Harari … Reminder for some who missed his books

Yes, I have written about Yuval Noah Harari, a brilliant historian. However, I feel that some people may have missed reading or listening to him. Please do listen and hear him … and if you have objections, do write them down in your comments here.

The first book I read when it just came out.

I was bowled over. Presented copies to a few friends. Discussed this with them. And we all loved it. A dear friend of mine who had read this book in USA had another friend who thought there were flaws. She came over to Pakistan and was asked to discuss this book with me. Although we became close friends, the discussions never really could not go any further, which - I suspected - were because of our different ideas about life. The book sold millions of copies in many languages.If you haven't read it yet, please do. It's available in Pakistan, as are his other two books that followed.

Both of these are extremely interesting, though I find the first one much more of interest because of my love for the way Homo sapiens evolved and are now (so far) the 'rulers' of our planet.

Will they remain so?
Homo Deus has a few answers, too.

The Third Book has his Lessons and is something you may accept or not. I do, for most part. But, then, I also have Scientists Michio Kaku and Neil deGrasseTyson who have their own answers to some of these ideas.

Right now I have just finished my favourite Graphic Novel (Part 1) of Harari's Sapiens and I'd suggest that you read this if you prefer the styles. It's available at Liberty Books. My admiration of graphic stories is something all my friends know about and I have quite a collection. If you haven't ever tried one, take a look at this one, then.

Just before I finished the above I saw an ad on the Net about this.

So, naturally, I bought it.

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For Rs 200 here it is quite a bargain.

16 Essays/Interviews.

Wow!

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Try and get this as a starter.

I finished ths almost a soon as I bought it :)

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So while I wait for his second graphic story book (it will be available at October's end) I hope you all will find his books much more than just interesting.

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Meanwhile, I also subscribe to this

TRY IT!

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Yuval Noah Harari

Have aliens from space visited us?

Larry King's 11 year old interview is

 Shermer on Larry King Live with the UFOlogists 

It has people that I wouldn't disagree with

as they range from Presidents, Governors, an Astronaut

(who was the second person to walk on the moon),

and many others that include witnesses.

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There is also Michael Shermer, a leading Skeptic,

among the panel. Always an important person to listen to.

(He is also the editor of Skeptic, a magazine well worth reading).

He has objections to the standard story and wants evidence.

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A documentary, Out of the Blue,

and subtitled

The Definitive Investigation on UFOs

is narrated by Peter Coyote

and many of you maybe familiar with him.

Most people think it's the best film in this genre!

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There are, of course, objections by many serious people

about all these being 'conspiracy theories'

and they are mainly right.

But not all of them can be right, either.

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One theory that is almost always mentioned

is that the Governments are hiding a secret 

and don't want it out in public view

because it would create a panic.

Some say that beings outside our planet

would create a religious panic:

Why would the 'Son of God' appear just on Earth?

Christianity would then be wrong.

But that's no help, really.

Apart from the fact that hundreds of religions

and their sub-sects don't even accept that

Jesus was the 'Son of God'.

They do not even have him in their 'texts'.

In Abrahamic Religions only 2 of the 3

accept him but only one accepts him as God's Son.

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And what about Buddhists who have no God?

Why wouldn't they announce it if they knew this.

And Hindus, with their several gods

- who came from the sky - would accept this, too.

And so would Communists.

Their Atheism has no such problem.

And Scientologists would actually love it!

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One of the great pieces that I recall

was the The Walton Affair:

Woodworker Travis Walton was 'abducted',

in the presence of his friends.

Many though he'd been murdered by a friend

and the others were spinning a story.

Travis was discovered a few days later,

by a phone booth from where he contacted

a friend who was with him during the 'abduction'.

In 1993 a film Fire In The Sky was made about him.

(Do watch it! The scenes in the UFO are a treat!)

As Wikipedia stated, some people said this was a hoax.

Shermer criticized Walton's claims, saying

"I think the polygraph is not a reliable determiner of truth.

