An exercise in brevity
We’ve only just realised that it’s our official second birthday today. (The technical one, ie when the site went live as a test with some old imported content, was last Friday, but we forgot to mark it, and today in 2011 is the day we published the first-ever post written specifically for Wings Over Scotland.)
In those two years we’ve published 1,680 posts including this one, and the thick end of a million words – 941,426 to be exact – by over 40 different authors. It’s a lot of stuff to take in, especially if you’re fairly new here. (Which you quite probably are, as nearly half of our 100,000+ readers have arrived in the last three months.)
So to mark the anniversary, we thought we’d see if we could distil most of what we’ve written in those 24 months down to just two iron rules, one for each year – in effect, producing a sort of user’s guide to the Scottish and UK media on the subject of Scottish politics, and in particular Scottish independence.
We think we’ve managed it.
1. If you read a headline about independence containing the word WILL (eg “Taxes will rise after independence”), substitute the phrase COULD POSSIBLY (DEPENDING ON WHICH GOVERNMENTS ARE ELECTED BY THE SCOTTISH PEOPLE IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS AND DECADES).
2. And if you read a headline about independence containing the words MIGHT, MAY or COULD, (eg “An independent Scotland could be blown up by terrorist immigrants”), simply substitute the phrase DEFINITELY WON’T.
If you could write those down on a Post-It Note or something, and keep it in your wallet or purse or taped to your computer screen, you’d probably save us a lot of time.
hahaha!! It might well save you a lot of time but it wouldn’t be half as informative or entertaining!
Congratulations on Wings second birthday! You are doing a fantastic job Stu- just keep on doing what you’re doing – I don’t even bother reading newspapers anymore, I just log in for my daily fix of ‘real news’ and the truth from Wings. Without your incisive and expert analysis I’d surely become depressed. Wings is a wee shining light amid the darkness of the mainstream media lies, distortion and misinformation.
Huh, he asks us for all this money and then makes us do all the work. What sort of church is this? When do we move to Jonestown?
Happy Birthday, Rev.
The fact Wings is now being used by politicos and the MSM is remarkable.
When are you announcing “Wings over Prestwick”?
Love to all.
Well done Sir!
Happy birthday! I’m sending you a birthday cake*
* I think you know what the cake is 😉
lol happy birthday, quite an achievement!
Oh hell, the terrible twos. Me and Mrs Macart have twins and they were bad enough, but Rev Stu going bonkers and chewin’ the carpets… LOL 😀
Happy 2nd birthday Rev and well done.
Happy birthday! As a present I can say mortgages definitely won’t go up after independence 😉
Happy Birthday Rev Stu. You and a few other select sites are an absolute must!
More power to you and roll on indepepndence!
Totally agree with Heather, every word. It’s exactly how I feel, thank you to everyone in Wings for keeping me sane as well as entertained and most importantly, well informed. Happy Birthday x
Impressive, Rev Stu! Congratulations on all you’ve achieved… but don’t rest on your laurels just yet. Not until 19.9.2014.
My Scottish friends are totally apolitical and we don’t talk about politics but I’ve nudged them this way. Two of them were at the indy march in September (a month earlier they were no/don’t knows!) and now two more are yessers! Mostly thanks to WoS!
I see that the first ever post had only one comment… from… who else but Morag! 😀
Since this is a written medium, I can hazard a Finnish rendition of “Happy Birthday” (seriously, I cannot sing at all):
Paljon onnea vaan
paljon onnea vaan
paljon onnea Wings over Scotland!
Dam! Imagine mis-spelling independence!! Shame on me! I’m off to visit better together with the rest of the dunces! 🙁
Happy Birthday Wings!
We don’t need the post it notes rev, those facts are engraved on our hearts!
Mair steam tae yer elba,
Happy birthday and long may Wings Over Scotland continue the good work of reporting the misleading facts reported by politicians, and yes I am one of the readers who have arrived in the last three months. March ish to be precise and I have learnt a lot from reading all the articles from the Wings Over Scotland. *Thumbs Up*
Happy Birthday Rev and congratulations on a massive job for Scottish Independence. You’re a star!
To the Wizard of WoS
Happy Birthday!
Your web site daily brings me hope that sense will prevail in Scotland and this time next year we will debating the new Scottish constitution. I hope WoS will not dissapear. It will be needed more than ever to highlight the shenanigans of politicians
Perhaps in honour of your twofer Rev…….
The Guardian has deigned to write an article on the referendum in the Wings style……
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/defence-and-security-blog/2013/nov/07/scotland-security-shipbuilding
granted a week late and the headline lets it down but still…
Many Happy Returns!
Two years, my, its flown in. Thanks for all the hard work from everyone on Wings, I would be lost without you all. Happy Birthday.
Well done Stu.
You must have a very strong constitution to read the daily, unrelenting bile that passes for news in this country.
I haven’t watched any news for the last few days as I fear for my blood pressure!
Happy Birthday, the mighty, mighty Wings over Scotland!
Always teaching me new things I really ought to know.
