Comments for The Northern Myth

Comment on Fish of the week: Flathead Mullet Mugil cephalus by Bob Gosford

Bob Gosford — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:30:00 +0000

Sarah – thanks for the insights, particularly about the community’s participation and the appreciation of this often derided fish. One question – where are you writing about? Thanks and please send more news and information.

Comment on Fish of the week: Flathead Mullet Mugil cephalus by sarah toa

sarah toa — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:51:47 +0000

We still beach seine for sea mullet without motors or winches. It’s illegal here to use winches anyway, and motors scare off the fish, so oars are the go. It’s still a community event.
“These are the best fish in the world”, I tell customers at the markets where we sell them. The Asians know this already of course but the locals need persuading because oily, dark fleshed fish are just not sexy in these white fleshed basa/snapper days.
In 1841, a certain colonial collector said the same thing of sea mullet. “The best fish in New Holland.” He was onto it.
I noticed a lot of yellow eye in the photos though. They are a different thing altogether.

Comment on David Ross – on taking power and reclaiming self-determination on our own terms by Nothing Changes

Nothing Changes — Tue, 07 May 2013 09:34:45 +0000

And all this coming from the man who has repeatedly made it as difficult as possible for those TO’s who have tried to leverage the land rights they have been given for true self determination. Under the direction of David Ross, CLC has made self determination as hard as possible for the likes of Henry Bloomfield and Kevin Pick, both of which have been trying for years to reach self determination through use of lands over which CLC has long had control. Lindsay Bookie, past CLC chairman, stormed out of the CLC last year and was damning in his evaluation of it’s performance in enabling self-determination for TO’s.

CLC needs to start realise that self determination will never be truly realised until such time as it starts enabling full use of the rights which already exist for those for whom the council was set up to represent. Until this happens, TO’s will be stuck in a never ending cycle of dependency on government and the land councils.

Comment on Birds of the Week: Figbirds in a Figtree by Carol Probets

Carol Probets — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:15:39 +0000

Wonderful photos Bob, and terrific birds to have as garden birds. Thanks for mentioning my input into the friarbird identification. Please note however, I never mentioned an eye-stripe, and I’m not aware of any eye-stripe on either Little or Helmeted. What I did say is that it’s clearly Helmeted because of the head/neck shape, slight knob on bill and eye colour.

Ha, it’s strange to see myself referred to as a “Facebook friend” when I don’t go near Facebook with a barge pole! Twitter however, is a different matter

Thanks again Bob.

Comment on David Ross – on taking power and reclaiming self-determination on our own terms by Achmed

Achmed — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:30:04 +0000

Aboriginal people in the Territory have been on the receiving end of constant changes in policies and programs by every level of government

Have these changes been the result of there failure?
Perhaps the change was needed, and perhaps it was the incorrect change and needs reviewing. But we cannot keep repeating the mistakes of the past in policy expecting a different outcome.

I have worked with Aboriginal people for around 30 years. The last 8 years in the Pilbara and Kimberley.

Comment on Birds of the Week: Figbirds in a Figtree by Ozzie Pot

Ozzie Pot — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 22:33:59 +0000

Blessed *and* lucky, Bob. Thanks for sharing.

Comment on Back to “monster and stomp” for drunks? The NT’s (latest) grog policy folly by Shaniq'ua Shardonn'ay

Shaniq'ua Shardonn'ay — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 07:36:56 +0000

Ok but what else would you do? Speaking as a white middle class ex-drunk I realise that it is not the ideal situation to send people to rehab against their will but at least the rehab will be available. At the moment in inner city Melbourne drunks cannot get into a ten day detox to come down safely even if they want to. Some attempt a home detox, some I’ve seen turn up to AA meetings and have fits. For all the problems associated with in-house rehab they at least give someone the time to dry out and maybe see what being sober is like. People also need to be managed medically rather than by the police. It’s not ideal I agree but it will at least force the government to fund the rehabs and detoxes.

Comment on Back to “monster and stomp” for drunks? The NT’s (latest) grog policy folly by Hector Lung

Hector Lung — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 01:02:59 +0000

Howard stepped in when the NT Labor Government fumbled the ball on the Little Children are Sacred Report. The 2007 Intervention was born and proved to be a massive failure. At least here Gillard can extract some revenge on a NT CLP Government and in doing so save waste not create it. A bigger story is emerging here. Is the NT Government now so consistently bad, Labor or CLP, that the NT Self-Government experiemnt must be terminated? I think so.

Comment on Bad Law of the Week: S. 33AA Liquor Act (NT) – moral panic posing as law by Hector Lung

Hector Lung — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 03:36:03 +0000

This is hilarious! The NT is wracked by horrendous levels of violence. Violence at record levels. In the main Aboriginal women murdered or greviously harmed or rsped. Children exposed to levels of domestic violence beyond belief. Plus the rest of it. So what fires the NT Police and Polly Cowboys up? Bikies! A bunch of men so mean that they actually wear identifying clothing, draw attention to themselves on bikes with shoddy mufflers and the odd painted skull. These blokes should be welcomed here! They spend up on food, 4 xxx and frivolity. NT tourism is sagging as the living nightmare of entrenched grog abuse and it’s spin offs take their toll. NT should be advertising for any and all clubs to get up here and party!

Comment on NT Police go the Thumper: Losing the war against grog and crime by Hector Lung

Hector Lung — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 03:23:21 +0000

It is banned. Selling it without permit is illegal and recently the police trumpeted the “seizure” of a large “haul” of kava to be sold on the black market. I understand there are some licensed sellers and consumers. Why? The NT Government reacted to what appeared to be over consumption by In the main Aboriginal people. So the prohibition card was played with the usual outcome.