Re: Chomsky

Win Boogie (WinBoogie@aol.com)
Fri, 17 Apr 1998 22:47:17 -0400 (EDT)

In a message dated 98-04-17 03:33:27 EDT, you write:

<< 
 	I know absolutely nothing about Chomsky but perhaps 
 	one could say that a sense perception is not *quite* 	
 	the same thing as an idea.  Is it possible that the idea 
 	of brownness as something shared by various items in 
 	the real world needs a word to embody it ?  
 
 	Scottie B.
  >>
  This is where you are truly missing out by not being American, Scottie.
Chomsky is reknown both as an innovative linguist and as a wacky leftist
political theorist.  He is on faculty at MIT and every few years one of the
daily papers here seeks him out so he can rail against the system, and
complain that no one will publish his political books. His linguistic books
are quite well respected.
   I once attended a political fund raiser for some local political hack where
Chomsky's name was on the guest list. This was an amazing  irony as far as I
was concerned. I signed in as Chomsky and wore his name tag for the evening.
No one associated with the candidate was aware of what I was doing, and the
guests who were aware weren't amused.  I do share the same wacky politics as
Chomsky, but I was at this event solely for the rare opportunity for rabble
like myself to cop a meal at the Harvard Club. It's good to see old Noam's
name crop on our humble list here. it's like talking to any cafe dweller in
Cambridge, if you wait long enough Chomsky's will come up  as a topic.
                                           Best,
                                                Robert