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Against all the odds

Posted on September 29, 2018 by

Politics in 2018 is almost impossible to satirise, and nowhere more so than in Scotland, where at least two of the main parties are currently campaigning on the principled policy of “any referendum we lose should be re-run, and any we win must never ever be held again because the decision was final”.

So it’s quite understandable that the Dateline 2018 team – Scotland’s only currently operating satirists of any kind (which is, madly, true) – opted not to bother with any Scottish content in their last series. But they’ve totally promised that they’ll absolutely definitely do some this time, honest, if you fund them for another one.

Yeah, we’d be sceptical too. But they only need £7,500 by tomorrow to carry on, and if they don’t reach the target you get your money back, so if you just got paid and can spare a couple of quid then fire it their way by clicking on the pic, because frankly we don’t like to think about what they’d get up to if we don’t keep them occupied.

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  1. 29 09 18 12:55

    Against all the odds | speymouth

48 to “Against all the odds”

  1. David McCann says:

    My donation ia Winging its way!

    Reply
  2. vlad (not that one) says:

    Done.

    Reply
  3. call me dave says:

    Can’t have them working from that car can I.

    Pension yesterday so they got a few quid. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Clootie says:

    Donation made!

    Reply
  5. Proud Cybernat says:

    Money in the tin. Go on lads – dae yer stuff!

    Reply
  6. Derek Rogers says:

    We need satire to nail the MSM – Wings is acerbic, but angry rather than LOL. So yes, sent dosh to Jack and James.

    Reply
  7. Capella says:

    I’ve chipped in a couple of times. It is vital to support such talented satirists. It must be hard to satirise the sheer stupidity of mainstream culture at the moment. So good luck for reaching the goal today.

    I’ve been watching Ken Burns’ “The Vietnam War” on Netflix the past week or two (ten parts each about 2 hrs long). For anyone who recalls the period, I do recommend it. All of our yesterdays with soundtrack. And even if you didn’t live through it – worth watching.

    The French colonised Indochina for a hundred years and used mandarins to administer their colony i.e locals who collaborated for the money and status. Remind you of anyone?
    Rubber and tin were the coveted resources.

    After WWII the British insisted the French regain their colony and employed the Japanese to keep the natives in order. They partitioned Vietnam into North and South – how original. But the French still couldn’t hold on to it so the Americans moved in to stem the Red tide.

    A link from Grousebeater’s blog leads to Random Scottish History and Donald McLeod’s “Gloomy Memories” 1892. He records the Sutherland Clearances and other atrocities of the British Government, their mendacity and wiliness, greed and deceit.

    Sheep then, oil and gas now.

    These predators are the same the world over and throughout history. So we need satire to lighten the mood!

    link to randomscottishhistory.com

    Reply
  8. mumsyhugs says:

    Currently sitting at £6,115 with 16 hours left to go to reach their £12,000 target.

    Reply
  9. Fixitfox says:

    These guys are a welcome ray of sunshine breaking through the Brexit Shambles gloom. Cash on its way.

    Reply
  10. Proud Cybernat says:

    “…at least two of the main parties are currently campaigning on the principled policy of “any referendum we lose should be re-run, and any we win must never ever be held again because the decision was final.”

    Which might have been a politically astute (if not morally so) in 2017 snap GE. Not now. The sands have shifted. As more and more eyes are opened to the coming Brexshit horror show and look around themselves desperately seeking a way out, any political party advancing a manifesto position that will effectively entrap them in their Brexshit predicament will be told to GTF in very short order.

    Make sure you get to the Post Office early to get your 21st century style Government Food Ration Book.

    Nah. Simply not having that shit. Not here in the 21st century when it simply does not have to be like this, when there is a perfectly simple way to keep food on the table pretty much as it is just now. Indy Scotland in EU.

    UK Gov can totally ram their Ration Books and GTF.

    Reply
  11. Doug says:

    Just donated. Worked out that the series 2 was about the same length as a fringe show. And I laughed more with the Dateline guys – the final episode was fantastic. So only fair I donate the same as a fringe show ticket.

    Reply
  12. Bill Hume says:

    Done.

    Reply
  13. Fran says:

    Money in, the team are worth every penny

    Reply
  14. ronnie anderson says:

    O/T.
    link to facebook.com

    Reply
  15. Petra says:

    C’mon folks, dig in and donate a fiver (or more) if you can. They say that over 300,000 people visit this site. If that’s the case we can easily get this over the line. We need them, the Dateline team, now and of course even more so when we get our own SBC.

    Reply
  16. One_Scot says:

    To be honest I’m a fairly reasonable minded guy, but you know what really annoys me, and to be fair it happens quite a lot.

    It’s people who use this site constantly, day in day out for whatever reason, whether it’s to make a valid point, or whether it is to be over critical of others, or purely to just to troll the site or other people, but yet when they’re asked to put their hand in their pocket, they go into hiding.

    Let’s face it, you know who you are.

    Reply
  17. Glamaig says:

    Donated, for the second time. I like these guys! If only they could replace Jackie Bird I’d be rushing home every night for 6:30 😀

    Think what our media could be if there was a damn good clear-out!

