1/. Happy 93rd birthday Noam Chomsky!
Years ago, I was working for @libertyhq & Chomsky was keynote speaker at our conference
I volunteered to pick him up from an event at the LSE & drive him across town to our event
I parked outside - on a yellow line - & ran in to get him.
Years ago, I was working for @libertyhq & Chomsky was keynote speaker at our conference
I volunteered to pick him up from an event at the LSE & drive him across town to our event
I parked outside - on a yellow line - & ran in to get him.
2/ I ran up a staircase & along a corridor to the lecture hall where Chomsky had just finished his lecture
He was at the front of the hall surrounded by a mob of eager students
I fought my way to through the crowd, eventually managing to introduce myself & slowly prise him away
He was at the front of the hall surrounded by a mob of eager students
I fought my way to through the crowd, eventually managing to introduce myself & slowly prise him away
3/ When we got outside, a traffic warden was writing me a ticket
I tried to explain but the traffic warden was having none of it
"But this is Noam Chomsky! One of world’s greatest thinkers” I said
"If he's so clever,” he replied. “How come he’s parked on a double yellow line?"
I tried to explain but the traffic warden was having none of it
"But this is Noam Chomsky! One of world’s greatest thinkers” I said
"If he's so clever,” he replied. “How come he’s parked on a double yellow line?"
4/. POSTSCRIPT:
Noam Chomsky was sympathetic about my parking ticket, especially as he had received a fine himself that morning
He’d travelled down from Oxford with his old friend, Eric Hobsbawn
“Eric told me we didn’t need tickets as they never check them”
They got caught
Noam Chomsky was sympathetic about my parking ticket, especially as he had received a fine himself that morning
He’d travelled down from Oxford with his old friend, Eric Hobsbawn
“Eric told me we didn’t need tickets as they never check them”
They got caught
5/. “What would a Martian observer make of our dedicated march towards destruction?” asks Chomsky
I compare him to that Martian: possessed of a superior intellect & insight, travelling amongst us explaining things with an other-worldly patience & sagacity newint.org/features/web-e…
I compare him to that Martian: possessed of a superior intellect & insight, travelling amongst us explaining things with an other-worldly patience & sagacity newint.org/features/web-e…
6/ After that first encounter, I stayed in touch with Chomsky & I try to see him whenever he's in London
In 2010, I sent him my piece about "his final intn'l speaking tour”
He wrote back thanking me for the article & listing his future intn'l tour dates!
afrik-news.com/article17159.h…
In 2010, I sent him my piece about "his final intn'l speaking tour”
He wrote back thanking me for the article & listing his future intn'l tour dates!
afrik-news.com/article17159.h…
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