Many thanks 🙂
I didn’t know the site existed 3 months ago.I came upon a Bella article,that led me to read Newsnet Scotland and that led me to wings.Sort of virus like if you will…
I am now better informed than before,because i just looked for information myself.Hopefully others are doing likewise.
Let’s all give the Rev the bumps!
One!
Two!
Many happy returns.
Phew, just managed to rustle this up in time, Rev.
Hope you think it’s appropriate.
http://dearscotland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Scotland-Birthday-Cake.jpg
Thanks Stu.
“I am one of the readers who have arrived in the last three months. March ish to be precise”
ARITHMETIC CHECK 😉
Happy Birthday and a big pat on the back for all your work
“* I think you know what the cake is ;)”
http://wingsoverscotland.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/cakelie21.jpg
Happy Birthday Wings! A new wee quote for you Rev. (Well, new to me anyway you might’ve seen it before). Kinda kills two birds with one stone.
“The rich and powerful piss on us and the media tells us it’s raining.”
Happy birthday WoS! Keep up the good work, this site is going to be even more essential in the coming year.
Happy Birthday, Wings!
Well done Stuart.
One daft wee question …what are you going to do with your life after the 19th September 2014 if it is a ‘Yes’ vote?
I only ask that because the wife wants to know what I will do with mine! And as I’ve told her …concentrate fully on obtaining that Degree in Scottish History!
Happy Birthday WOS!
ps
Despite the U-KOK news media’s desperate attempts to blacken the character of supporters of independence and quality blogs such as WOS, the reputation of our beloved news media is at rock-bottom. The printed news is going out of buisness whilst WOS continues to soar.
Out of 27 European countries, the British press is the second least trusted by the people it claims to serve. Until this Eurobarometer opinion poll the UK press was the least trusted in Europe. See page 16 and table on page 17 –
Standard Eurobarometer 78
Autumn 2012
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb78/eb78_media_en.pdf
Stu you’re the best, and I think you might even make it into history books.
Happy birthday – I can’t remember when I fist saw this site but thank god I did otherwise I would be suicidal by now.
We have come a long way in a couple of years and we are going to need strong stomachs as we move into 2014.
I HEARD GEORGE WASHINGTON, SAID MORE THAN ONCE, “BAD TIMES ARE THOSE IN WHICH THE OBVIOUS NEEDS TO BE EXPLAINED”
THESE TIMES MUST BE REALLY AWFUL INDEED,
Happy Birthday Wings, keep up the great work.
@ joe kane 7.36pm
Interesting paper/data.
Either the Finns, Swedes and Danes are extremely gullible or we have better radio. 😀
GROUP HUG GUYS
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_agHXcORx9eY/Skrh5dquCfI/AAAAAAAACEQ/26c7yaTOTns/s400/group-hug.jpg
Drops kerry oot and grabs coat……….
Happy Birthday, Wing is the Biz
A blog where I can be me 🙂
May I recommend the short but intense, About Un-common Sense and very Common Nonsense
It does explain a lot abouth this lot.
Happy Birthday WoS and all us Wos – ers, long tome users and welcome to the new ones. This site is fantastic and if I only had MSM + BBC informing me, I’d feel far less positive about gaining a YES vote. But I’m not. Instead I am very positive about a Yes vote now.
In honour of your undinted efforts to unearth the facts from lies spouted at us daily, thereby aiding us all towards a YES vote, maybe our Indy Air Force could use the shiny wee Wings badge for their reg, as a token of our esteem for actions over and above the call of duty 🙂 Well you do transcribe a lot of JoLa’s chuntering for us, as well as everything else.
ps – Rev, hope your wee ratlets (is that what you call baby rats?) are doing well.
@JLT: One daft wee question …what are you going to do with your life after the 19th September 2014 if it is a ‘Yes’ vote?
I’m wondering this myself. I’d love for Wings to continue as a site holding the media to account and providing vital information. An Indy Scotland will sadly not be free from the lies, distortions and propaganda we currently put up with, not to mention politicians, businessmen and others in power – so it’s important to keep in mind that many problems like the current ScotLab “leadership,” biased editors, controllers and corruption won’t magically disappear on September 19th.
I think Wings would be just as valuable as a resource in the “interregnum” between the referendum and first election, to ensure that the reams of quality information is still out there for the people of Scotland to make the most informed decision possible. And then after that, well, since Private Eye probably won’t bother with Scottish matters at all when it’s out of the UK aside from perhaps in a “Letters from Glasgow” column once in a while…
But if Rev et al just want a wee holiday from all this, then I say first order of business is a state-sponsored weekend at Gleneagles for the Wings team for services rendered unto the realm. And since we won’t have OBEs, CBEs and whatnot, all shall receive the new highest honour of an independent Scotland – the Tartan Duck. 🙂
A good reason to have a glass of wine tonight. Cheers to you all. Stuart and you have made this site a success.
Seeing as this thread is about how great Wings, Stu and we are – can we have another picture of the wee rats?
Keep going strong! You’re doing a great and vital job 🙂
Happy Birthday Wings!
And congratulations Morag for first ever comment! 🙂
Taranaich
And since we won’t have OBEs, CBEs and whatnot, all shall receive the new highest honour of an independent Scotland – the Tartan Duck.
