saw some strange goings-on at the TGA View More Where Did the TGA Reforms Go?
1. BACKWARD GLANCE
2. INSECT SPRAY
3. COAT OF ARMS
4. ENCYCLOPEDIA
5. NO STONE UNTURNED
6. FIRST AND FOREMOST
7. AN OUTSIDE CHANCE
Last week our illustrious president Terry Kelly was interviewed on the SYN FM show Strength of Unicorns.
This is an atheist-themed radio show, so it’s actually a rare opportunity to hear a prominent Skeptic talk about issues of religion and spirituality.
Terry also talks about the sort of work in which the Australian Skeptics get involved, like the recent Sensaslim saga and the Australian Skeptics Paranormal Challenge.
It was a great interview and our thanks go to David and Milo for having Terry on the show.
You can listen to the audio here:
December’s Skeptical Crossword, Picture Puzzles & “Mixed Bag” Questions are at the top of our PUZZLES section. We’ve given you extra puzzles to help occupy your holiday time.
1. He makes a mound of earth and stands on it to reach the skylight
2. Newspaper
3. Pierces, precise
4. Jerusalem
5. Paul VI
6. Timbertop, Geelong Grammar
7. Kidney(s)
8. Hair
9. Tasmania
10. Sydney
11. (a) Melbourne (b) On the Beach (c) Neville Shute
12. Ten
13. C.S. (Lewis and Forester)
14. Ice Figure skating
15. Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen
16. Fatima
17. Massachussetts
18. sword
19. Polio
20. Sao Paulo (about 20 million)
1. Turned inside out
2. Honour among thieves
3. The sounds of silence
4. Andes
5. Take from the rich and give to the poor
6. Lost in Space
7. Son of a Gun
8. It’s Lonely at the Top
9. The Shadow of Your Smile
10. H2O
11. Frankinstein
12. Kiss and Make Up
13. Foreign Language Lessons
