From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Msuck: nntp://news.gmane.io/gmane.science.mathematics.categories/2945 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Fred E.J.Linton Newsgroups: gmane.science.mathematics.categories Subject: Re: Chalkfinger Date: Wed, 07 Dec 2005 23:44:02 -0500 Message-ID: <927JLHeSc4080S07.1134017042@uwdvg007.cms.usa.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1241018999 6453 80.91.229.2 (29 Apr 2009 15:29:59 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:29:59 +0000 (UTC) To: "Categories mailing list" Original-X-From: rrosebru@mta.ca Fri Dec 9 09:34:45 2005 -0400 Return-path: Envelope-to: categories-list@mta.ca Delivery-date: Fri, 09 Dec 2005 09:34:45 -0400 Original-Received: from Majordom by mailserv.mta.ca with local (Exim 4.52) id 1EkiHG-0003zv-Ha for categories-list@mta.ca; Fri, 09 Dec 2005 09:27:10 -0400 X-Mailer: USANET web-mailer (CM.0402.7.36) Original-Sender: cat-dist@mta.ca Precedence: bulk X-Keywords: X-UID: 20 Original-Lines: 36 Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.science.mathematics.categories:2945 Archived-At: Here's my take on this skit, as filtered through 40 years of ever-more-porous memory: Lin Ton was Chalkfinger's "Chinese assistant." I think the Chinese connection came about less because I looked Chinese, as because (a) I was a somewhat mysterious figure, doing no teaching (being a 1-year research associate on one of Saunders' grants), and (b) my name lent itself to Sinification. Others spoofed here, aside from me (Lin Ton) and Saunders (Chalkfinger) were Yitz Herstein (Israel Bond) and Irving Kaplansky (character forgotten) -- and, I think, Zygmund and Liulevicius. One memorable line was Israel Bond's: furious at a magical ring, supposedly conveying some mysterious powers, for its uselessness to his purpose at the time, Bond dashes it to the ground, huffing "Bah! This ring is nil!" The skit took place towards the end of the academic year '64-'65, all of which I spent at Chicago. Others there at that time, surely present at -- perhaps even intimately involved in -- the performance include Lance Small, Kathy Edwards, Dan Fife, and my officemate Marty Moskowitz, all of whom may well recall further details. I once had a copy of the full script, but have no idea just where to look to unearth it. Should it turn up, of course, I'll try to make it available. -- Fred [E.J. Linton]