Actually, I was for making Rev, ‘High Captain of Scotland’!
No seriously Taranaich, I signed up in September there to do a Degree in Scottish History with the Open University. I’m praying that I have not jumped in one year to soon.
With everything to come over the next year (especially next summer with door-to-door, helping in the campaign, etc), I’m praying I still have enough hours during the week to somehow, go to work, help out in the referendum, come here to debate, do my degree, write a book, and somehow fit the wife in too! I believe She’s hoping she’ll get her husband back on the 19th September.
She’s already asking how I will celebrate …and truthfully, I seriously don’t know. The moment the TV announces 50.1% Yes …I don’t know if I will scream for joy, burst into tears, or just sit there shell-shocked.
After suffering the 19th with a hangover, I’m wondering if we should just all rush to the Albanach on Saturday the 20th of September and just have the greatest party ever on the Royal Mile! In fact …that might not be a bad idea!!
“I think Wings would be just as valuable as a resource in the “interregnum” between the referendum and first election”
Sounds good to me.
Happy Birthday and a big thank you from a grateful luddite whose sanity and blood pressure depend on you!
Rev. Stuart Campbell says:
“I think Wings would be just as valuable as a resource in the “interregnum” between the referendum and first election”
Sounds good to me.
Well, Rev …no rest for the wicked then! Seems we’ll be setting up another fund to keep you employed for another year!
But seriously …sounds like a damned good idea!
Christ; this is all getting a bit too luvvie and smushy – so un-scottish!
As Private Fraser might say –
Aye … no’ bad but dinnae get carried away. Thur’s still billboards tae get funded like ?
All the best to the WoS team
“When the Unionists abound and life starts to get you down, there’s a Mantra to recite, that will make you feel alright !”
There’s no site like Wings, There’s no site like Wings, There’s no site like Wings !
Well I’m happy to donate to more crowdfunding of this site up to, during and after the vote. WoS is too valuable an asset to allow this site to disappear.
JLT – I’m up for The Albanach on the 19th, and the Rev should be there too, of course 🙂
Rev – we want a ratlet update, please 🙂
@ Rev – I had never even heard of ‘cite tags, WordPress, links please, quarantine or gravatars’ before WOS. So whats all this stuff about Ferendums? 🙂
Informative, exhausting, exciting, addictive, scathing, passionate, sincere, successful and recognised nationwide. This is my online home and I love it. Thanks Stu and to all the folk who have decorated it in different colours.
“Rev – we want a ratlet update, please”
For all their fans, here they are checking out some of their new pad. (Poor light.)
http://wingsoverscotland.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/babies1.jpg
Does that men we get The Terrible Twos, and lots of tantrums for the next year or so?
Oh well, so be it. It’s been great up to now, bottle feeding, all that winding. Let’s not mention the nappies, Labour, or other such shite.
I’ll raise you a Glenmorangie, very shortly, and put something by for that Interreg- thingy you were talking about. Thanks Stu.
I know the YES campaign and the SNP etc have to be very careful about the stuff they make up for distribution. I feel some harder stuff might be a good idea
You know, leaflets that say “Surely you’re not one of the half wits that believes this rubbish from Aliatair Darling?”
or
“All intelligent people are voting YES. Can you help us get the truth out to the others?”
or
“Some people believe London is hanging onto Scotland to subsidise it, . How daft is that?. You’ll probably know some folk who believe that stuff….”
and so on.
Most folk don’ t like to be thought stupid but it’s fairly easy to alert them to the possibility that they hold stupid opinions. One that is established they change sides
Happy birthday wings. Thank you rev for your priceless work. I don’t exaggerate when I say wings has saved my sanity.
All those insightful articles, hundreds of thousands of words and comments and so few spelling misteaks.
Zadowolony urodziny skrzydla nad Szkocja.
Thanks Rev – I could only see 2 wee ratlets (my poor eyesight) and they looked to be healthily inquisitive with great climbing skills – oh, and awfy cute 🙂 But that’s not Lager, you’re giving them is it?
Happy Birthday Wings! First port of call every morning. Like Heather, I’d get depressed by the relentless negativity without your insightful comment and analysis. Get withdrawal symptoms if no new article by 8am, and end up late for work catching up on overnight comments…even though I’m self employed!
In the words of social anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Rats are bonny but what about the Golden Wonder Crisps box – Sausage and Tomato flavour? Somebody tell me where to get them.
A wee birdie just told me, about an hour ago, that Alistair Darling has been ‘pencilled-in’ to speak at the BT North Ayrshire launch in Stevenston tomorrow evening.
Haven’t been able to confirm it, but it seems that Yes Scotland got wind of it from SNP activists, or vice-versa.
Make of that what you will. If true, the media will surely be there – goodness only knows, there’s few residents here in Stevenston know about it. No posters, no flyers, no chat in the barber’s…zilch, so if they’re hoping for a decent crowd tomorrow inside the meeting they’ll have to bus them in.
Hmm 100,000 readers Rev, that’s a lot of folk to be getting the truth about Scottish independence. Methinks you will be getting a gong in our indy Scotland. Something along the lines of “We couldn’t have done it without you!”. Well done and thanks a million (aye the million you are helping convert to YES).
