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Wings Over Scotland


What you’re paying for

Posted on March 25, 2013 by

fundbanner10

Running total (updated daily): £28,920 of £29,796 (97.1%).
Donations in last 24 hours: £886.

As we write these words, there are under 24 hours of our fundraising campaign to go. It has already, frankly, succeeded beyond our wildest hopes, and our gratitude is boundless. But for anyone still swithering over whether it’s worth throwing a quid into the pot or not, we thought we’d spend the final day reminding you of what your money is buying, and will continue to buy for the next year.

24 hrs: Why Labour Doesn’t Need Scotland
The stats seen across the world.

23 hrs: The Clean Slate
The first website to notice that Scotland didn’t exist.

22 hrs: The Wrong Lizards
Why independence is UK democracy’s last hope.

21 hrs: Meltdown Man
The thankless task of analysing Rab C. Davidson MP.

20 hrs: Alex Salmond Dictator-Comparison Bingo!
Our most widely-stolen article ever.

19 hrs: A Letter To A Unionist
We never did get the promised reply.

18 hrs: After The Watershed
Hamish is a bonus.

17 hrs: Stupid, Stupid, Stupid
Transcribing is the worst thing in the world. We do it. FOR YOU.

16 hrs: An Open Question To The Scottish Media
Shouldn’t proper newspapers be capable of this?

15 hrs: The Doomsayers And The Damage Done
In-depth research.

14 hrs: Would You Like To Know More?
Deconstructing dodgy dossiers.

13 hrs: The Thieves Of Devolution
How the Unionist parties plan to cripple Holyrood after a No vote.

12 hrs: The Siren Song Of Opposition
The best job in politics.

11 hrs: A Little Less Conversation
Because you need a chuckle sometimes too.

10 hrs: The Great Betrayal
Chronicling the implosion of Labour’s principles.

9 hrs: When Does Spin Become Outright Lying?
Answer: depressingly often.

8 hrs: Raising The Level Of Debate
We wish exposing hypocrisy was harder than this, to be honest.

7 hrs: Dulce Et Decorum
The occasional polemic is good for the soul.

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86 to “What you’re paying for”

  1. Aucheorn
    Ignored
    says:

    Made an addition to the total. 
    May the search for truth continue.

  2. panda paws
    Ignored
    says:

    Congrats RevStu I hope you make it to 100%. For those like me unable to make a financial donation, we can do our bit by telling people about the site and posting links in twitter, FB, other sites etc.

  3. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    [Smirk]  If my sums are right, I think I just putted the ball over the line.

  4. Rev. Stuart Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    “[Smirk] If my sums are right, I think I just putted the ball over the line.”

    I believe you are correct 😀

  5. Rev. Stuart Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    “Congrats RevStu I hope you make it to 100%. For those like me unable to make a financial donation, we can do our bit by telling people about the site and posting links in twitter, FB, other sites etc.”

    Absolutely this. The money is merely a means to the end of getting more people here, which is the REAL ultimate goal. A million quid in the bank and no readers would be useless. Every retweet, every Facebook like, every Reddit referral is the lifeblood of the site.

  6. Gizzit
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done – congratulations Rev.

  7. Daisy
    Ignored
    says:

    Bunged you a few more sheckles. Think I will give cafépress a good clicking later this week. Enjoying passing he website across to friends who NEED educating of the facts. Loving the disbelief that they’ve been HAD since birth…I’m also causing a fair few ripples at the office – the subject that should not be discussed…why?!
    Oh well 2014 is just around the corner, company reorg will be on the cards.
    Keeping the faith.& enjoying the momentum.
     
    Daisy

  8. Thomas Widmann
    Ignored
    says:

    Just wondering — will the money people have paid WoS outwith Indiegogo count towards the £29,796 goal when they decide whether to charge you 4% or 9%?

  9. uilleam_beag
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Morag
    [Smirk]  If my sums are right, I think I just putted the ball over the line.
    If I read that right, did you just pop 876-plus virtually-crisp digital notes into the cyber coffee tin? If you did, kudos!