    Reply
  18. One_Scot says:

    Just Donated.

    Still cant see you! 🙂

    Reply
  19. Capella says:

    Only 10 hrs to go and £4,500 needed to meet the goal. Let’s get it over the line.

    Reply
  20. Petra says:

    We know who they are right enough One_Scot. Full of talk (on here) and no action. All done a runner by the looks of it. Many people are struggling financially but on the other hand many ain’t. We’ve not got long to go now and we have to keep all KEY Independence supporters on board; afloat, imo. Sometimes I just despair at the commitment of some when compared to those who were willing to give their lives for our Independence.

    Reply
  21. One_Scot says:

    Bang on the money Petra, I would give the shirt off my back for Scotland and my children to live in an Independent country, and believe me I do not have a lot to give, but I would give all I had if need be, and believe me, I mean all.

    Clearly it seems others wouldn’t.

    Reply
  22. smithie says:

    One_Scot @ 9,24pm

    I agree mostly with what you say but from my point of view i look at where my donation will get the most bang for my buck and sorry to say these guys are not near top of my list.

    If i am correct the money is for another 6 shows and a one off special?….ok fine but where will they be shown? who will be the audience?.

    Back in years i found them funny and a breath of fresh air but having watched the last 2? that they have produced..though well produced and slick i was left non plussed….to be harsh a bit cringey, sorry guys if you are reading this no offence meant and i wish you well but my money will go towards other projects that i think are better suited to getting our message out there.

    So One_Scot although i agree with you in general i just thought i would stick my head up ower the wa’ and put my tuppence in.

    Reply
  23. One_Scot says:

    smithie, well said, and you are not wrong in what you say.

    The point I am making is, whenever regular posters to this site are asked to help out any cause for Independence, no matter what that cause is, many of them quickly look the other way, and let others take the burden.

    As far as I am concerned, too many Yes supporters are prepared to talk the talk and not walk the walk, and they need to be called out for that.

    Reply
  24. smithie says:

    Yes One_Scot i hear you, if one million Yes voters were to only give just £1 per project and do that ten times for a total outlay of a tenner per head just think what can be done with that amount….billboards etc.

    Reply
  25. Welsh Sion says:

    O/T

    Another pro-Ruthie puff piece in today’s Gr-yawn-iad. No mention of ‘dark money’ – just another mum-to-be eulogy. Not re-produced here. What would be the point?

    Reply
  26. mogabee says:

    Sooner this is funded the better.

    In the great scheme of things what they do is poke a finger at the absurdness of politics and christ we need a little light relief occasionally…

    Reply
  27. smithie says:

    Was just wondering…. is this the least commented on page ever on WOS? whether that say’s something?

    Reply
  28. yesindyref2 says:

    B*ll*cks, I’ll get pelters for this but hey, what’s new.

    Right, 3 minutes in and we still have Trump, who gives a feck? What does that have to do with Independence? Stick him in at 25 minutes for 30 seconds or a minute, fine, but it lost me at about 2 minutes, he’s his own satire on the news anyway, the only reason I’m saying 3 is I went back to look do this posting.

    Start with Mundell, May, Davidson, Murdo, Barnier, something relevant.

    There could be a Ref announced within a month or 6 weeks, and we get Trump? Money’s short, there’s crowdfunders all over the place, Rev, the Indy Kits for YES, Salmond, across to Edinburgh for the march, money’s short and if I had a fiver spare it would go on a sausage supper between me and the wife, and a can of coke each.

    There; I’ve said it. Try again, and come up with a relevant one that does something for Indy.

    Reply
  29. yesindyref2 says:

    “… and a can of coke each”

    … rather than a fundraiser for Trump.”

    I’ll make sacrifices, same as others do, but for INDEPENDENCE.

    Reply
  30. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    And why isn’t Cactus giving us updates on his nocturnal wanderings?

    Something is afoot or amiss…

    Reply
  31. smithie says:

    Brian i think indyref2 has morphed into that lol

    Reply
  32. Irma says:

    Comments on here say that if I read this blog I should be ashamed that I don’t contribute to every fundraiser. I pitch in once a year to help Stu, the rest of the time try to manage on pension credit and housing benefit. If I’m not welcome here because I don’t have money, and am shamed because of it, then I will go away. Thanks for a great start to a Sunday.

    Reply
  33. winifred mccartney says:

    I’m so sorry Irma that you have felt like that and am ashamed of anyone who would do that. There is one thing we know for sure and that is that everyones’ circumstances are different and their business and wether or not we contribute to something is entirely up to the individual in whatever circumstances they find themselves. No one should contribute to anything which means they or those close to them lose out.Very few of us could contribute to everything we would wish to.

    Reply
  34. Irma says:

    Winifred, you’re lovely. :o)

    Reply
  35. Dorothy Devine says:

    Irma , there are so many fundraisers and good causes that it would be impossible to support them all. We all have to make choices about where our limited funds are best used so worry not – you are not alone and your welcome is up to the Rev Stu and no-one else.

