Tuesday 23 July 2013

YOU COULDN'T MAKE THIS LOT UP

Yesterday the No campaign launched their latest effort to reach voters.

"Blether Together" is apparently a 'state of the art' telephone canvassing tool. They claim it will allow them to take their "positive message" to undecided voters.

Their positive message? Do they think that if they say it over and over people are stupid enough to believe that it is positive, even though it is mind blowingly negative?

I don't know how this campaign will go down. I'm not keen on unsolicited telephone calls made at a time convenient to the caller, but not necessarily to me. I might be eating, or showering or sleeping when it’s convenient for them to call. So I am registered with TPS. If they call me they will be breaking the law. Maybe other people don't mind this sort of thing.


However, I will happily engage with them and ask them to explain why we are better with the bedroom tax, Trident and Atos; why it is better for Scots to have their laws decided by English Tories; why we would want as an exporting nation being dragged out of Europe by Ukip-following English voters. I'd also like to know if they are aware just how far behind Western Europe we are, and I don't mean the hour difference.

You do have to wonder, given the definition of the world “blether” (to engage in foolish, idle or irrelevant talk), why they would have chosen to use the word in their campaign. But then, what would you expect from people who choose to use the slogan, Ukok...?

41 comments:

  1. Oh FFS! Don't you just love that video ROFLMAO :-)

    In a weird sort of way, yes Tris I know I AM weird, I'm kinda hoping they call me. I'm thinking that I might play the doddering, YES yes I know I AM doddering, old fool and go down the "why should I vote for Alex Salmond" road. THAT would be for starters, then once they've explained that I'm not voting for dear old Alex, they WILL explain this to me won't they?, I'll alter tack and start asking THEM why we're Better Together.

    As you have listed above there are more than a few trigger points to get them explaining why we're better off in the union.

    On second thoughts, if they catch me at an inopportune moment, say sleeping, having breakfast, having lunch, having tea, going to the loo, having a cuppa, having a coffee, having a lie down, watching T.V., spreading my highly "intellectual" thoughts across the ether that is the web, then I might, just might tell them what I REALLY think about them. lol:-)

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    1. Eeeeek.

      Just imagine that poor wee student laddie getting your ire if you'd just made coffee.....

      I think a wee blether with them would be fun. I'd love to string them along and get them to explain stuff to me, then hit them with some hard questions.

      We could ask them to give us cast iron guarantees. If we vote to stay will they get rid of Atos, will they ditch the bedroom tax, will they allow us to stay in the EU when the English have come out, will they guarantee that posh folk will pay their tax, will they guarantee that privatised health, education, water and air will never come here?

      The when they say they can't do that, we can say...well, an independent Scotland can, so I think you've just talked me into voting YES.

      Thanks for your time. Have a nice day.

      Oh and I'll be reporting you for calling me... ukok!

      Delete
    2. I forgot to add to my original post that I was wondering how the Scottish Information Commissioner will view the idea of Better Together giving out folks names,addresses and telephone numbers to a multitude of unlicensed individuals. Mind you when I come to think about it he didn't do anything about Better Together gathering folks private details BEFORE they were registered did he?

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  2. "Online canvassing tools" pretty much sums up Better Together to me!

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  3. I remember my dear old granny could recite the Bible backwards. She LOVED when Mormons would knock on her door.
    They would be invited in for a cuppa, and after having all their quotes countered by another quote, would be seen staggering down the road many hours later with bleeding ears.

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    1. Aye Jutie... that sounds like the medicine.

      Do please phone, guys.

      This sounds like the daftest idea yet, never mind the muppet name.

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  4. Tris

    I am glad they decided cold calling is a good strategic approach because I don't know anyone who actually doesn't go mental when it happens to them. I hope they do call myself and esp when I am not busy, they will have a lot of questions to answer.

    Bruce

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    1. Yes, Bruce.

      I have never met anyone who likes cold calls. Junk Mail is a nuisance but at least it can be binned, or looked at afterwards. Cold calling disrupts you in the middle of something else and can't be ignored...It could be yer granny.

      I reckon the only people who like cold calls are people who are stuck in the house with no one to talk to.

      So I wonder who advises organisations to do cold calling...

      If the Yes Campaign is thinking about it, I advise them not to. I'm not saying it won't convert a few, but it will annoy more.

      Go on and give them a hard time.

      I wonder where they will get the volunteers...

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  5. Another point which puts the entirety of Better Together into the same category as bothersome PPI, conservatory or wine investment sales companies.

    Its a great idea, I assume since I got the text message from BT that I could be in line for a wee phone call, that possibly being so, I'll need to figure out how I can record telephone conversations on my mobile.

    Good potential for fun?

    ;-)

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  6. Oh brilliant.

    The put it up of the blog and Tweet it (now that you are so modern) and we can all enjoy.

    I wonder if wee dugs will come into the conversation.

    But they should hurry. When the oil runs out in 2017 (as it will if Catn Darling is to be believed) the UK will probably no longer have mobile phone technology, or anything much else.

    Time is not on their side.

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  7. Bloody hell - Just when you think they cannot get more silly or desperate they come up with this. When I first saw it I honestly thought it was a spoof but apparently they think it will work. I hope they can understand my Gaelic or my lexicon of Anglo-Saxon.

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    1. Yes, they surpassed themselves this time... and then today Mr Darling tells us that the oil will run out in 2017!!

      Pffff

      I think you should give them a good mixture of your best anglo saxon and a bit of Gaelic for good measure.

      I'd love to be a fly on the wall!

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  8. Android app installed.