I think Travis Walton was not abducted by aliens.

In both cases, the power of deception and self-deception

is all we need to understand what really happened in 1975.

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However, you can now watch

Tarvis - The True Story of Travis Walton

and make up your own mind.

This is Travis many years later confirming

that his story is true and 100% right!

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[BTW, Tubi is a great place to watch some films for free.

But do remember that these are films.

Some are, naturally, based on true stories

but the rest are great fictions, too.]

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What now?

Bol, keh lab āzād haéñ tayray?

Now UFOs are REAL

Click here

A few people think it could be China. Others think it could be another country. They believe that testing these amazing UFOs is being done until the Crafts are perfect … and then they will declare a world war and conquer the world.

Others, like most people I have asked or have seen in the Press, agree that these are Alien crafts. They have been happening well before China or USSR or any country could have existed.

One of the reasons that many people stated was that it could lead to a general panic. In fact they think the Governments were aware of that and chose to refuse the facts just to stay safe.

I doubt that!

When have we ever been so wonderfully close?

Many people thought news like this would lead to a religious panic. Who would God be? Allah, Jesus, Bhagvān, Zeus or many other gods people have believed in?

I doubt that, of course!

After all a larger number of scientists are atheists?

Would they care?

Imagine the number of people from all walks of life who saw this. From Police people to Army Officers to well-known citizens who were accepted in high positions. Also a couple of US Presidents. They were called Liars,  Schizophrenics, Hoaxers (Yes. There were many fakes, of course!) and even more by the Press. This was because the Governments had said so about them. Now they are all sane! We need to reinterview those that are available.

What's your view?

India? No! Sindh∂is? Yes!

The recent laws in India

Going to India 2 or 3 times a year seemed normal a few years ago, but the recent rules have mede this impossible. Although the new High Commissioner from India has promised that things will get better (good luck to him!), it won't be until laterlaterlater in this year. On the other hand, what happens laterlaterlater is not something all of us can decide now, actually, with the extreme right wing been given the powers to stand up in our elections by a Commission: People are still trying to understand what they are committing to, though many people I have met seem to have very similar ideas about why this is happening.

No point discussing this here, for Democracy does mean differences of opinion, so I will let their opinions stay … but I may try to change them in conversations, though. Democracy, right!!!

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The first thing that happened was my 'Indian' niece, Sahar Zaman, who ran a lovely Art Program on TV, is a wonderful Artist and Designer, and runs a News broadcasts on TV, refused to come to Pakistan (for a School of Tomorrow Conference) because she thought it would be dangerous here. The Media in India obviously supports this view, so I could not change her opinion.

(Media here is - er, was - better,
but it's also headed that way, either by choice or by force.)

Months later my niece decided to host a show on her grand-uncle (and my Chacha Jania), playback singer and film actor, Talat Mahmood, in 2 places in India (so far)

Talat Mahmood & Sahar Zaman

I so wanted to go. I called her up to ask for the dates — and she said I shouldn't try to come because of 'various reasons' (I won't mention all of them here, though, but lack of Visas was one of them.)

Jashn-e-Talat Announcement

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Her lovely husband, Dhiraj, who is also an Artist, Traveller, and a Designer of the strangest of things that attract a lot of audience, is now holding a Mango Festival in Art and probably has good mango stuff to eat there, too, apart from his delightful Mangoes. I am sure I could have gotten Dassahris, Lang∂ās, Lakhnavva Safaedās, and much more if I went. 

Dhiraj Singh

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But a NO is a NO and I can't travel to India again

until some miracle happens.

(Actually that doesn't ever happen!)

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Sitting in Karachi hasn't been too bad. I've had delightful Dassahris and Lang∂ās, here, and despite being constantly reminded that its against my Diabetes (it's not!) I eat three mangoes a day: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. And my sugar count remains ok.