“what about the Golden Wonder Crisps box – Sausage and Tomato flavour? Somebody tell me where to get them.”
From here: https://www.taytogroup.com/online-shop.html
@TJenny. Its a rats des res with those hammocks, how much fun does that look. I’m so jealous, how hard must it be to work while they are cavorting about:-)
“I could only see 2 wee ratlets”
There are at least five clearly visible in that shot – look closer 🙂
“Its a rats des res with those hammocks, how much fun does that look”
Hey, you haven’t even seen the Sky Tunnel…
This site gave me the inspiration to have a go myself at starting indi events which I had never done before and led to other firsts like fly posting. I’m now trying to stream events so as the positive reasons for voting yes get out to a wider audience than just the people at an event. What I am doing would never have happened without WoS and those who dwell here. Thanks Rev and all, inspirational.
Before I go… today I reached and surpassed my crowdfunding target and a big thanks for all.
vvv POSTED PREVIOUSLY vvv
Hi people
please take note of the following event below that we would like you to help promote so we can reach a wider online audience. We are also doing a little crowdfunding which ends in 4 days so please helpout if you can. http://igg.me/p/575599/x/2910307
THE ECONOMIC CASE FOR SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE…
On Tuesday 26th November 2013 The Scottish Government will publish its white paper on independence. Join us online or at The Glad Cafe, Shawlands, Glasgow for a presentation and Q & A session with representatives from ‘Business For Scotland’ (Michelle Thomson, Ivan McKee, Eric McLean)
Find out the real figures and have your say on independence..
TICKETS £5 are available from Young’s Interesting Books on Skirving street or online here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/510002
LIVE STREAMING ONLINE:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/independencelive
FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/ScottishIndependenceLiveEvents
@McNic says:
When are you announcing “Wings over Prestwick”?.
Ssh he’ll be looking for a direct rail link next.
Well done to all pro sites.
What I like about WOS is that it’s taken UK political blogging to another level.
I was an avid reader of newsprint, two, three papers a day. I grew up on the Scotsman in the 70’s – through the dramas of the industrial struggles, although to be honest i enjoyed the writing of Norman Mair on rugby and Rafferty on football the most. There was stylish writing to be enjoyed in the Herald too – Tail o’ the bank also a favourite.
It was a revelation to me late on in the nineties that on-line papers had a comments section that was far more interesting than the original article! Even the BBC allowed comments! Here was an explosion of witty and original argument.
Unfortunately, these blogs fell prey to online cliche – trolls, click bait, repetition, which all boiled down to people liking the sound of their own voices much too much for anyones good.
There was also the bias of the original article which skewed the tenor of the comments thereafter. The BBC realised this and removed the comments facility -but on solely Scottish articles! The Scotsman and Herald comments sections became parodies – a certain Fifi le bon bon had a fair conceit of herself.
However, hope arrived in the form of Newsnet. with Newsnet I discovered all these other political blogs – some of them very much up themselves ( holier than thou socialist/green blogs give you the boke – even if you might agree with the general point ). And then, WINGS!!
The pace of the threads to comment on – the depth and intelligence of the writing with the relevant research and sources to go with it – made all of those ‘off the cuff’, dismissive comments from the likes of the scotsman, mps and lords seem banal, childish and usually downright wrong.
Some of those political blogs were quite short-lived so congratulations and best wishes to WOS and rev stu for easily the best political blog in Scotland even unto the fUK.
hope arrived in the shape of Newsnet
When people were talking about ‘wee rats’ I thought they were talking about,
Davidson, Curran, Lamont & Sarwar !
Happy Birthday, Wings!
In keeping with your stats, I arrived here in September just in time to get wind of a rally and march in Edinburgh. I headed over there hoping it would be fairly well-attended…
Well done Stu and keep it up. You are essential reading.
Meanwhile just heard on Radio Scotland that over at The Scotsman “news”paper they are undergoing restructuring (=getting smaller) – getting rid of sections of the paper, suppliments etc and making journalists redundant. Won’t be long now till…
The wretch, concentred all in self,
Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And, Doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust, from whence it sprung,
Unwept, unhonour’d, and unsung.
(With apologies to Walter Scott)
It’s an endurance test, Stu. Hope you are up to it! But in my wee segment of the world, everyone reads Wings, everyone talks about it. Nuff said.
@gordoz
The scottish lib dems may be all but an irrelevance now but surely Rennie and Carmichael deserve some of that acclaim? 😉
The yellow tories latest sickening article at lib dem voice glossing over the unionist job threats and bullying takes the biscuit for pious hypocrisy as it rants about nasty nats.
Well done to Rev Stu for the sites continued excellence.
There’s a reason the scottish public holds the media in such low regard and Wings consistently highlights it.
