baithak: Baithak World Jun 18: Ali and Chomsky, Influential Blogs, News & Views, Paull Szep, RealNews

Noam Chomsky is the most cited, and perhaps most controversial, leading living public intellectual according to the 2005 Global Intellectuals Poll. Although mainstream media refuses him airtime, The New York Times states Chomsky remains one of the most "influential" intellectuals alive, constantly sought by students, Universities, activists, academic symposiums, and even world leaders like Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. I first met the infamous and controversial scholar activist in 2002 when I moderated a question and answer session with him at my old alma mater, UC Berkeley (the educational and informative event was later transcribed in the book Power and Terror: Post 9-11 Talks and Interviews). Before the program, we had a nice hour to chat, and I was impressed by his inexhaustible memory, low key demeanor, and razor sharp recollection of facts, names and dates when answering my endless questions. When I asked whether he identified himself more as a scholar or an activist, he said neither exclusively, but mentioned dissent was firmly ingrained in him after he wrote his first article condemning the rise of fascism during the Spanish Civil War (he was ten when he wrote it). Although many academics and intellectuals' arrogance is outmatched only by their insecurity thereby reflecting a cold, selfish elitism, I've always found Chomsky to be gracious, accommodating and agreeable with his time and knowledge. Wajahat Ali interviews Noam Chomsky: "(Our) international affairs are like the Mafia"

Navigating the blogosphere can be trying, what with everyone from Al Roker to your Wiccan cousin out in New Mexico vying for the attention of the world's billion-plus Web surfers. In an effort to make some sense of it all, Vanity Fair has charted the most influential or amusing blogs about politics, gossip, Hollywood, media, and miscellany, and located them on two basic continuums: tone and content. Click here to view Vanity Fair's Blogopticon.

News & Views

Now Professors Get Their Star Rankings, Too

Social Science Research Network

DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA : The great land grab

Jon Stewart Takes On FOX News Re Baracknophobia!

We can't fix Afghanistan without the help of Pakistan and, gulp, Iran.

Call Conference To Plan War Crimes Trials Of Bush And Higher-Ups

Huffpollstrology: Candidates' Horoscopes, Polls And More For June 17

Charges dropped in Haditha case

Christian Zionist gathering mired in controversy

Myth-makers caught short in oil speculation

'Historic' Pakistan defence move