Alex Massie

Alex Massie

Sunday

Alex Massie

Irn Bru For Me And You

From our UK edition

Irn Bru - the fabled amber nectar of the glens, the monarch of the fizzy pop world - has always been distinguished by the quality of its advertisements. Happily, this latest one, a take on Kipling's If, is just as quirky and oddly charming as we've come to expect. Top stuff. It used to be said - with pride! - that Scotland was one of the few countries in the world in which both Coca-Cola and Pepsi had to give way to a market-leading indigenous pop. If memory serves this disconcerted the bosses in Atlanta, stinging them into setting up a scottish task force to topple Irn Bru. Clearly, this sort of soft drink imperialism must be resisted and it remains every Scots' duty to sacrifice their teeth to further the cause of the other national drink...

Alex Massie

Stick a Fork in Brown…

From our UK edition

More and more, it seems that Gordon Brown's government becomes eerily reminiscent of John Major's hapless ministry. Each day brings a fresh wave of damaging stories that sink the government further into the mire, providing material for fresh bouts of recrimination and acres of still more devastating coverage. Major, of course, was more unfortunate in having a smaller majority and a more awkward squad of unhappy, self-centred backbenchers. In fact just about the last people to realise the extent to which the Tories were doomed was the New Labour leadership itself. Still, the parallels remain strong. Exhausted? Check. Bereft of ideas? Check. A Prime Minister who becomes a figure of fun, not to say open mockery? The parliamentary party unravelling? Check. Local election meltdown? Check.

Alex Massie

A New Kind of Campaign?

From our UK edition

From the New York Times today: In a sign of what could be an extremely unusual fall campaign, the two sides said Saturday that they would be open to holding joint forums or unmoderated debates across the country in front of voters through the summer. Mr. Obama, campaigning in Oregon, said that the proposal, floated by Mr. McCain’s advisers, was “a great idea.”...The rivals are openly discussing staging forums across the country to speak directly to voters, an idea that is by any measure unconventional for a general election campaign. Asked about the idea on Saturday, Mr. Obama told reporters in Oregon, “If I have the opportunity to debate substantive issues before the voters with John McCain, that’s something that I’m going to welcome.

Saturday

Alex Massie

A Tartan Army Polka

From our UK edition

Ah, apparently we're supporting Poland this summer. Good to get that decided early. AFTER 10 years of being unable to cheer on their favourites at the finals of a big football tournament, the Tartan Army is switching sides to back Poland at this summer's European championships. The supporters' organisation - with 1,500 members and dozens of branches in the country - has thrown its weight behind the eastern European side after all the home nations were knocked out of the competition. Since 2004, more than 40,000 Poles have come to Scotland and the Tartan Army foot soldiers have vowed to show solidarity with their new neighbours. Pubs and restaurants in towns and cities with large Polish communities are preparing special events to coincide with Poland games.

Friday

Alex Massie

Not too late to make your vote count…

From our UK edition

Voting continues in our exciting quest to determine the most over-rated and under-rated Presidents in American history. But don't fret, it's not too late to cast your ballot before the polls close late on Sunday. Simply let me know who you consider the three most over-rated and the three most under-rated US presidents. You can submit votes by emailing me here or in the comments section below. Full details here.

Thursday

Alex Massie

McCain’s Coming Media Hurricane?

From our UK edition

At TAPPED Paul Waldman hails this Arizona Republic piece questioning MCain's "maverick" credentials and then asks: One thing I've noticed lately is that there are a bunch of Chicago reporters (like Lynn Sweet and Jim Warren, for instance) who have become regulars on cable TV, presumably because they know a lot about Barack Obama. But the reporters who have known John McCain the longest and know him the best -- the ones from Arizona -- are nowhere to be seen. Why do you think that is? Clearly, we're supposed to impute some pro-McCain or pro-conservative bias here. But it's much more likely that the truth is that while the BHO vs HRC stramash continues no-one gives a damn about John McCain. Now of course it's true that McCain gets a very generous press (partly because - canny man!