Aye REV happy birthday, you ve saved ma sanity tae , aye keep WINGS gone, unless you & your ratlets fancy Scottish Parliamentary T V Editor Aunty BEEB canna be trusted, make W O S a Chat Site ma twa fingers are sore the noo ah ll be doon tae the knuckles come SEPT 18th. JOE KANE, Page 28 EU survey 75% of UK readers dont believe the Press TaraNaich, am wi you pal aw bit the Order o the Tartan Duck, Whit aboot the Capercaillie mair suitable as a PROUD SCOTSMAN/WOMAN an no that wan that AD / B Mc D / DA / A C / M M
Happy Birthday Wings.
what is the rev gonna do after the 19th sept 2014?
well we could probably crowd fund the purchase of the scotsman in an afternoon for rev stu, by that time it will be going very cheap indeed
as long as he publishes the redundancy notices for the worst of the bitter thegither spokesmen, and runs with close up pictures of their faces on the front pages, i’ll buy a years subscription
oh yes, i like the sound of that
Happy Birthday Wings! A phenomenal achievement Stu.
Now I see you’re breeding a special army of CyberRats for those special ops for the cause 🙂
Happy Birthday RevStu and Wings. Lang may yer lum reek, as they used to say in the days before the Smokeless Zone Acts came into force. Keep up the good work!
what is the rev gonna do after the 19th sept 2014?
I think we’ll all be taking a couple of weeks off to recover after the biggest party ever! After that, who knows, but it will be done with a big smile and a spring in the step 🙂
Well Rev. I hope you are in this for the very long run, after the sucsessful yes vote we will need someone to keep an eye on the negotiations and thereafter the people who inhabit our independent parliament. A job for life, which i am willing to stump up for.
snigger, i can be a very cruel 11th dimensional uncollapsed probability wave when i want to be
I share my birthday with Wings… how cool is that? 😉
Happy birthday to us… 😉
Have a drink on me, Rev!
Cheers!
Wings over Scotland to be second chamber in Scottish Government!
Congrats to wings.
Been a follower for 18 months now, and it’s been a marvellous journey.
Well done to”The hammer of the Scotsman” if I see you at the Albanach on the 19th September I hope will let me buy you a dram to celebrate a new dawn for Scotland.
For he’s a jolly good fellow
And so say all of us………
http://tinyurl.com/q6vnfkb
Happy 2nd Birthday Wings. This site plus the other independence supporting sites ensures our light burns even brighter on our march to self determination and equality for the ancient nation of Scotland. The lies of the msm are being countered and taken apart like never before via this medium. Its playing an essential part in ensuring the truth reaches out to as many people as we can to ensure a YES vote. So well done to you Rev and all the amazing posters who play a key part in challenging the Unionists day after day. The glittering prize that awaits is winning our countrys freedom so we can run our own affairs.
I wonder how the mean, narrow minded unionist knee-benders feel when they read this site. It must make them even more bitter when they see the attitude of people who post on this brilliant blog. The intelligence. The positive and constructive comment about Scotland and it’s people’s future well-being must surely get through to their stony hearts if not their fogged minds! Happy Birthday Rev – brilliant job!
@ Ian Brotherhood
If the East Ayrshire launch of B.T last week is anything to go by, there will be no media coverage in North Ayrshire – no matter WHO attends – only in-house photographers. Also, the crowd is likely to be fairly elderly and coming from a position that appears politically asleep, happy to watch their dream of the unspoken ‘benefits’ of Union projected back at them in the form of a 7-minute video, free of political or economic content, full of ‘proud Scots’ who are all voting No.
The downside, for me, if it is A.D, is that I might well be marked out and not permitted to ask another question. Then again, would they get away with refusing a question from an ordinary citizen of North Ayrshire, who is a member of no political party, and is only interested in hearing the truth about issues relevant to the Referendum? I didn’t see them blocking anyone last time.
See you around 6.30pm. I will try and get in when the doors open, though. If they turn me away just because I asked a difficult question last time (which would make them look pretty cowardly, as though they don’t actually have good answers or aren’t adept at making up lies when put on the spot), I will come back and help you leaflet subsequent incomers. If I do get in, I’ll get out sharp just before the finish and assist with distribution to as many of the out-going as possible.
Are you hardcore SSP guys really planning to be outside the whole time or are you going to try to come in out of the (forecast) light rain and low-ish temperature?
Ratlets???
I thought they were clangers
Congrats on a great job well done. 🙂
Happy b-day wings.
Click-tsst. Cheers.
(Well, I don’t have work the morn – just sitting around waiting whilst the winter tyres are put on. Incidentally in my mate’s garage in the birthplace of the saltire…).
Happy birthday, i found wings site about a year ago when I got fed up with the shite on tv. I thought there must be better info online and wham, wings, news net , bella , Nat collective, scot Indy podcast, 3 men in a blog and much more. Thanks rev and all who contribute.
Happy Birthday, Wings.
And well done to the Rev and all involved in its creation and continued existence, and it’s heartening to see this place going from strength to strength.
Happy Birthday Wings. 100,000 visitors now, wow. I remember when it was all fields round here.
‘for every force there is an equal but opposite force’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-24860719
Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday to ‘slim down’
The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday newspapers are to be slimmed down, with more journalist jobs being cut, BBC Scotland understands.
Aye.
