Shaggy Dog Comments...

While the Paralympics haven't enjoyed the same publicity as its able-bodied cousin, it's worth noting that a remarkable thing happened this week thanks to the Australian women's wheelchair basketball team, the Gliders. In their opening match on the weekend they took on the US team, who have a reputation as fierce as the US Olympic team's. While the US team led 31-19 at half time, the Gliders came home with a wet sail to pip the previously unbeatable US team 62-61. The Gliders also beat the English this week and are now looking like a strong medal chance. Go you good girls!

Shaggy's heart skipped a beat the other week when we opened an express post envelope and pulled out a subpoena. After the initial shock we thought 'hey, you can't post them, you've got to serve them on people'. It was only then that we opened it to discover it was a Prime promotion for the final season of the TV show The Practice. We were not impressed, but look forward to the TV drama The Winery.

They've been campaigning since the beginning of the year, the official election campaign began a month ago, the not-so-great debate was almost a fortnight ago and now there's just 16 days left til we all go to the polls. So you might think its strange that the parties are only getting around to holding their 'official' campaign launches this weekend. But there is a very simple explanation. Up until now, all those ministers and shadow ministers and staff - around 1500 people - traversing the country campaigning have enjoyed their flights at taxpayer expense. Once the political parties launch their campaigns, they have to pick up the tab for the MPs. Your staffers still tag along at taxpayer expense. At least we should be grateful the launch isn't held on October 8.

Punters might like to take a bet on who's going to win in Page or Richmond. Bookies Centrebet are taking bets, offering $1.20 on Larry Anthony to win in Richmond, followed by Labor's Justine Elliot at $3. Wollongbar's Allan Watt is the 500-1 longshot. In Page, Ian Causley is the short-priced favourite at $1.12, followed by Labor's Kevin Bell at $4. Green voters stand to make a killing if their man, Mark Jackson, gets up at 100-1.

Shaggy received a press release this week from Anglicare headed 'Survey shows widespread insecurity among Australians', declaring the outlook as "gloomy”. Mind you, if they'd surveyed the residents of Mulgum House in Nimbin, who are about to be kicked out after Anglicare said it couldn't afford to run the place any more, we suspect the feelings of insecurity would have been even higher.

A ton of fun in Nimbin

Not surprisingly, Nimbin's first building was not a church, a pub or a post office - it was the Nimbin School of Arts.

Land was donated by a settler named Hugh Thorburn for the hall, which had a dual role as a non-denominational church for the township.

This month the Nimbin School of Arts celebrates 100 years.

Being the town's central building the hall had many incarnations over this time - as the Nimbin School, Presbyterian Church, library and picture theatre. It served as the hospital after World War I during the flu epidemic and as a base for many including the Red Cross, the village dentist, the RSL and the local solicitor. Whatever it's purpose, the hall was always the centre of community life, as it still is today.

Nimbin is celebrating the hall's 100th anniversary with a special photo-history display as part of the annual Spring Arts Exhibition (see back page for details). Celebrations also coincide with the Nimbin Annual Country Show this Saturday and Sunday, September 24-25. For more details see the feature on page 22.