Alex Massie

Referenda Agenda

From our UK edition

Steve Richards in the Independent today: I wonder still if the referendum will ever be held in Scotland. Precedent suggests something or other will get in the way. What a titanic moment it was in British politics when in 1991 John Major persuaded his Chancellor, Ken Clarke, to support a referendum on the Euro. Mr Clarke has regretted conceding the ground ever since, one of those moments when the Euro-sceptics proclaimed a significant victory. Of course the referendum was never held, neither by the Conservatives, nor by Labour who also offered one. As Richards says, this was a significant victory for the euro-sceptic cause. It didn't just commit the Tories to a referendum on the single currency, it forced Labour into committing to one too.

Alex Massie

Et in Purgatorio ego?

From our UK edition

Thanks to Ross Douthat for alerting me to this trailer for the forthcoming movie of Brideshead Revisited: As Ross says, this may not bear much resemblance to the novel you read. But come on, isn't this just delightfully over-the-top and wonderfully trashy? I doubt it matters that the adaptation - Emma Thomson as Lady Marchmain notwithstanding - seems certain to be utter tripe. I remember that when Andrew Davies announced that his adaptation would take the view that the book's really about how catholicism ruins everyone's life, there was much umbrage and outrage at this desecration of Waugh's intent. But there's little necessity for an adaptation to be faithful to the original author's intent.

Alex Massie

Westminster Moves in for the Kill

From our UK edition

At the weekend a friend observed that Gordon Brown isn't the man my pal had thought he was. In unison two other friends chirped up: "but he's exactly the man I thought he was". Poor Broon, he's taking a terrible beating these days. Here's Simon Hoggart in the Guardian today: It was awful, and it's getting worse. When I was at secondary school we had a temporary teacher for a term. He was hopeless. There is no group more cruel than young teenage boys, except young teenage girls, and we treated him unmercifully. At the end of term a friend and I saw him cycling down our street, and, separated from the feral pack, felt great pity. We stopped him, apologised for our class's behaviour, and said we hoped his next post would be happier.

Wednesday

Alex Massie

Wendy’s Referendum Problem

From our UK edition

A reader has chided me for failing to publish more political comment lately. But what more - despite the acres of newsprint devoted to the matter - has there been to say about the Obama-Clinton match-up that was not said six weeks ago? Precious little. She still can't win; her continuing campaign makes Obama's job in November more difficult. Meanwhile, in Scotland Wendy Alexander, the pocket-sized Scottish Labour leader, announces that she's fed-up with Alex Salmond winning all the headlines month after month and, consequently, says she's quite happy to have a referendum on independence after all. This, despite constant assertions that it was the last thing the country wanted or needed. In London, this has been interpreted as a humiliating blow to Gordon Brown.

Alex Massie

Taxing Questions

From our UK edition

From the Adam Smith Institute: Once again, Ireland seems to be the destination of choice for companies driven out of the UK by high taxes. Last week, reports Dominic White, WPP, Glaxo, International Power and AstraZeneca all hinted that they could follow Shire and United Business Media's plans to switch domicile to Ireland. As the ASI point out, Ireland offers a corporation tax rate of 12.5%, compared to the UK's 30%. Attractive indeed. But what of Scotland you ask? Well, the SNP is a hybrid party as any analysis of its taxation policy reveals: Alex Salmond looks longingly to Ireland and dreams of a low tax Scotland that will be a business haven (as seems sensible, if only to offset some of the costs of being on the periphery).

Alex Massie

Gordon’s Folly Compounds Wendy’s

From our UK edition

Silly me for daring to presume anything competent could emerge from Downing Street these days. And, yes, it was reckless to suppose that the Prime Minister might acknowledge that the question of Labour support for a referendum should be decided by the Labour leadership in Scotland. That, of course, would be the sensible thing. But here's how the BBC Brian Taylor describes the days developments: So where's your referendum now? At Prime Minister's Questions, Gordon Brown offered an entirely different interpretation of the scenario offered by Wendy Alexander. According to Mr Brown, Ms Alexander had not demanded an immediate referendum on Scottish independence. "That", he opined in response to David Cameron, "is not what she said.