  10. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    No, I didn’t.  Your sums are off.

    Also, you can see what has been contributed in the past few hours by visiting the Indiegogo page.

  11. uilleam_beag
    Ignored
    says:

    Haha. I thought it seemed a bit over-dramatic – not so much putting the ball over the line as firing it clear through the back of the net! You get the kudos anyhow, regardless how monstrous/middling the contribution  😉
    Rev Stu, congratulations on an outstanding fundraising campaign. I just fired you another wee bit; I actually got Indiegogo to work this time.

  12. FreddieThreepwood
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry @ Morag and others – I’m clearly looking at another site … I know the Rev is getting donations other than through indiewhatsit but the total is still showing as thousands of pounds short. Even up at the top of this page it says we’re still a few hundred quid short.
    Where are you lot reading all this ‘over the line’ info? 

  13. MajorBloodnok
    Ignored
    says:

    Another contribution from me.  If Morag put the ball through the back of the net then that’s me running about with my arms out and my jersey pulled up over my face (beats working).

  14. Cauld tattie
    Ignored
    says:

    Congratulations Stu, and well done to all the troops. 😀

  15. MajorBloodnok
    Ignored
    says:

    @cauld tattie
     
    By the way, received my Cybernat mug last week.  Very pleased with it and I’m drinking some tea from it as I type.  And it even has my name on it.  Cheers MB

  16. Gizzit
    Ignored
    says:

    @Freddie Threepwood – I think that there is a smidgeon over £25,000 at indigogo, and I believe I saw that there was £5,000+ in “elsewhere” donations.  Presumably RevStu will funnel that other cash into indigogo or at least enough of it to bring the site’s take down to 4%.
     
     

  17. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    Freddie said:
    Sorry @ Morag and others – I’m clearly looking at another site … I know the Rev is getting donations other than through indiewhatsit but the total is still showing as thousands of pounds short. Even up at the top of this page it says we’re still a few hundred quid short.

    Where are you lot reading all this ‘over the line’ info?
     
    The sums are in the later comments on the “final countdown” post.  RevStu has just over £5,000 in off-system donations from people who couldn’t get Indiegogo to play nice.  No point in putting these through Indiegogo unless necessary, as there will have been some PayPal or other commission on these anyway, but worth it to get the Indiegogo total past the goal and get their commission down from 9% to 4%.  I gather Rev Stu is going to put however much of that is required into the Indiegogo total just before the deadline to make sure the commission payments are minimised.

    Knowing how much was there in off-system donations, it was easy to see when the Indiegogo total plus the off-system figure was approaching the overall total needed.  I noticed the shortfall was less than what I intended to contribute anyway, about quarter to ten this morning, so rather than wait till evening I just did it.

  18. Laura
    Ignored
    says:

    Indigogo still won’t accept my postcode, so I’ve had to go through your ‘donate’ button again

  19. Cauld tattie
    Ignored
    says:

    @Majorbloodknock
    Thanks to you and all those who bought the Cybernat Invasion mugs raised a wee bit money for the appeal.
    (you never know they might become a collectors item in a few years 😉

  20. Horacesaysyes
    Ignored
    says:

    I’ve only recently discovered this site, and indeed only very recently decided to try and take a more active role in helping out the Yes campaign, but assuming I have been able to navigate Indigogo correctly my donation should be on its way now.

  21. Jeannie
    Ignored
    says:

    @Horacesaysyes
     
    And a warm welcome to you, Horace 🙂

  22. FreddieThreepwood
    Ignored
    says:

    Thanks Morag. Good grief – people still commenting on posts several days old! I suppose I still have an old newspaper attitude to these things – yesterday’s news is for wrapping chips, no matter how interesting it was.
    Online news – new trick.
    Freddie – old dog.

  23. ronald alexander mcdonald
    Ignored
    says:

    Many congrats  Stu.
    Did anyone notice the tweet from Michael Meacher Labour MP, SLAB should follow the SNP no evictions  bedroom tax. Much the same time as Jackie Baillie tweeting more crap criticising the SNP over it. Christ, you couldn’t make it up!
    As someone here said tory/Labour aren’t the opposition, it’s the MSM.
     