3 Mangoes a day is fine!

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A little digression - but still about mangoes and diabetes: I used to check my blood sugar count every three months, since my father was Diabetic. So I discovered that I was in the beginning of Diabetes. Rushed off to a Diabetic Expert as fast as I could. She told me that I should eat from a list she gave me. There were no Mangoes on that list. I was teaching at Hamdard University, heading a New Media Class, and used to eat Mangoes everyday during our lunch with my Vice Chancellor, Dr. Qazi, who was also a Diabetes patient. (He was a wonderful man who died recently.) The Diabetician told me that if I didn't eat mangoes this year my life would get me 2 more years. Shit! I left her and went back to eating mangoes. Can you imagine 2 more years of life without mangoes?

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Dr Qazi - we all miss you!

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These days my life is full of delightful Sindh∂is, sent to me first by Umer Khan of Champion Mangoes. And you can even send them to USA.

Umer Khan

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This was added to later by

Hana Tariq and Zawwar Taufiq

of Beyond The Classroom,

a piece by Qasim Aslam that started as

The History Project and has now spread much further!

Hana Tariq

Zawwar Taufiq

Finally, a large crate was sent by Marvi Mazhar (from her Mangoes grown in her gaõñ). She's a lovely Architect and loves preserving heritages. She did the CAP's National History Museum in Lahore (Karachi will also take place, some day, IF the Sindh Government[?] agrees …)

After having done so much work in Karachi (take a look at the Cantt Station, folks) and in parts of Sindh. She also runs PCCC, a place worth going to if you are in Karachi. 

Marvi Mazhar

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Happy Summer, friends!

… and Peace, forever!

What a lovely evening …

Shaikh Ahmad Ali Shaoq Kidvai

Yesterday (16th December 2017) my evening was spent at the Arts Council where two of my Great Grandfather's brother's books were re-launched. Shaoq Kidvai was a major poet in his time and had many students, including one that, after his death, became my Great Grandfather's student: Üstād Qamar Jalalvi, whom we all loved. (A CD of Qamar Sahab's selected works is available at T2F.)

About the two books, I am thrilled that Ahmad Qidwai Bhai - a cousin of mine who is Shaoq Sahab's great grandson (as is his wife, Dr Ismat, who is Shaoq Sahab's great grand daughter) - did this colossal work, along with his cousins, and brought out one of Lucknow's finest poets back into the limelight. One book is composed of his 'Ghazals', and the other is 'Masnaviāt, Müsaddas, and Tavēl Nazmayñ'.

Among the works is Ālamé Khayāl. The foreword was written by my grandmother in 1925, when she was 39. It is a remarkable document and women (as well as men, of course) should read it. The book is written in a women's form of writing (Yes, they were not allowed to use certain men's styles!) and talks of the desires that women have — but were never allowed to express them. (You can read how I found the original book by going here.)

His Musaddasé Laél-o-Nahār is a great piece and talks about Muslims and their problems. Though not well-known like Hali's Musaddas it shares many thoughts and, according to Ahmad Bhai, it should be called Musaddasé Badhāli.

A long nazm Science & Religion (aka Ilmé Tabē'yāt aor Mazhab) is at the end of the book. It has many footnotes that show the poet's understanding of Science, at least at those times. Think of a poet who died in 1925 writing this. Truly amazing work.

You can buy the books by calling up +92-51-5159800 — and the money that you spend on the books will all be given to Nori Patients Welfare Society in Islamabad (+92-51-285-3926)) where the team runs a FREE surgery ward for Cancer Patients. 

(Listening yesterday to Rukhsana Saba, Iftikhar Arif, and Ahmad Qidwai was a wonderful experience. Plus the promise by Iftikhar to come over next time and have a long conversation at home about his days in Lucknow was a lovely idea and we are anxiously looking forward to it.)

Four books I read recently …

Brilliant Graphic Novel.

Something that many of my young friends should read

and also think of 'Growing Up in Pakistan',

as well as their future careers and their parental pressures.

Midhat was a friend of mine.