    All phone calls will now be recorded. (I get about 2 a week from actual people I know and possibly 2 or 3 a day from PPI/misc marketing people. Might be good for a laugh.)

    The Capt Darling thing is a hoot, he looked totally batty on that interview. And Brewer? You're a disgrace. (Although Fergus Ewing was a bit dithery, if that had been Sturgeon, Brewer would've been well put in his place.)

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    1. Heavens Pa...how trendy are you? Apps!!!!!

      Can't wait to hear your phone call, though ...(I mean the one with Blethers Together, not your two a week from people you know)

      I think Darling has lost the plot.

      And what's happened to Brown's Better Together Apart movement?

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  9. While you are arranging the Med cruise (that was the prize was it not)for guessing the weans name I'll go and pack my case
    George Alexander Louis

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    1. That sounds like a fair guess Fairfor.

      I think you might be a little out with the prize though, getting it mixed up with another competition.

      The prize I was offering (...did I not mention it?) was a romantic dinner for two with Johann Lamont or Wee Willie Rennie, depending on your taste, or lack thereof!

      Delete
  10. That is the name announced earlier I'm sure the FM will be pleased
    I think I'll pass on the prize (if I won it) since it's not a Med cruise Romance and the choice you have offered don't really go together
    I would find the choice too traumatic as one would be as awful as the other so if you don't mind let me know how much I will have to pay for you to forget the idea

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    1. Hi cynical
      A date with the chookie holds out much more appeal

      Delete
    2. Did you really have to do that? I was expecting to see another chookie no that burdie

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    3. Sooooorry Fairfor.

      Munguin will send you out a invoice separately, and if it's paid promptly, we'll forget about forcing you to go on a romantic weekend with Johann...

      .... Life is one big disappointment, even the hen was snatched away...

      Delete
    4. Oh I dont know fairfor, I've heard wee willie has a fair line in witty repartee and is quite the bon viveur


      I'll get ma coat

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    5. I'll help you on with it! :)

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  11. I know that Rory kid on that youtube clip.
    He was at my school, I remember him from my time in charge of the debating society.

    ...

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    1. Dean... if you see him will you tell him that Blether means "talk rubbish"...

      You'd really have thought they'd have sussed that. Not their finest hour!

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  12. I'm disappointed. I was hoping they'd call it quits! He may never become king of the UK, with or without Scotland, but he'll very likely become Duke of Cornwall. Let's hope he'll do a better job than the money-grabbing little twerp who's in the job at the moment.


    Tasgwynn

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    1. I'm really disappointed it's not Dwayne...

      I hope that by the time he gets anywhere near that Cornwall will be independent and he'll have to be the Duke of Walthamstow instead.

      Delete
    2. I had a fiver on troy,
      damn I'll never see that fiver again

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  13. My advice for anyone who gets one of these calls is first make sure your already registered for TPS www.tpsonline.org.uk/ takes 28 days to get on the register,
    and when you get your call , well have a wee blether together for, oh I dont know? an hour maybe? then when your bored with the pish let em have it and then (making sure your jotting down information ) such as the name of the person calling you, the telephone number your being called from ,the time the call started and ended and the nature of it, it is (in ofcoms view) perfectly acceptable to prolong the call to glean enough information for a successful prosecution, so after having told them where to go, you've protected several other poor souls (who may not be as politically astute as you) from the bile and lies of an empty argument and done your civic duty to the general public.

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    1. Brilliant... but I'd add that you should also (if you are, like Pa, totally modern and can download apps, record it.

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  14. tris said
    "I think a wee blether with them would be fun. I'd love to string them along and get them to explain stuff to me, then hit them with some hard questions."

    Good idea tris, have a note pad next ot the phone as an aid memoir with the most unassailable points they have no answer for,mccrone report, the theft of Scottish waters, trident, you know what I mean you might even get a convert in your little student caller you never know :)

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    1. Then share it with Munguin's Republic :)

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  15. If they phone, I'm going to agree with everything said, see how far fetched the claims become. I wouldn't challenge anything at all.

    Hopefully that young chap will phone, he's quite handsome...

    Did I say that out loud?

    Oh dear.

    ;-)

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    1. You'll get the old woman... bet you!

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    2. Ew err... no, not THAT old!

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  16. Tris, don't know if you've seen this yet but Newsnet have a piece on the extremely accurate reporting skills, OK I lied there but hey it sounded good didn't it?lol:-), of the BBC and Raymond Buchanan in particular.

    http://newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-news/7773-bbc-scotland-colluding-with-better-together-as-oil-debate-threatens-no-campaign

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    1. Good article, Arbroath.

      It seems that they are saying that if the UK cannot produce enough electricity on its own/import from France, Holland, Ireland, it will have to import from Scotland. because Scotland wants to move towards green energy (as does England and the UK) the higher costs will be the English subsidising Scotland...

      Just like they subsidise the irish and French and Dutch. There is, of course, one obvious way around that: Generate electricity yourself, UK.

      I saw that smarmy old bitch Bird salivating as she accused Scots of needing subsidies for our energy programme.

      The result of troubled and rather blinkered thinking.

      Still Scotland is never gonna make her Dame Jacquie , so I suppose she has to kiss ass elsewhere.

      As for the idiot, Darling... well, if the oil is going to run out in 2017 (as his figures suggest) I suspect that the stock markets will have crashed and the tiny hint of growth in the Uk economy yesterday will be a flash in the pan, as the whole thing disappears down the toilet.

      Of course he was lying...either that or he is remarkably stupid and economically inept. Either seems possible.

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