Bushranger

He’s on the ball for taste

OUR favourite Territory AFL star Cyril Rioli has had some bad luck, with a dodgy knee likely to keep him out of action for a couple of months. Of course when the speedy Hawthorn player isn’t required he heads home to Darwin. And when he wants a good feed he knows where to go — the premiership player was spotted feasting at the Souvlaki Chill and Grill at Nightcliff. You can take the lad out of the Territory but you can’t take the Territory out of the lad.

Havin’ a mysterious yarn

A MYSTERIOUS new outfit has appeared on a grand tree in Coconut Grove. A late-night yarn bomber has hit the streets with his or her knitting needles and covered the trunk with a bright woollen flag. One of this august organ’s reporters was alerted to the deed through a cryptic text, sent via his partner. “NT News scoop; yarn bomb corner Hazell Ct and Dick Ward Dr. Tell ya boyfriend.” Where will they strike next?

FA-18 magic roars past

THERE’S nothing like the roar of an FA-18 fighter jet. The crowd at the V8s last Sunday was in awe as one of the jets thrilled the crowd. Bushranger spoke to an FA-18 pilot who said the jet left Darwin’s RAAF base with about 8000 pounds of fuel before the flyover. The pilot added that once the flyover was done, the jet would idle back to base because it would only have three minutes of fuel left. Now that’s military precision.

Telling it like it is

THE Tennant and District Times has, over the past two weeks, featured shocking accounts of the offending of paedophile Clifford

O’Brien. Supreme Court Justice Brian Martin this month jailed O’Brien for nine years over offending dating back decades. A story this week featured postscript, in bold lettering. “The Tennant Times understands O’Brien may have suffered a heart attack this week and is recovering in hospital under guard,” the paper wrote. “Not that anyone would care, it’s all part of the vile bastard’s karma.”

Your money at work

HAWKS supporter Gerry Wood was a oneman protest in front of Parliament House this week. He donned his footy guernsey and beanie, and sipped on an iced coffee with a stuffed rooster by his side as he protested

Micheal Gunner’s shortening of budget estimates. Bushranger questions Mr Wood’s judgment, mostly because of his choice of a Farmers Union “Feel Good!” iced coffee, perhaps the worst iced coffee of all.

Your money at work II

STILL on estimates, everybody who decided to show up felt the pinch of the shortened hours. But the ever-stylish Chansey Paech still managed to find the time to discuss the important stuff. After acknowledging Madam Chair Ngaree Ah Kit’s urgings to get a wriggle on, he complimented Tourism boss (and loud shirt fan) Alastair Shields’ “fantastic” tie. Mr Shields: “Thank you, Mem- ber for Namatjira. I am rather fond of your tie too. It comes up very well on camera.”

It’s not a dad joke

SENIOR public servant Jason Schoolmeester, a director in the Department of Business has an unusual email sign-off: “A father since 11 November 2012” which is when daughter Penny was born. He used to sign off with: “A public servant since 28 Jun 1999” to bring pride back to the public service. But Penny’s birth overtook that. “You would be surprised how much this acts as an ice breaker,” he says.