CC fears for what might be ahead for those souls culturally curious enough to accept the Turkish embassy’s kind invitation to a free night of world-class Whirling Dervishes at Llewellyn Hall on October 14.

With tickets through Oztix, its website warns: “This is an all ages event. Intoxicated persons will not be admitted. No thongs or steel cap boots. Dangerous behaviour including crowd surfing, stage diving, moshing and violent dancing is not allowed and will result in your immediate removal from this venue.”

Mirror, Mirror on the net…

THE first “Bungedore Mirror”, a distant cousin of the soon-to-be-defunct printed version of its current self, was first published by “The Queanbeyan Age” on October 8, 1887, and fiercely aspired to “courting no man’s favour, fearing no man’s frown”. But it wasn’t to be and the title collapsed within a year.

Now publisher John Mitchell, who revived the title 11 years ago and distributed the paper freely to letterboxes around the district with the same hope, has surrended the print version in favour of an internet presence.

“The paper has lurched in and out of profit bouyed for brief periods by Federal government advertising and half drowning for the rest of the time,” the “Mirror” bemoans in its final print edition.

Despite having “stopped the bleeding” with an advertising push to the local district and beyond, after 550 issues “we have decided to close the paper, collect our debts and settle out accounts”.

With the Palerang Council meetings firmly still in its sights, the eMirror’s first posting at bungendoremirror.com.au went up on October 7.

IN a world jaded by politics, Kim Fischer is bursting to be a member of the Legislative Assembly. Bursting with enthusiasm and idealism and a fair bit of political experience.

The aspiring, aligned Labor Party member for Ginninderra and mother of three littlies has One Big Hurdle before she hits the hustings – preselection. In coming weeks she has to convince Belconnen party members, in what may be a crowded field, that she’s just the gal for them.

She lists influences as Gough Whitlam and Jon Stanhope, and thinks the local Liberals are backward looking. That’s got to count for something in the northern seat. She has worked in the Assembly as a staffer for the mercurial former MLA John Hargreaves and, in passing, for Joy Burch. Vote Fischer 1 for enthusiasm!

Police go to war?

IN wagging a long-weekend finger at double-demerit prospects, the police media release warned they’d be targeting dangerous driving with high-visibility patrols monitoring major “artillery roads”, suggesting a free-for-all on the arterials.

Rupert’s losing his touch

THE extraordinary John Menadue, businessman, commentator and former diplomat and senior public servant (he was head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet from 1974 to 1976, working to Whitlam and Fraser through the events of November 11, 1975) has a lively blog called Pearls and Irritations.

He recently took a shot at Rupert Murdoch, for whom he was general manager of News Limited in the early ‘70s. He thinks Murdoch is losing his touch.

“Rupert Murdoch’s political influence has always been exaggerated. It was claimed that he had the happy knack of always choosing winners. He is now showing a great capacity to back political losers like Tony Abbott,” Menadue writes.

“Two weeks before the fall of Tony Abbott, Rupert Murdoch tweeted ‘Abbott, far the best alternative’. The Liberal Party ignored his tweet and chose Malcolm Turnbull.

“At the last SA state election, the Adelaide ‘Advertiser’ backed the Liberal Party. The Liberal Party lost.

“At the last Victorian state election, the ‘Herald Sun’ backed the Liberal Party and the Liberals lost.

“In Queensland, the ‘Courier Mail’ backed the Liberal-National Party at the last election and there was a record swing which tipped the LNP out of office.”

Unsurprised, he says News Ltd’s metropolitan newspapers are the least trusted in Australia, according to June’s Essential Research.