     

  24. MajorBloodnok
    Ignored
    says:

    Rev – looking at the list of articles you are posting…. did you ever think of getting these published as a collecetion of essays in a book?  I’ve got “Unstated: Writers on Scottish Independence” published by Word Power Books in Edinburgh (based near the Pear Tree Pub), and your essays could easily stand up well against most of them.

  25. muttley79
    Ignored
    says:

    @ronald
     
    Michael Meacher is a good man.  If I was living down south I would want to be represented by someone like him.

  26. Tris
    Ignored
    says:

    Great news that the amount has been raised. In such a short time too.
     
    Congratulations Rev Stu and thanks to all fellow contributors for making this happen.
     
     

  27. lumilumi
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh, the Alex Salmond – dictator bingo is one of my favourites! I’ve actually used it with friends! 😀
     
    Actually the dictator bingo was the thing that first brought me to WoS, following a link from another pro-indy site.
     
    I discovered a site that’s informed but also fun. Hmm. Maybe I’ll donate a bit more, in the name of one of the dictators… 😉

  28. ronald alexander mcdonald
    Ignored
    says:

    muttley 79
    Agree. He’s exposed the hypocracy of SLAB.

  29. MajorBloodnok
    Ignored
    says:

    Not just a tweet, Michael Meacher blogged an article about it as well:
    http://www.michaelmeacher.info/weblog/2013/03/employment-rights-remain-under-continuous-attack/
     
    (Perhaps the tweet links to this, in which case apologies for repeating).

  30. Jeannie
    Ignored
    says:

    Interesting info on Scot goes Pop –
    You Gov Poll commissioned by SNP:  majority of Scots in favour of all Scottish Government having control of all tax and spending decisions including oil and gas, all welfare and pensions and all representation of Scottish interests.

  31. Albalha
    Ignored
    says:

    Came across this YES campaign article from August last year, interesting to me anyway as I hadn’t seen it before.
    How many Scots would vote to join the Union if Scotland was still independent?
    http://www.yesscotland.net/how_many_scots
     
     

  32. lumilumi
    Ignored
    says:

    OK, I chickened out :-(, I didn’t make a donation in the name of one of the dictators on the Alex Salmond – dictator bingo because all of them seemed… well, so horrible, power-crazed and far removed from Alex Salmond.
     
    I threw a tenner in the name of Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (UKK), the President of Finland 1956-1982. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urho_Kekkonen 
     
    The clue is in the years. This guy was President for fucking 26 years! From when my father was a teenager to when I was a teenager! The last two terms were a bit dodgy, nearly all parties supporting him, in a democracy where regularly 6-10 parties are represented in Parliament and the government is usually a coalition of 3-5 parties. UKK’s first two terms were OK, he skillfully negotiated our neutral way between NATO and Warsaw Pact countries, but he bacame increasingly power-crazed in domestic politics and consolidated a dogma in foreign politics. The West-Germans started calling it “Finlandisierung” (not in a nice way). I’m of a generation that as a kid thought the word President was synonymous with Kekkonen. I was a teenager when he finallly resigned (ill healt, he was 82) and we elected a new president, what a breath of fresh air!
     
    Since Kekkonen, the Finnish constitution has been changed. Presidents are chosen directly by people (instead of an electoral college, as is still done in the US) and presidential terms are limited to two. The President’s powers have also been curtailed, so now our President is pretty much a figurehead of state with similar powers to constitutional monarchs. The de facto head of state is the Prime Minister, usually the leader of the largest party in Parliament.
     
    Urho Kekkonen is still a bit of a legendary figure in Finland, though. He was a very colourful and controversial figure in his time. Well known for his sporting achievemets (he was a national champion in high jump before entering politics, and a keen cross-country skier all his life – took ministers skiing to tire them out before negotiations amids domestic political squabbles… That was when the President still had quite a lot of power in domestic politics.) Nowadays the young, global i-generation view him almost as a fairytale figure, like Che Guevara. T-shirs and posters… UKK lends himself to that, he had a distinctive look with a bald head and big glasses 😀

  33. Doganon
    Ignored
    says:

    Done my bung – enhanced thanks to the generosity of friends and relatives – here’s to Wings Over Scotland… Back to lurk mode.