🙂
Thank you Rev.I really need the news,.I havnae read a newspaper except foreign ones for two years now.I get all my news from yourself and the community that we are under WoS
Congrats, well done Stu,
Independence gives you wings!
or should that be……………
Wings gives you Independence?
Good old BBC Question Time discussing Shipbuilding jobs and independence with their favourite panellist Nigel Falange and no SNP representative
@Aidan (10.07)-
We won’t be allowed in. Of that I’ve nae doots at aw. But that’s okay.
What I’m concerned about is that – if it is AD? – we won’t even be allowed near the entrance.
Our intention is to get as close to the entrance as any leafleters are allowed on normal Polling Days (i.e. right outside the door) – we’ll stay to one side so as not to give the impression that any kind of ‘gauntlet’ is being formed, and we’ll stay there, proferring leaflets, and the current edition of the SSP Voice magazine.
And that’s it. We just want to get our pro-Indy SSP material (and whatever generic Yes material we have) into the hands of genuine ‘undecideds’.
There won’t be any hassle – not from us at any rate. The only possible ‘hiccups’ I foresee are
1. If BT try to ‘bus’ supporters in for the event, to make the hall appear fuller than it would be otherwise
2. If anyone tries to corral us into some U.S.-style ‘Protest Zone’. We believe we are entitled to be so-positioned that we can physically offer our literature to attendees – be they Alasdair Darling or Wee Jimmy from over-the-road – as they go into this ‘public’ meeting.
There’s no reason to anticipate any trouble. I live here, right across from the Centre. The most exciting things that ever happen are after the under-age discos. Tommy Sheridan’s people had a meeting in there, perhaps a couple of months ago, and it was very well-attended, but no-one in the immediate vicinity would’ve known anything unusual was happening.
If any significant numbers of BT people turn out tomorrow night? They’re not locals. That’s for sure.
We’ll soon see, one way or another.
Looking forward to meeting you mister, and thanks again for the support.
The boy done good !
Well done Stuart, onwards and upwards 🙂
Happy Birthday wings and thank you Stu.
Here is a wee birthday video I found.
‘Burn a L’ (Love) 🙂
Congratulation Stu. You supply an oasis of truth, in the media desert.
happy second anniversary, long may you continue.
Apologies for my bad editing of previous post.
One of the best things about WOS is that posters with a differing point of view will receive a generous hearing – unlike other sites which censor on a very arbitrary and non-explained fashion.
I have seen an interesting phenomenon with Facebook however, where friends who have signed up for ‘Better Together’ have posts which look as if they are written by themselves (but which read as if they are written by Blair Mcdougall himself) which appear for a couple of hours on their timeline but then disapear without the friend being aware of the content which has appeared under their name. Anyone else seen this?
Good article on UK shipbuilding by George Kerevan in Scotsman
http://archive.is/ekQYK
Happy birthday Rev, though I wouldn’t describe myself as an author you did leave me out. So how about a list of contributors. 😉
pro loco, Thats disturbing for me & other YES supporters who have been banned by BT site If anybody sees my name ither under Ronnie Ronald please let me know here on W O S or on YES SCOT site time & date save the item & post it up Thats misrepesentation
Rev, on Twitter, mentioned Brian Wilson and Michael Kelly as some kind of double-act.
Me no know why, but their names reminded me of this rubbish – one day, we’ll wonder why anyone thought they were even vaguely interesting, let alone entertaining:
What would you do if Scotland votes YES ? Just expand your site to a Scottish Newspaper type site.
All things Scottish, with regular and non regular article writers and make the site a Scottish resource where anyone can come and find out all about our places, our history, our society, Scottish News etc etc.
Work on your income streams which should enable your expansion to becoming a must see for all who wish to visit, make a business here, or just want to know more about our country. Official data and results table for polls etc.
So many ideas come to mind, tap into the Scottish expats across the world, who after yes, will be so interested in their historical country. No end of possibilities.
In other words become an website for everything about Scotland.
Happy birthday Rev and very well done. Although I’ve been a nationalist since I was 16, no way have I ever been as informed about Scotland and its capabilities than when I started reading WoS.
Not only that, you’ve inspired me to make my own wee contribution to the cause at http://www.referendumanswers.com, which you generously allowed me to announce here as an official WoS authorised O/T!
If any one of you 100,000 out there wants to contribute, that would be awesome. Let me know through the website.
Ian brotherhood , aw the best fur the morra nite lookin forwand fur you report ( in detail Cheers Ian
@Ian Brotherhood
First 30 seconds were great, after that just made me think of Cameron and Miliband.
Right up each other.
@Ronnie Anderson-
Cheers mister.
Were you having a Yes Airdrie launch tonight? Or is it tomorrow? Can’t remember where I saw the details. Hope it went well, or does go well.
And yes, verily shall ye receive full details of all that comes to pass…
A bit late to the birthday party….Congrats Rev.
Happy 2nd birthday Rev and well done.
I feel so confident by the way that the YES campaign is winning in spite of the deluge of MSM and Broadcasting antipathy. Let me tell you of one of my dreams. The Scotsman is so down the shunky that it brings itself into the realms and reach of a crowd funding buyover. My problem is as CEO is who should be editor. Suggestions please. (It is my dream so do not spoil it)
Hi Stu,
Well done and mair girst from your mill.