    Just remember the rules and the thingys you are not allowed to do as he is poised with hammers ready to abbreviate any and everyone not complying.

    That said I STILL have no promised badge – I am whingeing!

    Reply
  36. Illy says:

    “But they’ve totally promised that they’ll absolutely definitely do some this time, honest, if you fund them for another one.”

    I smiled at this.

    Reply
  37. stu mac says:

    One_Scot says: “I’m a better Indy supporter than you lot who won’t give your money to everything.”

    Or words to that effect. If you were a unionist troll you might have used the same words to deliberately put folk off supporting anything.

    Here are actual words
    “The point I am making is, whenever regular posters to this site are asked to help out any cause for Independence, no matter what that cause is, many of them quickly look the other way, and let others take the burden.”

    That is an evidence free statement. No more than a handful of folk say at any time they won’t support something and that’s their privilege – some can’t afford to. Many support who say nothing about it and many support who never even bother to post here. (I know this is true because many of these causes get a big boost after being mentioned here). But I may be wrong because I can’t tell what everyone here thinks any more than you can!M/i>

    Reply
  38. Shinty says:

    @ Irma,

    I’m a long time ‘winger’ and have supported many pro-indy crowdfunders. However, I don’t mind admitting that I won’t be on this occasion, no matter how talented these guys are.

    There was a list not so long ago of pro-indy sites needing help – it was a long list and I would loved to have supported all of them. Unfortunately, all I could do was choose my favourite three.

    No-one is obligated to give away their hard earned cash and Rev. Stu would be the first to tell you that.

    Reply
  39. Lenny Hartley says:

    Was out yesterday so only seen this this morning. Went to chip in but they have reached target.
    So as it would appear that donations have accelerated substantially since this artle went on wos i wonder if those who were so vocal yesterday about people not being proper yessers unless thry donated would issue an apology?

    Reply
  40. HandandShrimp says:

    Not entirely sure why a couple of people are bitching. The fundraiser was met as is so often the case here on Wings.

    Reply
  41. Jackie Bird says:

    Some interesting criticisms re Dateline’s targets for satire, but you know who else doesn’t think Scottish media should be talking about Donald Trump, Brexit etc? BBC Scotland, the Scottish political commentariat, the Tories…

    We’ve become conditioned to see ourselves as a region, and so all our news, commentary, even satire shouldn’t veer beyond that regional status. If Scotland is to become an independent country, we need to look out, not in.

    Obviously, Dateline isn’t really a campaign video for independence, but if you DON’T think Donald Trump is part of why we need to be independent, you ain’t paying attention.

    Reply
  42. yesindyref2 says:

    When I posted at 3.30 in the morning, the fundraiser was a few pounds short of £8,000 – 66%. So I guess either there was an early morning rush or a big donor.

    By big I mean the amount not that they’re big, you never know they could be really small – or big of course, they could even be a giant among humankind, but big in their donation, who knows?

    Reply
  43. yesindyref2 says:

    @Jackie Bird
    I’m talking about using scarce funds for where it can make the most difference to get Independence. Trump ain’t it, nor is saving the penguins, or sending a probe to Alpha Centauri.

    Reply
  44. yesindyref2 says:

    @Jackie Bird
    Sorry, I didn’t make the point that that’s how I see it persoinally, and that I was suggesting that perhaps the low level of response was because others saw it similarly.

    Different people have different priorities, as far as I’m concerned if Trump reduces international tension and helps prevent the nuclear destruction of planet Earth which would become a glowing radioactive wasteland for thouands of years perhaps without any atmostphere at all, that’s the most important thing he can do.

    Reply
  45. Meg merrilees says:

    YesIndyref2

    They did it!

    How did it rise so quickly?

    I had a look back at the list of backers.
    There was an individual donation of £2,000 and two separate donations of £1,000 each SO a fantastic thank you to those generous people who know themselves what they have done.

    Another step on the way to Independence.

    Early this morning, I saw the brave folk who are walking 500 miles for Indy.
    Made me fair emotional to shake their hands and thank them for what they are doing.

    There are some amazing people out there – it might not seem like a huge contribution to put in a tenner or fiver but to everyone that does, you are adding a brick to the road that is leading to freedom. Well done all.

    Reply
  46. yesindyref2 says:

    @Meg merrilees
    Thanks, I did look this afternoon but for some reason clicking on backers or updates gives me nothing – I presumed because it was closed. Good to see it continue anyway.

    Reply
  47. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Hi yesindyref2 at 6:05 pm.

    You typed,
    “Thanks, I did look this afternoon but for some reason clicking on backers or updates gives me nothing – I presumed because it was closed. Good to see it continue anyway.”

    I found that when I clicked on “Backers”, it took ages to get the list. I’d actually gone to another tab, then checked back around 5 minutes later to find the list displayed.

    The last two backers were…

    Anonymous
    14 hours ago
    £1,000 GBP

    James Devoy
    14 hours ago
    £1,000 GBP

    The courage of conviction, iye?

    8=)

    Reply
  48. yesindyref2 says:

    @BDTT
    I did wonder if Cactus was round and about at that time after a big win …

    Reply


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