His (and Basarat's) daughter has written

a brilliant book.

TZH is a Pakistani Theoretical Physicist

and is a String Theorist.

I hope she comes to T2F for a 'Science ka Adda' session.

The book covers the most important ideas in Science

and, written as a Fact/Fiction piece,

it takes you through the passion of science.

Read it!!!

An inspiring book that addresses a lot of questions

that the young ask, given the way that the present day

forced Religious Instruction in Educational Institutes

plus the madness that current terrorists offer.

An Atheist Muslim

takes you through a Muslim/Atheist view.

The book is not likely to be available in Pakistan

but an Urdu translation is being considered.

It will also be available in an English Audiobook.

I wish people would read this and answer

some of his questions and queries.

AB, who's Fun Home was a bestseller graphic novel,

runs a series of cartoons that have to do with Dykes.

This is one such collection.

It is remarkably good and, unless you think you shouldn't

be reading this, I'd strongly recommend it.

On the other hand

I wouldn't advise young people to read this.

Not yet, anyway!

Etymology - 1 (Kind of …)

OED 2 Volumes with Magnifying Glass
Contains the full OED Compacted.

Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time … and I am in love with it. If I ever had the chance to choose a career for life, Etymologist would be it.

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Of course, I never did choose a career for life.

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I started wanteing to be a doctor, like my father (Abi) - but not because of his real influence. Born in 1940 to a doctor - who had been recruited in late 1943 to the British Military Service in WW2 - I travelled to several cities (in and outside India, and to parts that later became Pakistan) with him until the war ended. 

There were no children in camps but Abi insisted that Ummi (my mother) and I had to go along … and was granted permission to do so by the Army. So I was the only child around. The first trip I went to was when I was 4 years old.

With Abi I went fairly often to Hospitals where he treated several soldiers who were injured, some almost beyond belief. I saw nearly dead soldiers and even saw a soldier die before my eyes. I never seemed to fear death. In fact the oldest memory I have was that my Nani (maternal grandmother) died when I was 3 … and I remember that event so clearly. When she was gone, I was told that the angels had taken her to a place to cure her. That was what 'dead' meant to me for years.

In the middle of the war we went to Calcutta for a few days holiday with my Khala (Vaseem). It was there that sirens announced planes coming down (Japanese, I was told) to bomb us. We hid under tables. I was told not to pick up sweets that they may drop, because eating them would cause us to die. Don't know if that was to scare me or it was real.

There were two things I did remember from the camps: One was the day we were celebrating Victory. A young soldier climbed up a long set of stairs and jumped into a pool of water underneath. He missed. Fell flat a couple of feet away. And was dead. On the spot!

Before that death, I remember my father and his colleague discussing a man whose head been pierced by some bullet marks. His colleague, perhaps his senior, had said that they couldn't treat him as it was too close to the brain and there was no way that he would survive the surgery. I often thought of that. I even asked my father, who drew weird pictures on a piece of paper to show what a brain was. But I couldn't really understand.

Later on, just before the 1947 Partition, I was in Budge Budge where my Khalu (famous Indian hockey-player, Asad Ali) had been posted by the Customs.  I saw a few dead people floating down the river because of Hindu-Muslim riots. The river was just across the street. My childhood friend, Sattar, a servant 3 years older than me, was playing football with me and he kicked it so hard that it went across the street, right into a winding part of the Hooghly River. He rushed and bent down the floating bushes to pick up the ball and threw it right back after showing it to me. It was the head of a dead child he had picked up by mistake.

So I wanted to be a doctor as I grew up. A brain surgeon was what I wanted to be. Life at colleges were tough. I got thrown out of one; I walked off the exams in the second one. That'll be in another blogpost that I write. 

Abi was getting severe heart attacks during those days and I couldn't have lived off his money for long. Another year at college. Five years at Medical School. Two years of Internships. Several years of setting myself up as a Surgeon. No way!