O/T My train home was late and before that there was a long crude oil train heading south on the west coast main line.
Is oil being exported by rail? What is really happening at Grangemouth?
Ironically the loco was a DB one (Deutches Bundeswehr).
Again Happy birthday
Happy birthday. Thanks for providing a great, informative, funny and friendly forum. And have a beer on me!
Hoppy birdie is two,
Hoppy birdie is two,
Hoppy birdie, hoppy birdie, hoppy birdie to Stu.
Lanarkist.
@Famous15: make the Rev. the editor and rename it Wings Over Scotsman.
Just donated a birthday present. Don’t spend it all at once.
Wings! Happy Birthday and thanks for the great work, citizens media at its very best! I always come away at least a bit more enlightened.
@ Ian Brotherhood @ Albalha
Hi and thanks for the feedback about the International Media Group idea I will post some thoughts about how things might be progressed soon.
@ Ian all the best with tomorrow.
O/T This is an old article about the Scottish media from 2004, some things have changed and some perhaps have not! I thought the words of the Assistant editor/political editor
of the Daily Record vaguely amusing… http://archive.is/DvT8J
Xx DoER
May I offer my most enthusiastic contrafibularities!
Sir,
I must complain about the dire content of this ‘website’. I came here expecting to find fan information on the great Paul McCartney and his splendid band Wings. Needless to say I am more than disappointed to find rants from people who believe Scotland should become some sort of nation. We should all be grateful to Mr McCartney and his use of music to join us in these isles together.
I am cancelling my subscription forthwith.
Disgusted,
Glasgow (2nd City of the Empire, a title which we would not have without the gracious actions of inclusion by our benefactors in Westminster)
Nah, only joking! congratulations!
^
Are we related?
IAN BOTHERHOOD, no I posted Airdrie yes were having a meeting on wed nite, but ma fek memory ma Son tae n me over to the Stadium Oh fek its next Wed
Airdrie YES have been up an running fur a long time
Congratulations Rev and all the other contributors and commenters!
So why is readership of the Hootsmon declining, while readership of WOS is increasing? Er, let me think about that for a nanosecond…
Keep up the fabulous work!!
Happy birthday Wings. We are all worthy ????
What do I do if I don’t have any post it notes?
jus askin sall.
happy wings burfday 🙂
Handclapping says
“When do we move to Jonestown?”
And why does this koolaid taste fu——–
Thomas Williams Dunlop says
“To the Wizard of WoS”
Ha thats brilliant
that’s it rev you are henceforth known as the Wizard of WoS
Jon D SAYS
“GROUP HUG GUYS”
Eh naw thanks I was gonnae say just think of me but no don’t think of me, youse lot’ll a put me in the middle,
I know how you think,
when I want to be able to open a beer bottle wi ma erse cheeks a’ll let ye ken
eeuch
JLT says
“The moment the TV announces 50.1% Yes …I don’t know if I will scream for joy, burst into tears, or just sit there shell-shocked.”
Im getting the biggest firework I can buy, keep yer curtains open in Livi JLT ye’ll see it from there (Im 20 miles from ye)
Rev Stu Campbell says
“For all their fans, here they are checking out some of their new pad. ”
Ooh look someones left the door open
say goodbye to the computer cables
the one at the door looks like she has a severe case of the munchies.
Morning folks,
Another piece of good news on a slightly different front, but still a blow to the BT Mob!
BBC news is mentioning this as its 2nd main headline this morning
Nissan boss warns UK over possible EU exit – http://archive.is/fIK6f
Music to our ears…
John King,
Whoa! This isn’t the set of Fireworks that went missing at Hopetoun House, is it? (LOL)
gordoz says
“There’s no site like Wings, There’s no site like Wings, There’s no site like Wings !”
Whit a big cissie
damnit I wish I had thought o that
Albert Herring says
“Wings over Scotland to be second chamber in Scottish Government!”
Now THATS a bloody good idea 🙂
Lanarkist says
“Hoppy birdie is two,”
Where huv ye been?
the wife was just asking about you the other night.
@Ronnie,
Can you post details of the time and place for the Airdrie meeting.
TIA.
In my experiance 2 year old are all teeth and shouting.. More power to your voice cos clearly it’s being heard, so the shoutings working 😛
Slighlty concerend what you are gonna be chomping on tho 🙂
So with that in mind can we get Wings teethers and nappy pants please.. Westminster is already the sesspit (sorry, potty)
Oh, after all that.. Happy Birthday 😀
Good letter by Dave McEwan Hill in the Herald.
http://archive.is/U6I0x
An excellent two years, Rev.
Now for the most important ten months in the site’s – and our – history..
Just a wee daft thought but before which, a little word of advice to the Rev (as if he needs it), don’t slacken because we have the barstewards on the ropes. The dope is roped. he needs counted out.
Now, the daft thought.
What are we going to do, after the YES vote which is coming?
We are not going just to disappear into the mid and background, not again. We are here and have forged a new 3rd estate.
So, I feel that we need to continue post YES, and be second chamber/3rd estate for whatever Gov takes the reins.
