This will hurt me...

Another ad from those pesky Chinese Communists. This time though, I want you to guess or deduce what this little girl is endeavoring to get the Chinese proletariat to do (or not do, as the case may be). So have a look, have a think, and then highlight over the lines below to see the answer. Please do not spit freely. Spitting freely is neither hygienic nor civilized. How did you do? You're welcome to tell me in the comments if you got it right (or spectacularly wrong).

Metaphysically speaking, I am left perplexed by the declaration found here in today’s advertisement. Regular readers will know that I have a deep respect for the Teutonic spirit, and am capable of seeing the broader worth of a peoples, culture and language than fixate on one or two (however dreadful) historical periods. Thus, I can look beyond an historic stain and embrace the gute volk in Deutschland with hearty Wohlwollen and nicht wertend Geist . That said, the notion of “ Deutschland ”, does not conjure up images of frolicking Fräuleins hitting the links in some desperate effort to secure everlasting life. I understand that in the aftermath of a war (any war, pick one) a nation must look to ways to [ahem] construct an appeal for foreign visitors to bring their hard currency engage in the spirit of peace and reconciliation. Nevertheless, golf ? Really? Cricket would have been far more appropriate.

No words. Time for a history lesson! On May 16, 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev announced a Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR titled On Greater Efforts to Combat Drunkenness and Alcoholism and to Eradicate Moonshine . During 1985–87 Gorbachev carried out an anti-alcohol campaign with partial prohibition, colloquially known as the "dry law". Prices of vodka, wine and beer were radically increased, and liquor sales were heavily restricted in both amount and time of day. People who were caught drunk at work or in public were prosecuted. Drinking on long-distance trains and in public places was banned. Scenes depicting alcohol consumption were removed from films. Advertisements like these abounded. Hilariously (in the context of Soviet humour), people started calling Gorbachev " Mineral Water Secretary " instead of General Secretary. Statistically speaking, the reform had effect on alcohol abuse in the country. There was a significant decrease in criminal...

The copy reads: Foster a correct spirit, resist the evil spirit, resist corruption, and never get involved with it. Say what you like, but modern-day ad execs have nothing on Chinese Communists when it comes to snappy slogans!

Are YOU a woman? Do YOU wear a hat? Is YOUR hat tight? WARNING!!! WARNING!!! WARNING!!! Did YOU know that 'physicians' say that tight hats are [probably] responsible for all those bald men that you see? Think of THAT next time you find yourself strolling past the department store and have your fancy tickled by some snug-fitting feathery fascinator!

Is it a stupid question to ask where the posters warning women of the dangers presented by lecherous soldiers/sailors/candlestick-makers? Was venereal disease back in the good old days™ limited to a cabal of crafty hussies looking to put our vulnerable and exploitable menfolk out of action using the oldest trick in the book.

A couple of weeks back I arrive at work, and who should I find waiting for me, patiently and orderly in rows just across the road from the front door? The Royal Australian Navy , that's who! The HMAS Darwin is a long-range escort frigate [snigger snigger] that seems to be a jack of all trades vessel: area air defence, anti-submarine warfare, surveillance, reconnaissance and interdiction. In a potentially sexy turn of phrase, the ship is capable of countering simultaneous threats from the air, surface and sub-surface . Quite. The Navy refused to confirm or deny that the frigate [snigger snigger] was in town to prevent a flock of Mexican flying pigs from entering Tasmanian airspace and spreading the dreaded La temido gripe de cerdo Mexicana ! On that, actually, canny Swede Professor Hans Rosling has released a video well worth watching. Rosling has calculated the ratio of news article coverage versus actual deaths in the context of the recent La temido gripe de cerdo Mexicana ou...

As Whitesnake proclaimed in a record I bought from the 7EX record bar way back in 1987, here I go again! Theme Thursday madness is upon us. Once again, the masters that be have challenged me to stretch credulity as taut as possible to extend my post to the nominated theme. So what is it? Could those who are sitting there shouting “ ROSE ” or “ FLOWERS ” at their monitors/laptops please kindly call the local authorities for help. Screaming at computers, it ain't natural, is it? No, it's nothing flora-related at all. It is, in fact, FIRE ! No, like the humble rose above, it’s a common [clichéd?] literary conceit to utilise fire as a metaphor for both desire , as well as love . Although the simple rhyme no doubt helps, the frequent recourse to the fire/desire allegory must have something going for it, right? Now, I know desire – oh lordy, don’t I know it – and I know what it is to feel love . I am also aware that desire and love are most certainly not one and the same . That said...

Having been privy to some rather frank updates on current budget estimates, I think that the low cost option may be more popular in the coming years... [Thanks, of course, to the good folks at Married to the Sea .]