I told Abi the only one of two lies I remember telling him: I had done well at my exams and was going to get a First Division. (The second lie I won't get into.) I then said I was going to sail away on a friend's father's ship to Chittagong and meet my cousin there … and come back. I wrote to him from Chittagong that I had actually joined a ship and was in the Merchant Navy now. He was most upset. Again, that'll be in another blogpost, too.

Abi died in 1963. Didn't even live to see me pass my exams and get a reward for having topped the International Navigation marks. Then they suddenly decided to stop giving the official awards, so my Merchant Navy College Head, Captain Safdar, gave me a TimePiece-cum-StopWatch as my gift.

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Many of my loves and passions come to me from Abi: Classical Music, Eastern and Western; becoming a voracious reader in English and Urdu; love of and the writing of Urdu Poetry; watching Cricket & Tennis; being totally in love of Science; a passion for correct languages; fighting for Human Rights; loving the truth; even crying in movies :(

We were poor, too. My father had left the Army after Partition, had serious medical problems himself, had a few odd jobs but coudn't continue at his clinic so there was really no money in the house. Ummi was amazing at how she managed to make the loveliest dishes with what little we had - and kept not us but every visitor asking for more. She knew how to make the food we loved out of everything she could get. I used to always tease her about how she managed to put water into everything and make it expand into a lovely, large, edible dish.

Abi's love of books never died. On days when he did go to the clinic and made some money, he'd give most of it to Ummi … but he always bought another book. For himself; for Ummi; and for my birthday gifts. He said to me that if I were really hungry I could tighten my belt and survive another day when food would somehow arrive. But a book was a book. "It gives you pleasure whether your stomach is full or empty …".

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One of his loves was Dictionaries. We had many of them. Farsi, Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish. Old and new. He loved words. … and that, too, came to me.

Which is why I really should have been an Etymologist. 

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From the Merchant Navy, after 25 years of service, I came back to Karachi (Ummi's illness and the birth of my daughter after 14 years of marriage) and set-up an educational computing company, Interface, the first of its kind in Pakistan. This arrangement, bad as it was, moved me (with a lot of difficulty) into opening Solutions Unlimited - a consultancy that now runs with my wife heading it. I founded Enabling Technologies, which produced the best Multimedia Software including CD-ROMs in Pakistan. As an Apple-only company we even produced our first CD-ROM for IBM! (That's going to be one of my blogpost, I promise.)

In the meanwhile I also joined Hamdard University and taught for three years until the first Masters came out. Jehan Ara and Sabeen assisted me at some lectures, too. My best student was Syed Ali Hasan, who is now one of our great animators and now also runs a 3D Printing company.

While this was on, I began drawing cartoons for The Friday Times. You can see them here. Do see the first few, anyway. I'll add more as soon as they become available.

My companies — when they started — had my wife Nuzhat, Sabeen, Jehan Ara, and myself … and none of us had taken Computer Studies in our lives, except Sabeen at school. And she had come to my company for further studies. Her KGS Computer Teacher hated her. From Sabeen's exam papers some pages removed when they were sent to UK … so she failed the subject. Efforts by her father, Tallat, proved that this had happened. An act on his part (probably bashing up the Principal!) was probably stopped by Sabeen's mother, Mahenaz, who was teaching at KGS Kindergarten.

The remaining three of us learnt computers on our own, using a BBC computer and then moving on to a 9" Mac. Nothing comes even close to these two systems.

Later on, Sabeen — who'd joined us when she was 14+ as a student and stayed on until she formed PeaceNiche-T2F — and I decided to open Beyond Information Technology Solutions (BITS), partly in association with the Kasuris. They soon left, dedicated as they were to Education, and I owned the company.

Jehan Ara - who had joined us when she had come back from Hong Kong - said she'd rather not be part of this. So we split half of the company: She continued Enabling Technologies and is now the head of Nest I/O and P@SHA.

