Brave New World

[Stewart Reuben]

John McKenna >(Brave New World is an interesting parallel for the new membership scheme. In the novel there are the Controllers (ECF board members), Alphas (Council members), Betas (Platinums), Gammas (Golds), Deltas (Silvers) & Epsilons (Bronzes). Outside are the savages (non-members)).<

There is nowhere for me in this list. I will have to reread 1984 and my collected Kafka.

[John McKenna]

Stewart - please consider this just a suggestion - you might be compared to the Director of the Central London Hatchery in Brave New World. Orwell's 1984 and the works of Kafka describe those in a worse, but similar, situation to that of a certain Turkish GM that you have mentioned.

[Stewart Reuben]

But I read Brave New World 59 years ago at 14 and 1984 the same week. My English teacher said that must have been very dispiriting.

[John McKenna]

It was probably more dispiriting for your English teacher to hear of you reading two dystopian works of fiction back-to-back than it was for you to do so. (I trust you escaped that literary genre for a time before turning to Kafka.)
In your career, as an international chess officer and grandee, tales have been told of your exotic travels that are, in a modern sense, reminiscent of The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchhausen (Eng. version 1785, London) and you're off to Constantinople soon I hear. Bravo!

[Stewart Reuben]

But first of course to North Shields.

[John McKenna]

I cannot offer any words about North Shields, except to say I wish all who go a great time.
Here are some words that you probably know, as some of them were used in a song as an advert for a northern ale -

Abdullah Bulbul Amir


The sons of the Prophet are hardy and bold,
And quite unaccustomed to fear,
but of all the most reckless of life or of limb
was Abdullah Bulbul Amir.

When they wanted a man to encourage the van
Or harass a foe from the rear,
Storm fort or redoubt, they had only to shout
For Abdullah Bulbul Amir.

...

The heroes were plenty and well known to fame
That fought in the ranks of the Czar.
But the greatest of these was a man by the name
Of Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.

He could imitate Irving, play euchre or pool
And strum on the Spanish guitar.
In fact quite the cream of the Muscovite team
Was Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.

...

One day this bold Russian had shouldered his gun
And donned his most truculent sneer.
He went into town, and straightway ran down
Abdullah Bulbul Amir.

"Young man", quoth the Bulbul, "Is existence so dull
That you're eager to end your career?
For infidel, know, you have trod on the toe
Of Abdullah Bulbul Amir."

"So take your last look at the sunshine and brook
And send your regrets to the Czar.
By this I imply you are going to die,
Mr. Ivan Skavinsky Skivar."

Said Ivan, "My friend, your remarks in the end
Will avail you but little, I fear.
For you ne'er will survive to repeat them alive,
Mr. Abdullah Bulbul Amir."

...

They fought all that night 'neath the pale yellow moon,
The din it was heard from afar.
And multitudes came, so great was the fame,
Of Abdul and Ivan Skivar.

As Abdul's long knife was extracting the life,
In fact he had shouted, "Huzzah!"
He felt himself struck by that wily Calmuck,
Count Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.

The Sultan drove by in his red-crested fly,
Expecting the victor to cheer.
But he only drew nigh just to hear the last sigh
Of Abdullah Bulbul Amir.

Czar Petrovich too, in his spectacles blue
Drove up in his new crested car.
He arrived just in time to exchange a last line
With Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.

There's a grave by the wave where the Blue Danube rolls,
And 'graved there in characters clear,
Is "Stranger, when passing, oh pray for the soul
Of Abdullah Bulbul Amir."

A splash in the Black Sea one dark moonless night,
Caused ripples to spread near and far.
It was made by a sack fitting close to the back
Of Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.

A Muscovite maiden her lone vigil keeps,
'Neath the light of the pale polar star.
And the name that she murmurs so oft as she weeps
Is Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.

-- Unknown

[Greg Breed]

Quality stuff John!
i found a few You tube vids that play it. The lyrics are sometimes different and the verses are sometimes mixed but the gist is the same...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEv6L-X6UdA

I wouldn't mind seeing the video of the advert. Was it for Newcastle Brown Ale by any chance?...

[John McKenna]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCvckXYMBEc

[Greg Breed]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCvckXYMBEc

Classic! Thanks John. I was probably a bit too young to remember that, but I do remember the Carling Black Label ads and the "Follow the Bear" Hoffmeister ads that followed. They were cool.

[AustinElliott]

Since we've somehow strayed onto recite-out-loud late-Victorian/Edwardian dramatic monologues (how did that happen?), it would be remiss of me not to mention this one:

The Green Eye of The Little Yellow God

There's a one-eyed yellow idol to the north of Khatmandu,
There's a little marble cross below the town;
There's a broken-hearted woman tends the grave of Mad Carew,
And the Yellow God forever gazes down.

-etc.

As another aside to the aside, that other recite-aloud favourite, and the UK's favourite poem (apparently), Rudyard Kipling's If, was probably inspired by a real-life famous (and ill-fated) Imperial adventure, the Jameson Raid.

[John McKenna]

Greg, my memory of the ad being for a northern ale was only correct in terms of north of the Thames. The brewers in question started in London's Chiswell St. My excuse is - the brewers who supply the pub favoured by my chess club began in Wandsworth - south of the river.
All I can say to Austin is - one thing leads to another. (I did find it interesting to read about the connection between 'If' and Dr. Jameson but that led me to a whiskey distillery!)

[Kevin Thurlow]

"He felt himself struck by that wily Calmuck"

that sort of thing still happens...

The classic version of this was done by Frank Crumit, who also performed the "Song of the Prune", a real masterpiece.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgVlRvl2DI0

[John McKenna]

Thanks to Kevin for that golden oldie. I hope that Jon Bryant will forgive the railroading of his thread into the sidings of history - better than hitting the buffers at full speed. May normality soon return.

[Mike Truran]

No, may normality not soon return! Am I the only one who has had quite enough of 'normality' on the forum over the last few months?

[Justin Hadi]

No, may normality not soon return! Am I the only one who has had quite enough of 'normality' on the forum over the last few months?

No