Here is a photo of Tasmania Police's Hobart HQ right in the middle of town. Following on from the earlier post, ABC radio have had a story on loop all day saying how I have “ criticised ” Tasmania Police’s decision to utilise sniffer dogs at an upcoming music festival. I guess that I have, but I thought that what I offered was far more constructive than. I’d like to think that I have an excellent working relationship with the local constabulary. I certainly think that they do a good job more generally. But the thing with the gigs and the sniffer dogs is that it just isn’t very effective. The ABC quoted Tasmanian Police as saying they have a “no tolerance” rule for all drug users at the festival, but that doesn’t fit with how they deal with drug users in a general sense. Public policy is not a neat, simple business, and it generally doesn’t fit with black and white visions of how things work, so in this sense, I don’t envy the police when it comes to something like drug use. The law...

And here I was this whole time thinking that tequila was the medicine for regret!

Occasionally this job throws up a few interesting studies my way, and I thought that I’d share one with you. I’m preparing a document for a hearing on a liquor licensing application, and was trawling the literature looking for information on the correlation between outlet density and community outcomes (negative and positive). So the case study that I’ve been looking at involves Rodney King, angry youths and a burning sensation that one might feel downstairs after a top night out. I know what you are thinking, “what are you talking about, you stupid, stupid man?” Well, after the 1992 riots in Los Angeles that emerged from the verdict in the trial of the police officers charged with assaulting Rodney King, it was found that many liquor stores were looted and burned out. In fact, liquor outlets tended to be specifically targeted, and copped over and above the average when it came to rough treatment. For many local community groups this presented an opportunity to achieve something that ...

I’ve banged on about immunisation in the past , so I will refrain from doing so at length again. But I want to post this link from the Stats Blog (also featured previously ), which is about identifying and correcting scientific misinformation in the media resulting from bad science, politics, or a simple lack of information or knowledge. It disturbs me that the sort of simplistic thinking of many anti-vaccination campaigners has such carriage with a lot of people, especially when it threatens the health and wellbeing of kids. So I’m always about promoting evidence that undermines their cause. So if you’re at all interested, have a look at this quick read (with citations) about a number of measles outbreaks in the US among unvaccinated kids. The numbers of deaths pre-vaccination alone are telling, and well worth reminding people of when they resort to anecdote instead of hard evidence. NOTE TO SELF: Remember to include the link ! LATE LATE NOTE TO SELF [and the world], this is post num...

It has taken me three weeks to decide on advertisement number 50 in this series. True to form, I have squibbed it and gone for a double feature! The first is an ad for Sealy mattresses from 1944 that firmly adheres to the adage, sex sells . Here we have a precocious bit of jail bait in a admirable sweater (and even more admirable brassiere) doing her best Meg Ryan impression from When Harry Met Sally in order to entice some overweight, balding and middle-aged man well past his prime into parting with some hard-earned for a mattress that will never see the workout that the sales pitch of little old Lolita here promises. But you know, Hank, Frank or Charlie shouldn’t feel too bad for missing out on a bit of indecent, immoral (and by the looks of her age) illegal fun. You see, I am sure that I have seen Lolita lurking about someplace else. That’s right; here she is with a few more miles on the clock and the sort of wear and tear that comes with the journey. Consider that one a near mis...

I was playing with some numbers yesterday that came across my desk and fed into the Department of Health and Human Services State of Public Health 2008 report and was surprised by a little quirk that I really hadn’t thought about. Now, we probably are all intrinsically aware of the clear divergence in health status between the most disadvantaged and most advantaged groups in our society. Statistically, lower socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with higher disability levels and higher premature death rates. Low SES – whichever way you choose to measure it: income, educational attainment or occupation – means poorer health, a higher incidence of chronic conditions and higher levels of health care utilisation. Moreover, health inequalities do not just indicate disadvantage, they tend to drive further disadvantage. Now for those who do not know, Tasmania – for a lot of historical, geographical, economic and sociological reasons – trails the rest of the country (bar the Northern Terri...

As an unapologetic man of science, I am (of course), an enthusiast of immunisation. Whatever the standpoint that I try to attack it from – historian, scientist, logician, economist, philosopher, parent or just plain old gambler working the odds off the pure metrics that we have – I can come to no other conclusion that immunisation has been a boon to human society. As it is my blog, I can assert this with total and utter unyielding authority. In this manner then, I always find that the best World Health Organisation campaigns are those that are blunt and to the point. Thus, I really, really like this immunisation campaign poster from 1975. I apologise for the poor quality of the image, but the pictures should be clear. Here we see two new mothers, one trusts the health worker and chooses to immunise her child. The second is not so sure and chooses to not do so. Of course, baby number one now has a glowing protective halo, and baby number two does not. When disease strikes (as it inevit...