Sabeen soon became a Director at BITS (as a gift for her years of service with me) and continued with me as a Consultant to some ventures that we occasionally took online (including our work at Tehelka/India and a leading paper in Afghanistan), despite running her new organisation extremely well. In fact T2F is now considered a standard here and elsewhere.

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This ended with Sabeen's assassination on 24th April 2015.

Like me, Sabeen was never afraid of death.

Listen to a TV Program about her.

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I am sorry I have bored you with this rather long drawn-out preamble. I promise I will move on to Etymology - 2 as soon as I have the time. If you like what I write, you'll find it enjoyable.

Read (and hear) this — and tell me what you think

I am not a believer in supernatural things

but I had to write this … and play two audios for you.

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Perhaps you can tell me what you think is wrong.
Or right.

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I had a maid that we employed.

Her name is Zahida.

She has a husband and several children.

The children include a married daughter … who has 5 children.

This daughter had terrible anaemia

and has been given blood several times.

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But that did not cure her 'actual' problem …

A few months ago Zahida took leave to go to a Pir Sahab's Dargaah because her daughter was now speaking in a lisping voice and made strange noises. The girl said in a pseudo-masculine voice: "I am a 'Hindu' who has taken possession of this girl".

Every time there was a Qavvaali she'd listen for a bit and go into a Dhammal (a dance that happens at every Pir's grave) and would fall flat on her back by somersaulting really high. No hurt, though. She'd get up and do it again. And again. Until she fell asleep. Then the 'Hindu' would go away and she'd wake up and speak normally for a bit. Then the 'Hindu' would be back.

I told her, "Pir to mar gaé haéñ. Voh küchh naheeñ kar saktay. Doctor kay pass jaao." (The Pir is dead. He can't do anything. Go to a Doctor.)

My wife also set an appointment for her to visit a Psychiatrist. But Zahida said that Doctors can't help. "Yeh to 'andar' ki cheez haé." (This is an 'inside' problem.)

Zahida's husband had been well and used to drive a borrowed Motor Rickshaw. He had suddenly stopped eating - except for very small things - about 7 months ago. He was getting weaker. He left the Rickshaw and refused to work, lying in bed all the time. Made the family even poorer. That was another thing that the 'Pir Sahab' had to 'cure'.

Zahida left and came back.

This is what she said.

A few days later she brought her daughter to my house. She spoke with a childish lisp. Often it was difficult to understand. I said at one point , "Tüm zameen par baéth jao, baytee". (Sit down on the floor, girl.) She yelled, saying "Maén 'Hindu' mard hooñ. Baytee kyooñ kah rahay ho?" (I am a Hindu Male. Why are you calling me a girl?)

An hour later Zahid came up and asked me to play Qavvaali music as the girl wanted it and was shouting in the kitchen. I went down and put on my iPod. Within minutes she started trembling and then started to jump. I saw her do this three or four times. She'd somersault really high and land on her back … and then would do it again.

I came up (also feeling a little scared that she'd damage hair back). After 20 minutes Zahida came and said I should shut off the music as she was asleep. I did. In a few minutes she woke up and held her mother and said "Chalo". (Let's go!)

A month later Zahida went back to the Pir with her daughter.

When she came back, this was her story.

I am still sure that this is not really possible.

The beatings and the cruelty that the daughter received at Pir Sahab made her scream … but the Pir said (and Zahida thought) that it was the 'Hindu' that was screaming. Imagine being beaten with your hand twisted behind your back. Constant pushing and thumping on your head and back. Hitting.

The chimgaada∂ story is a figment of Zahida's imagination (as it was for the attending team). That's obvious. But was the girl putting all this on? Was the father putting all this on, now that he is well again and has got a job?

Sounds so strange.

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As far as I am concerned, Zahida firmly believes everything that has happened … and says so. The Pirs are tricksters, there is no doubt. Nothing will help the girl in the long term, I am sure.

Unless she is somehow part of the trick.

