And if you want to read some very gentle (but hilarious) fun poked at silly Americans can get celebrating their "Scots Heritage" read "Highland Laddie Gone" by Sharon McCrumb. There is a Scottish Festival held in (I believe) Virgina or West Virginia (West Virginia is a very different state from Virginia for you Non-USAians). So all the Americans are wearing kilts, and have border collie contests and dirk throwing, and celtic music, and speaking in what Americans think are scottish accents; comes to visit an actual upper middle class Glassgow Scott - one who listens to the Beeb, and enjoys the comedy of "The Duke" . (You Scottish folks will have to tell me who this is; I gather he was a very hip comedian at a time when hip was a comtemporary compliment.) And there is the romantic view of Scottish history, compared to a more realistic one. And there is lots of snark on a personal level. One of the characters is described as suffering from having been "bitten by Noel Coward". And Sharon McCrumb is talented enough to give some lines worthy of Coward. And the main character gets to have a romance with the Scottish visitor. And, oh yes there is a murder mystery in there too, but to tell you the truth I enjoyed the rest of it so much, I did not pay any attention to that part of it.

I stand corrected. (How does it taste, by the way? My husband has loved Pilsner Urquell ever since his parents were stationed in Prague.)

Budvar is my favorite Czech beer...I'm not a big fan of PU, so mileage may vary.

Apparently Budvar is also sold as Crystal here; but my local beer place sells them both for different prices and claims they're different beers. I'm confused about that.

eta: I never said how it tasted. It's darker, a little sweeter. What I'd really like to see here is Black Budvar.

(How does it taste, by the way? My husband has loved Pilsner Urquell ever since his parents were stationed in Prague.)

Suffice it to say that I liked it so much, I joined the company.

....ah, happy days. My boss used to randomly offer me a beer in the middle of the afternoon, and he and I would sit there sipping our beverages and making a cock up of the invoices and all was right with the world. Gotta love those Central Europeans with their approach to the work ethic. Bless.

They didn't just grab the name; it was theirs

Not just theirs.

you'd swear everyone there thinks he'd be laird of Glenwhatever if he only had his rights,

Okay. I own that I'm willfully repressing all memories of every having to hang with this sort of peep.

Willfully.

On purpose.

For reasons that should be obvious to the layest of laymen.

But the McDonald's restaurant was started by people named McDonald. They didn't just grab the name; it was theirs.

wrod.

I second Typo Boy's rec on Highland Laddie Gone.

I am the Garrison of Garrison (twelve times removed through the female line), and I decree that it's time to go read something.

Not just theirs.

Ok, how about this? They now have the right to use it to sell food in countries where they have been given the trademark. That property right is theirs. They don't own the right to use it as a last name. Just to sell food.

I guess I have a problem with a foreign company challenging the right of an actual McDonald highlander to use their clan name.

In Jamaica, we held Mickey D's from using the name for years. It's *not* a Scottish we-had-the-name-first thing at all. And it's not an our-family-is-so-powerful thing either, since a) irrelevant to corporate America and b) not true, as you admit.

Whoa. This is some thread drift.

I have no idea what my point was.