  34. callum
    Ignored
    says:

    I hope that others will pop another donation through before the deadline in the early hours of Tuesday morning – just to make it very clear that a grass roots journalism campaign can really work – it’s a powerful statement.

    if there’s a YES vote, then this blog (and NNS, BC etc) will have played a massive part in that.

  35. Jeannie
    Ignored
    says:

    @lumilumi
    You said Kekkonen was President till he was 82, was known for his sporting achievements and became increasingly power-crazed.  No wonder Menzies Campbell still thinks he’s in with a chance!

  36. lumilumi
    Ignored
    says:

    @Jeannie
    😀 😀
     
    Are you advocating Ming as President of the Republic of Scotland? 😀

  37. Jeannie
    Ignored
    says:

    @lumilumi
    Are you advocating Ming as President of the Republic of Scotland?
     
    God, no, President of Pluto would still be too near for me.
     
     

  38. Matt
    Ignored
    says:

    lumilumi,

    UKK OK?

  39. lumilumi
    Ignored
    says:

    @Matt
    😀
    How do you pronounce that? You-cockK-ock? [confused smiley here]
     
    Anyway, in Finnish, it’s pronounced oo-kaw-kaw. His nickname was Urkki, which also happened to be a name of a mag on the top shelves.

  40. Jeannie
    Ignored
    says:

    @lumilumi

    Anyway, in Finnish, it’s pronounced oo-kaw-kaw. His nickname was Urkki, which also happened to be a name of a mag on the top shelves.
     
    There’s a joke there somewhere.
     
     
     

  41. Jeannie
    Ignored
    says:

    Tom Bradby, reporting on ITV News, on a piece to do with hammering immigrants, stated that David Cameron wanted to end the “something for nothing culture”.  It would be great if someone were able to put together clips of Cameron and Johann Lamont, saying this phrase turn-about.

  42. Albalha
    Ignored
    says:

    @jeannie
     
    Yes R4 6pm News quoted it as well, had the same thought as you a loop of Lamont/Cameron/Lamont/Cameron set to a hip hop/rap beat perhaps.

  43. uilleam_beag
    Ignored
    says:

    @Doganon
    I think that as a “hero” you’re officially entitled to do more than just lurk.
     
    Come on in and join the banter!

  44. Chic McGregor
    Ignored
    says:

    Oops, didn’t think to look in here.  Well done all concerned.
     
    Re my latest donation not getting through on indiegogo on which I pm’d to you Stuart, from what folk are saying here it will make more sense to pay it through the general donate button anyway.  Hope it will still count towards my perk total.
     

  45. kininvie
    Ignored
    says:

    There’s a final wee contribution gone in…It would be good to see the Indy-go-go total reached without Stuart having to use the ‘extra’.

  46. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    Including the off-system donations Stu intimated yesterday, the overall total isn’t far off £32,000.  Considering there have been some more off-system donations today, I reckon it’s there already.

  47. Jeannie
    Ignored
    says:

    @albalha
     
    I agree, it would be very watchable.  Right, we’ve had the idea – is there anybody out there who knows how to do it?

  48. Albalha
    Ignored
    says:

    @jeannie
     
    I reckon the person who put together the Top 10 Unionist Myths, someone Foster I think? Maybe someone here knows, I reckon it could go moderately viral. 

  49. WallaceBruce
    Ignored
    says:

    Donated a fiver at the start of the campaign and hoped it would succeed.  Another fiver just to make sure it gets over the line.  Gladdens the heart to see a lot of people getting together make something worthwhile work!

  50. Marcia
    Ignored
    says:

    Brother has sent in another £23 on my behalf.