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FOUR MONTHS LATER UPDATE

Zahid says her husband is well.
So is her daughter.
The Pir Sahab's Chayla (Student!) has done his work.

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I await your response!

Alvin Toffler's Gone!

October 4, 1928 – June 27, 2016

One of my favourite writers, thinkers, futurologists, philosophers.

If you haven't read him yet, start here.

And what a man he was …

Marvin Lee Minsky

(August 9, 1927 – January 24, 2016)

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My friend, Roger Schank - many of you have heard him at Education Conference's in Pakistan - said about Minsky in John Brockman's Edge years ago.

Marvin Minsky is the smartest person I've ever known. He's absolutely full of ideas, and he hasn't gotten one step slower or one step dumber. One of the things about Marvin that's really fantastic is that he never got too old. He's wonderfully childlike. I think that's a major factor explaining why he's such a good thinker. There are aspects of him I'd like to pattern myself after. Because what happens to some scientists is that they get full of their power and importance, and they lose track of how to think brilliant thoughts. That's never happened to Marvin.

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My interest in Marvin Minsky started with this amazing book:

The quote on the cover is from Isaac Asimov:

"270 brilliantly original essays … on how the mind works"

•••••

Marvin's writing was always easily understood in this collection,

(but I found him difficult in some later writings).

Here is an example from the book I've read twice.

•••••

This was soon followed by the

wonderful interactive Voyager CD of the book

(for the Macintosh). Sadly those CDs don't run any more.

•••••

It was 1997 and I attended Nicholas Negroponte's conference for a Young Generation that were going to be Citizens of A New World. Minsky was there, too, and I talked with him very briefly. He was leaving in the next few hours for a trip somewhere.

Later that night many of the participants had dinner together and I bought the Extended Edition of Perceptrons there. This was Marvin Minsky's book written with my hero Seymour Papert.

I had met Papert earlier (having attended two of his lectures, including one in Pakistan), and had gotten to know him well.

My young colleague, Farhat-Said Pervez, attended his lectures at MIT and I met him with her (and her husband, Anjum Pervez) that night again. I got him to autograph my copy of the book but, sadly, Minsky had left, so I didn't have his autograph.

After dinner we moved to a party dance floor at MIT and I met Gloria Minsky, Marvin Minsky's wife, wearing her fabulous red eyeglasses. I had a lot of fun talking to her. We danced, ate some Samosas during our break (they were cooked by the Indian students with one token Pakistani!), and chatted for quite a while. I said to her that I had missed getting Marvin's autograph for the book … and she said I should come over the next morning to his office and she'd meet me there. I said surely he won't be back tomorrow, and she said "No — but bring the book."

I arrived the next morning and she took the book and handed it to Marvin's Secretary, asking her that when Marvin gets back she should get this book autographed and posted to me. I gave them my address but kept wondering if I'd ever get that book back.

In 3 weeks I got the book by post. Wow!

We then sat in his office and had Coffee. She told me about her family. Her work. Her daughter's work at MIT. Then she asked about my life. I spoke to her about running away from Education. My life at sea in the Merchant Navy. And my recent Multimedia work. I mentioned to her at some point that my original family years ago was Jewish. She laughed and said, "You must have been a Minsky, originally." I asked her why did she think so … and she said when you are old you'll see how closely like Marvin your looks are. I just thought that was a crazy thing to say …

•••••

Now two of my friends from MIT tell me I look like him.

Here's Minsky at a Conference.

 •••••

(It was an amazing experience to attend this Conference: Apart from spending time with Nicholas Negrponte, I also met Alan Kay and had a rather long conversation with him — and 18 years later I interviewed him at Beaconhouse School of Tomorrow Conference in Karachi last year. Another wonderful person I met, who is now a close friend of mine, was Shahidul Alam, the brilliant photographer, who is on the Board of National Geographic. Finally, I was also a partner at the student sessions with John Perry Barlow, an essayist, a writer, a human rights activist, and founder of EFF, who was the Lyricist for the Grateful Dead!)