Alex Massie

How did she manage to ignore “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”?

From our UK edition

Good lord. Thanks (er, I think) to Kevin Drum for pointing me to today's Maureen Dowd column. It is, as they say, a doozy. Even though people at diners kept trying to fatten up Obama — he drew the line at gravy — he looked increasingly diaphanous, like anti-matter to Hillary’s matter. She’s more appealing when she’s beaten down; he’s less imposing... Obama is like her idealistic, somewhat naïve self before the world launched 1,000 attacks against her, turning her into the hard-bitten, driven politician who has launched 1,000 attacks against Obama. As she makes a last frenzied and likely futile attempt to crush the butterfly [Obama], it’s as though she’s crushing the remnants of her own girlish innocence.

Alex Massie

Those Unemotional Italians…

From our UK edition

Milan beat Inter 2-1* and, well, just watch the rest of it yourself. Great stuff. Thank you to Tiziano Crudeli... Milan 2-1 Inter commentaire Italienby t_m Hat-tip: Andrew and Rizzo Sports. *An important result, in fairness, since it puts the Rossoneri in line for a Champions' League place next season. Tough week for Fiorentina...

Alex Massie

Who Governs Scotland?

From our UK edition

Not to harp on about this too much, but this item from Benedict Brogan's (excellent) blog deserves a response: About 10 years ago a friend and I were discussing Scotland with Tony Blair. We asked him who was the leader of the Scottish Labour party. He looked puzzled and said "Donald Dewar?" Alastair Campbell, who was there, shot back "No, you are". My friend reminded me of the exchange earlier today as we tried to make sense of the row over the Wendyendum. Ms Alexander leads the Labour group in the Scottish parliament, but Gordon Brown is the leader of the Labour party, and that includes Scotland.

Tuesday

Alex Massie

Picture of the Day | 6 May 2008

From our UK edition

Back from Ireland and, whaddyaknow, it's like summer has finally arrived here. By which I mean that temperatures have soared into the 70s. Regular blogging to resume soon. Meanwhile, here's a picture two of my mother's hens...

Alex Massie

The Best Country Music?

From our UK edition

A reader asks polymathic Tyler Cowen for his country music recommendations and Tyler responds here, cautioning, mind you, that: I might add the whole list comes from someone who was initially allergic to country music, so if that is you give some of these recommendations a try.  Just think of it as White Man's Blues. Well that was me too, once upon a sad old time ago. Then I saw the light and everything's been better since. Tyler says you have to start with Hank Williams Sr and then move on to the Gram Parsons trio of: The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers and, finally, Grievous Angel. That, plus Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Dolly etc etc will see you right. All sound advice.

Alex Massie

Department of Britishness

From our UK edition

When I lived in Washington, I sometimes forgot that one of the things I missed about Britain was actually the weather. Sure, there'd be glorious spring and fall days in DC but much of the time the climate was boringly predictable and frequently oppressively unpleasant. The variety of the British climate provides for a refreshing contrast even if such happy thoughts are necessarily fleeting in, say, November or March. No wonder we talk about it so much*. All of which is one way of noting that today - with temperatures still in the giddy 70s - 70% of my British Facebook friends' status updates concern the weather and either a how sunburnt they are, b) how they are loving the warm weather or c) how they would be enjoying it if they weren't imprisoned in an office.

Alex Massie

Why blog?

From our UK edition

A friend asked me that question this weekend. There are, of course, plenty of answers to that, but this screen shot showing the location of recent visitors to this blog helps explain part of the appeal I think: Hello World! The last 25 visitors alone have come from: the UK, the USA, Canada, Pakistan, South Africa, Poland, Belgium and Germany. Obviously there's a certain egotism to this sort of exercise, but it's also kinda cool to think that, for whatever reason, folk from all manner of different countries and of all kinds of different persuasions can stumble into the same tiny corner of the blogosphere. [Hat-tip: Englishman in New York who once, I think, answered this question the same way.