  51. Jeannie
    Ignored
    says:

    @albalha
     
    It would definitely go viral if they tried to ban it on copyright grounds 🙂

  52. Albalha
    Ignored
    says:

    @jeannie
    Indeed, though clear cut speech audio, they’ve no chance of copyright bollocks claims.

  53. Jeannie
    Ignored
    says:

    @albalha
     
    In fact, we should make sure that we DO breach copyright in it to make sure they try to have it banned, thus guaranteeing its success.

  54. douglas clark
    Ignored
    says:

    Just to say, I love the lot of you! I have been a bit strapped for cash since the New Year, but what you have done is an amazing feat.
    (Bloody Lottery didn’t come up and my trivial donation is drowned in a sea of generosity.)
     
    I really do think that this is the best pro-independence site around. Thank you for ensuring it will be here up and until 18th September 2014 and for a good while after that!

  55. Dave Smith
    Ignored
    says:

    Another tenner in the pot, Stu. Hope you reach target!

  56. CameronB
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Re. Stuart Campbell
    You are going to tell us when you reach the target? 🙂

  57. lumilumi
    Ignored
    says:

    Hey, the last I looked, the indiegogo total was £26,787, and counting… But AFAIK, Rev’s got around £5,000 non-indiegogo donations (though I’m sure he’s spent some of it, on this shiny new server etc.), so right before the deadline he can make the difference between 4% or 9% commission!
     
    Well done, all of you!
    WE DID IT!

  58. lumilumi
    Ignored
    says:

    Just had another look at the indiegogo site, it’s now up to £26,807 + un-indiegogo donations to the tune of £5,000! So we’re home and dry!
     
    It was nice to see that there were ever more donators at the indiegogo site. £1 or £2 or £6, whatever. Every little bit helps. We can all get a nice, warm feeling about it. WE made it happen. We’ll have WoS, new and improved, for another year!
     
    Thank you to all who donated. And thank you all, who weren’t able to donate at this time but spread the word, shared the links!

  59. Appleby
    Ignored
    says:

    Mind it wouldn’t go wrong if more went on the indiegogo site… We want to avoid the punative rate for their cut and the paypal costs if Rev is forced to add in off-site, etc.
     
    At least we know at this stage that Rev Stu doesn’t need to close up shop in humiliation as he mentioned at the beginning if the pot was left empty to closing and no one seemed to care!

  60. Appleby
    Ignored
    says:

    Kicked in a couple of quid again. So close to the goal on the indiegogo site! Just another push on that green bar. 😉

  61. Chic McGregor
    Ignored
    says:

    @Jeannie & Lumilumi
     
    Surely it would be Emperor Ming (the merciless)?
    It’ll never happen.  In fact now I come to think of it there is an inordinate number of LibDems who would be on the top ten list of those who would have zero chance of ever being in charge of a free Scotland.
    Douglas Alexander
    Tavish Scott
    Malcolm Bruce
    Jim Wallace
    Ming Campbell
     
    David Steel and Charlie Kennedy Us though they are, would have had a chance in their day, so they don’t get on the list.
     

  62. Doug
    Ignored
    says:

    Chic. I assume you meant Danny? However, Doug A is in that same sinking boat…

  63. Ron
    Ignored
    says:

    Donated at the beginning. Delighted that you’ve exceeded the target. Here’s another ten donated on behalf of panda paws. You’re doing a great job, Rev Stu and I’m convinced that this site will have made a significant contribution to the eventual success of the Indy Campaign!

  64. Ron
    Ignored
    says:

    Just been watching Eve Muirhead on Scotland tonight. What an inspiration for Scottish women she is! Her determination and dedication are what it’s all about. Now watching Women for Independence on Newsnicht. Cannot really understand why women are so reluctant to stand up for the Independence ideal. Come on, you girls, we’ve all to work together for a better future for our own country!

  65. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    Honestly, right now I’m reconsidering my support for the Suffragettes….

  66. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    Is RevStu going to stay up all night posting a new link to an old classic every hour on the hour?

    You know, I rather think he is.  Unless there’s some way he has it automated, I suppose.

