Sunday 27 July 2008

Welcome to Not The Barnet Times


Welcome to Not The Barnet Times. As it says at the top of the page, this is my attempt to provide an alternative viewpoint to some of the political news from the London Borough of Barnet.


This is my first ever blog, so do bear with me as I try to get a hang of the software! Of course, if Statler & Waldorf hadn’t given up on theirs, I wouldn’t be doing this! Where are they now, I wonder?

I was inspired to do this following the removal of a blog from the Barnet Times website written by local resident Roger Tichborne. Rog T (as he is known on-line) had written an article under the heading “Barnet’s very own Stalinist Mr Bean” in which he criticised the council and its leader, Cllr Mike Freer. Apparently, the Times does not want its bloggers criticising each other in such forthright terms (Mike Freer has his own blog on the same web site).

I can understand that the paper doesn’t want blogs full of personal derogatory attacks, but legitimate criticism and debate is the lifeblood of a democracy. The decision to remove the blog does seem strange given that Rog had previously posted an article under the heading “Three Cheers for Brownite Freer” which was allowed and Mike Freer readily joined in. Read it by clicking here:

Rog and I are at opposite ends of the mainstream political spectrum but I am reminded of the quotation often attributed to Voltaire: ‘I detest what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.’ Whilst I am not quite willing to die for Rog T, I am willing to spend £7.50 registering a domain name so that you can now read the article which the Barnet Times refused to publish!

I hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as it saves me in therapy by writing it!

2 comments:

Statler and Waldorf said...

Message received from Statler and Waldorf's cruise ship by Morse Code

STARTS

Miss Piggy sent Waldorf and I a message by carrier pigeon to our state apartments on our cruise ship. She informed us of this most wonderful online journal studying the events of the GDfB, by the rather casually named "Don't call me 'Dave'".

We both wish you the very best with your
endeavor, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. We have been very let down in not having access to the interweb thingy but home on our return we may catch up with events.

We are down to our last casket of gold bullion and port so that could sooner than expected.

ENDS

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From Miss Piggy: See the original below, I hope I have translated the message correctly:

-- .. ... ... / .--. .. --. --. -.-- / ... . -. - / .-- .- .-.. -.. --- .-. ..-. / .- -. -.. / .. / .- / -- . ... ... .- --. . / -... -.-- / -.-. .- .-. .-. .. . .-. / .--. .. --. . --- -. / - --- / --- ..- .-. / ... - .- - . / .- .--. .- .-. - -- . -. - ... / --- -. / --- ..- .-. / -.-. .-. ..- .. ... . / ... .... .. .--. .-.-.- / ... .... . / .. -. ..-. --- .-. -- . -.. / ..- ... / --- ..-. / - .... .. ... / -- --- ... - / .-- --- -. -.. . .-. ..-. ..- .-.. / --- -. .-.. .. -. . / .--- --- ..- .-. -. .- .-.. / ... - ..- -.. -.-- .. -. --. / - .... . / . ...- . -. - ... / --- ..-. / - .... . / --. -.. ..-. -... --..-- / -... -.-- / - .... . / .-. .- - .... . .-. / -.-. .- ... ..- .- .-.. .-.. -.-- / -. .- -- . -.. / .-..-. -.. --- -. .----. - / -.-. .- .-.. .-.. / -- . / .----. -.. .- ...- . .----. .-..-. .-.-.- / .-- . / -... --- - .... / .-- .. ... .... / -.-- --- ..- / - .... . / ...- . .-. -.-- / -... . ... - / .-- .. - .... / -.-- --- ..- .-. / . -. -.. . .- ...- --- .-. --..-- / .. -- .. - .- - .. --- -. / .. ... / - .... . / ... .. -. -.-. . .-. . ... - / ..-. --- .-. -- / --- ..-. / ..-. .-.. .- - - . .-. -.-- .-.-.- / .-- . / .... .- ...- . / -... . . -. / ...- . .-. -.-- / .-.. . - / -.. --- .-- -. / .. -. / -. --- - / .... .- ...- .. -. --. / .- -.-. -.-. . ... ... / - --- / - .... . / .. -. - . .-. .-- . -... / - .... .. -. --. -.-- / -... ..- - / .... --- -- . / --- -. / --- ..- .-. / .-. . - ..- .-. -. / .-- . / -- .- -.-- / -.-. .- - -.-. .... / ..- .--. / .-- .. - .... / . ...- . -. - ... .-.-.- / .-- . / .- .-. . / -.. --- .-- -. / - --- / --- ..- .-. / .-.. .- ... - / -.-. .- ... -.- . - / --- ..-. / --. --- .-.. -.. / -... ..- .-.. .-.. .. --- -. / .- -. -.. / .--. --- .-. - / ... --- / - .... .- - / -.-. --- ..- .-.. -.. / ... --- --- -. . .-. / - .... .- -. / . -..- .--. . -.-. - . -.. .-.-.-

Don't Call Me Dave said...

Gentlemen, I am honoured by your message and greatly relieved to know that you are both still with us, albeit floundering at sea (a bit like the council really!) I do hope you will make it safely back to these shores soon. If Gordon Brown is toppled this autumn, there could be an early General Election which would mean perhaps one or two council by-elections. These days a councillor can earn enough to buy 1,669 bottles of Waitrose port, just by turning up to two meetings a year. Trebles all round!