Cocky caper

Stop Press! Here is the first picture of the McNeilly Park Boules Club members in their fetching uniforms to be posted online.

Pictured (L-R) are: Tintin, Pierre, Benoir and Robespierre. Sadly absent are Andre, Samuel and Nateau.

What started off as an idle spot of recreation on a quiet Sunday afternoon a little over a month ago has spread and blossomed into an integral part of the social calendar of South Marrickville. Competition within the club is taken quite seriously, although strict adherence to the rules of petanque or boule lyonnaise is not as important.

All activities are accompanied by much mirth and oh-so-chic 'French' carry-on. Our emblem is the Gallic rooster - or le coq sportif, le cochonnet (piglet) - or the jack - is referred to as le petit jacque, and all victories must be celebrated by a rather cocky dance - complete with flapping wings - around said cochonnet.

The club's most exciting adventure occurred just over a week ago. It was the team's first outing in the brilliant blue strip on home turf at McNeilly Park, and all the circumstances seemed auspicious. But lurking above the field of play was a sinister old crow and when le petit jacque was leisurely lobbed to begin the third round, the ravenous raven swooped down and took off with the defenceless piglet.

Pierre boldly gave pursuit but the crow, which unlike us chooks did not have its wings clipped, took refuge in a nearby gum tree where it was clearly seen swallowing the jack - much to the amazement of all three of the intrigued onlookers! From that day forward our motto has been: Stone the crows.

This minor setback though was easily overcome. A replacement cochonnet has been found and the game goes on. Our sights are now set on bigger and better challenges, such as finding another social Boules club to compete against and appearing on Tim Bailey's weather report. There's even talk of McNeilly Park Boules Club: The Movie.

But for now, we're just taking it one lazy Sunday afternoon at a time. Vive le MPBC!

Ashes to Aussies, Dust to Poms

The sound of leather on willow, the smell of freshly cut grass, the sight of crisp, white uniforms, the harsh, midday sun beating down on you, the taste of a nice, cold beer . . .

As someone much wiser than me once said, "Cricket's better." And cricket truly is better when the boys in the baggy green are trouncing the Englishmen. When it comes to sport, the Ashes is the apogee. And now it's oh-so-close.

At a press conference on Monday, Shane Warne said:

" . . . at the end of the day everyone's done enough talking and answering the same questions. We're just looking forward to getting out there and playing, and playing well."

It sent a mammoth shiver down my spine, and Sydney's soaring temperatures have done nothing to stop the reverberating vertibrae.

There ain't much that beats the excitement of a well-urned victory.

C'mon Aussie

Come clean!

At last the Australian mainstream media has called into question one of the standard excuses of the Prime Minister and the Minister for the Environment (Ian Campbell) for rejecting the Kyoto Protocol - by referring to the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

An article in the Herald on 15 November attributed to James Button in Nairobi , where the world summit on global warming is being held, said:

"Mr Campbell has said the protocol is flawed because it does not force fast-growing developing nations such as China and India to reduce their emissions.

Yet China, unlike Australia, has joined the global carbon market and is taking part in projects to reduce its emissions through the UN Clean Development Mechanism."

CDM is set out under article 12 of the Protocol which allows Annex I Parties (developed nations) to implement emissions reductions projects in non-Annex I Parties (developing nations), in return for emissions credits in their own countries. The whole point of the mechanism is to allow countries such as Australia (if it were a signatory) to help countries such as China and India reduce their emissions.

As the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) web page says:

"Article 12 also stresses that such project activities are to assist the developing country host Parties in achieving sustainable development and in contributing to the ultimate objective of the Convention."

As a bonus, when Annex 1 countries contribute to emissions reductions in developing nations, they offset some of their own emissions, putting themselves in a position where they can exceed their own targets without breaching the protocol.

I think, in light of this, Howard and Campbelll's reasoning is flawed. But the thing that got me was that no-one was mentioning this. Even Radio National's PM (quite a reputable program) let Campbell slip that defense through in an interview without a single CDM rebuttal.

My London source says that the UK press has been talking about CDM a fair bit, but that's not at all surprising. The UK is an Annex I Party and has contributed to a number of CDM projects in China.