Every Government needs to held to account and here in WoS we have the template and the artisans already waiting.
All responses posted should be copied onto a £10 note to BtP and sent to a post box to be advised
Oh and congrats to the Rev, perhaps this is a groundbreaking site which points they way for other speratist basterds in other uppity forgotten places.
Lanarkist says
John King says ” where huv ye been?”
been busier recently and with the massive increase in posts and comments, linked articles and documents, letters and t.v. Snippets I have found myself running to keep pace with it all. I have been here all along and will continue to absorb info and disseminate as widely as possible, I ain’t going nowhere.
Exciting times, watching Empire crumble in real time beats everything else.
keep pulling on the ropes, it is shoogly and close to collapsing.
Send best regards to your lovely wife.
Lanarkist.
Robert Kerr says:
“Is oil being exported by rail? What is really happening at Grangemouth?
Ironically the loco was a DB one (Deutches Bundeswehr).”
DB is for Deutsche Bahn – German Railway!
NOT the Bundeswehr, that is the German Army.
Keep up the good work. You are doing a brilliant job.
I’ve been reading since about this time last year. I am obsessed with the indy debate, but Wings is totally feeding my addiction. So difficult to get anything else done!
I also think we should buy The Scotsman. How pricey can it be?
Scarlett
Even if we got it for nowt, it would be cheaper for us to bunt £20 notes. I think the dead tree press is struggling to find a route to stay alive and this is happening all over the World, where the net is all pervasive.
A freesheet might work based on citizen journalist locally and local advertising overlaid with a central national news input backed up with syndicated international news or free exchanged news from similar freesheets around the World./
How do you change your avatar on here?
@BtP
Good question. Personally I’ll be hanging up the political spurs and letting the new generation get on with it. I’ll go back to ignoring politics and politicians as best possible and concentrate on developing the perfect fly cast for a short arse. It’ll literally be a brave new world for the kids and they’ll have ideas aplenty. I’ve only ever cared about seeing our country making its own decisions, its own screw ups and its own remedies. Just like any other grown up country on the planet. Its way past time we made our own decisions.
I like the idea of Wings continuing and doing the job the media always should have, holding a Scottish parliament and all its parties to account.
Where do I send the tenner? 😉
Macart
It is £20 and ask John King
@ Ian Brotherhood – If you have a look at my walkthrough in Quarantine it helps you do it from scratch
http://wingsoverscotland.com/quarantine/#comment-482592
However I see you already have a gravatar which WordPress recognises so perhaps you already have a Gravatar account. If so its just a matter of adding another photo and making it your default.
Hope this helps
For the first time in weeks, did’nt log on last night, so a belated Happy Birthday, Rev.
Seriously, as others have said, what would we done without this site to gather round. I really don’t know. We would be in a worse place than we are now. How is the salary supply for the next year, Rev. Remember. all you need is to ask.
Mair power tae yer elbow.
Wings has Done Good Work as NASA would have said if they’d been based in Scotland
Canna mind how I first heard of Wings. Almost certainly via a FB post.
Keep it up!
@BtP
£20? (gasps)… Running short d’you reckon a cheque will do? 😀
I can vouch for your view of newspress life expectancy. I think we’re looking at what? Little over or under a decade and main news will be pretty much totally digital. Goggle box or new media only. There’ll still be titles out there but nowhere near today’s number and with a very much reduced reach. Small local titles will putter along for a little longer. But time and tech waits for no man.
“Send best regards to your lovely wife.Lanarkist.”
She asked me to ask you if you’ve run out of town yet?
@Archie –
Cheers mister.
Bugger the Panda says
“It is £20 and ask John King”
How would I know where to send £30.00 ? 😉
J K
It is in the post!
BTP says:
“It is £20 and ask John King”
Macart:“£20? (gasps)… Running short d’you reckon a cheque will do? ”
BTP’s running the WOS sales dept. now. Hard as nails … cough up or else ..! 🙂
“J K
It is in the post!”
LOOK FORWARD TO IT BtP 🙂
Happy Birthday WoS!
Thanks Rev Stu for cutting through the BS and keeping all our spirits up. Way to go!
Happy Birthday WOS!
There will be lots to do after the referendum, first to make sure that the Lamonts and Grays and Rennies never get near the negotiating table; then a constitution; then a brand new government of Scotland devoid of all the baggage.
So I reckon Rev will have a lot to keep him busy for the next 5 – 10 years 🙂
Congratulations
Driven here by disbelief of the print and TV media.
gERRY PARKER ITS NEXT WED AT 7.30 SHYBERRY STADIUM I MADE A MISTAKE THOUGHT IT WAS WED THERE SOS IF YOU TURNED UP
Congratulations and warmest Birthday Wishes!
I like the idea of a big Party after we win the vote.
I’ll be there, would wish to personally shake your hand
and to encourage you to keep WOS going beyond the vote.
WOS is a fantastic site and resource that I have recommended to many people.
Thank You.
I suppose, since I was the one who commented on the “first real post” (never realised that at the time), I need to pop in and say Happy Birthday.
May the rats never leave your meal barrel with a tear in their een.