  67. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    You know what?  I think the total has gone up by about £3,700 since nine o’clock this morning.  Isn’t that fantastic?  😀

  68. Jeannie
    Ignored
    says:

    @Morag
    It IS fantastic!  And I’ve lost a day of my life feverishly watching it change.  I don’t grudge a second though and I don’t grudge a penny.  It’s been more than worth it.

  69. Ron
    Ignored
    says:

    Morag, I believe they tried to tell Emmeline that – ‘It won’t make any difference’ ?

  70. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    Some say it was the Great War that made the difference, I suppose….

  71. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    Well, RevStu will be able to pay his rent, and keep himself supplied with pasta shells and maybe put a new candle on the desk now.

    He might be able to commission the occasional professional article, though whether he needs to with the likes of Scott around here may be debatable.

    But this is just a resource.  People who come here are already converted to Yes, or else they’re here to troll.  Mostly, anyway.  What we do with this is take the information and get out there and make people aware of it.

  72. FreddieThreepwood
    Ignored
    says:

    Can’t remember the name of that wee guy with the jug ears who does Newsnicht on a Monday when Brewer’s recovering from his weekend on the batter but I don’t think he’s been keeping up with the editorial memos. I’m not saying he doesn’t come away with the occasional bit of bitter bollocks but he’s got a dreadful habit of allowing pro indy studio guests to finish their answers. It’s an outrage. Someone should tell Ian Davidson …

  73. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    I think that’s RevStu just put in some of the off-system donations to make up the total.

    Take a look, it’s great!  And by my reckoning there’s another £2,600 or thereabouts still in the off-system kitty.

  74. Jeannie
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done Wings readers and well done Rev Stu. – a fantastic result and well-deserved.   It’s been a great day watching it all come together. Time to get into my babygro now.  Night all 🙂

  75. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    Goodnight.  We all done something good here.

    I felt, when RevStu started this, that if we could do it, we could win the referendum.  I felt we could, just as I feel we’re going to win next year.

    And Tellen1 can put that in his salaried Unionist pipe and smoke it.

  76. Doganon
    Ignored
    says:

    Just seen £30,073! Yay!

    ***does wee dance around the living room floor***

    Bravo all!

  77. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    I suspect the real total is getting on for £33,000.  Not much less, anyway.

    No doubt RevStu will tell us in the morning.

  78. Adrian B
    Ignored
    says:

    Marvelous result. Well done Rev Stu and everyone involved. I’m off to get some sleep.

  79. Oldnat
    Ignored
    says:

    OK Rev Stu is now funded. So what about some contributions to Yes Scotland and/or any of the pro-independence parties?
    Wouldn’t that be a good idea?

  80. Weedeochandorris
    Ignored
    says:

    Rev Stu was unsuccesful with my donation this time but will fix that for the future.  I wish you all the best and thank you for this lifeline that helps keep our aspirations afloat.

  81. Jammach
    Ignored
    says:

    Just woken up to the good news. 🙂
    ‘You can’t stop the signal, Mal. Everything goes somewhere, and I go everywhere.”
    Very. Chuffed.

  82. Appleby
    Ignored
    says:

    Thank goodness for that! We did it. 😀 I assume the last minute mega donation was the off-site addition to the kitty?
     
    Seems that the fundraiser beat Rev Stu’s hopes by good chunk then!

  83. Stevie Cosmic
    Ignored
    says:

    Congratulations to WoS. Very glad you reached your goal.

  84. uilleam_beag
    Ignored
    says:

    Aye, good effort one and all.
     
    Congrats to Rev Stu and the site’s contributors for pulling off this no mean feat, and thanks for all the hard work that goes into making this such a great site.
     
    My gratitude also goes out to all those who chipped in, cajouled others to dig deep and promoted WoS on Facebook, Twitter and everything else.
     
    As Oldnat said, now we need to start directing those self same energies towards securing a Yes vote.
     
    Aye fer Alba!

  85. Chic McGregor
    Ignored
    says:

    @Doug
    I did mean Danny Doug.  (bit redolent of Red Dwarf there)



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