I may be mistaken. There could have been some earlier CDM references in the Australian media that passed my radar. If you're aware of any, please correct me.

The other concern with Kyoto that the PM has raised on a number of occasions is that it threatens Australia's competitive advantage. We are a coal rich nation that burns and experts a lof of the stuff. It really is a tough one.

Smarter than the average autonomous community?

Glancing through the online version of Spanish national newspaper El Pais (The Country) as I often do, I came across this gem that I felt had to be shared with the rest of the world - or at least the loyal readers of The Shadow.

Asturias, one of the country's 17 autonomous communities, has launched an advertising campaign to encourage other Spaniards to holiday in the 'Green Region' featuring Yogi Bear (El Oso Yogui) and his trusty sidekick Boo-Boo (Bubú). The campaign cost almost 6 million Euros.

Yogui sure knows how to go about selling. His catchphrase, when translated, goes something like this: "There are rustic mountains, but marvellous beaches as well and beautiful buildings, the people are friendly . . . and the food's much better than in Yellow Stone National Park!"

It's not quite the same as "So where the bloody hell are you?" but I can't figure out if it's better or worse. Whaddya reckon?

What's really needed

This is a hymn that I love to sing but too often shirk from doing, praying, saying or even wanting.

I need Thee Lord for I have seen
All Life may mean if led by Thee;
O master me, and make me clean
From all my sin's impurity.

Show me Thyself through life's dark maze,
When doubts assail, and fears are strong,
O strengthen me, that all my days
May know the triumph over wrong.

Help me to see Thee where Thou art,
Among the weary, sad and lost;
O give me warm, responsive heart,
To love them, too, at any cost.

Thus serving Thee where Thou dost lead,
I'll share Thy cross, Thy slave I'll be;
Until I find that all my need
Is met when I Thy face shall see.

C. G. Taylor

It's coming - keep your hair on!

You'll probably have noticed that the Christmas juggernaut is swinging into gear once again. It was brought to my attention most clearly, and humourously, the other day when I went past All Souls Leichhardt. The church's notice board read:

"Come to church now - avoid the Christmas rush."

Another sign of the times (or the season at any rate) arrived in the post yesterday. It was [Arguably] The World's Most Useful Gift Catalogue. And seeing The Shadow has entered the world of plugging, it's a good thing to plug.

For thirteen years now TEAR has produced the catalogue which enables you to purchase gifts that will benefit those who are in need, while showing love and goodwill to friends or family.

The logic behind it is that we are quite comfortable and have more than we need yet at Christmas time we so often find ourselves tearing out prescious hair in pursuit of that perfect gift. To avoid the frustration, and the unsightly bald patches, the catalogue allows you to put money towards Eye Care ($5), a toilet ($70), a school building ($2000) and a whole heap of other useful things for people in developing countries. In return you receive a gift card that you can give to a loved one that tells them what you have purchased, "thinking of them."

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of God's son let's stand up for justice and hope and look forward to His return when justice, beyond our normal use of the term, will be complete and hope will no longer be needed.

And as the TEAR magazine says - a useful gift sure is better than a singing salmon!

No points - but plenty of kudos - to whoever identifies the pun in this post and/or the type of fish that is pictured above (it's not a salmon).

More aesthetic than ascetic

Arguably the most anticipated event of November, the unveiling of Peter McGuiness's latest exhibition, is only days away. Peter is Tdix's favourite artist and The Shadow's biggest fan, and so this obscure journal finds itself lurching headlong into the world of plugging.

The wonderfully titled Songs from Illawarra Road, 'The Movie' will kick off on Saturday night at the Gladstone in Dulwich Hill. Peter has a way with names. Other exhibitions of his include Fictitious album covers for a non-existent Chinese, jazz-rock ensemble and The Floating World.

Pictured is a segment from 'Never Mind' which I like because of the jacaranda-like purple colour. I also like the yellow ones. For a better look at Peter's work you can go here.

It promises to be a great evening. The barbecues will be firing up from about 6pm in the beer garden out back, hopefully under the sinking sun of a balmy Daylight Saving evening, and then at eight will come the debut of the ever-enigmatic Slideshow Man.

Cheers to the beauty of creation and creativity!

Seeing I named both the artist and the artwork, I'm going to give myself 10 points.