Weekly Roundup: A Tryst With Destiny

Today is India’s 63rd Independence Day (image: Rupal Vaidya, Creative Commons).

In tribute to my country of birth, this edition of Weekly Roundup focuses on writings by, from and of Indian authors (or authors of Indian descent).

1. Innovation and HR’s quest to be strategic, by Gautam Ghosh.

Why: Gautam is an excellent and prolific writer (and friend). He’s managed to parlay his social media savvy and business smarts into the realm of human resources, an area not typically known for either (sorry, HR people, but there you have it).

2. The age of surveillance from The Comic Project.

Why: First Saudi Arabia, then India, made the news by threatening to clamp down on RIM’s BlackBerry service. Anyone interested in transparency – what we deem one of the pillars of social media – should read this post.

3. The ideas of India, by Shashi Tharoor.

Why: A former diplomat, politician and prolific author, Tharoor is anything but shy when it comes to sharing his ideas. And he’s taken to Twitter like a tar ball to tennis shoes. Especially if you’re unfamiliar with India’s history, you should read this.

4. Day 831, by Amitabh Bacchhan.

Image: Kanishka Gangopadhyay, Creative Commons

Why: If you’re unfamiliar with Bollywood (it’s been around much longer than Slumdog Millionaire), the “Big B” is one of the most iconic and influential living Indians.

Think Tom Cruise and JFK rolled into one, then throw a crown on top. I’m not kidding.

The son of Harivansh Rai Bacchhan, one of India’s most beloved modern poets, AB shook the Indian silver screen once he climbed the Bollywood ladder, becoming not just everyman, but the quintessential angry young man.

Apart from being a terrific actor, he’s a gifted writer, both in Hindi as well as English.

This particular post is a poetic look at time and change. And if you can read Hindi, it’s even better.

5. The “Yes, and… ” culture, by Anil Dash.

Why: What if instead of saying, “No, but…” we said, “Yes, and…”? That’s what Dash of Expert Labs fame muses on here.

6. What can Steven Slater learn from a pillow fight on board Lufthansa, by Arun Rajagopal.

Why: first, Arun’s a friend of mine. Now that that disclosure’s out of the way, this is an interesting and different take on the entire Jet Blue ballyhoo.

7. A tryst with destiny, by Jawaharlal Nehru.

Why: I believe this is one of the finest speeches ever written, and given by Jawaharlal Nehru, independent India’s first prime minister, as the clock approached midnight on August 15, 1947.

Here’s a short clip:

What other great writings have you found from Indians and the Indian diaspora? Do share in the comments section below.

Happy Independence Day.

Filed under Weekly Roundup, Writing | Tags: amitabh bacchhan, anil dash, arun rajagopal, gautam ghosh, indian independence day, jawaharlal nehru, shashi tharoor, the comic project, tryst with destiny | Comments (3)

Follow Friday: The Graceland Edition

One of the things that struck me about Elvis’ former home on our recent road trip through Tennessee was just how comfortable it looks.

Graceland’s certainly an imposing structure when seen from afar – or even the front. But once you get inside, the rooms aren’t vast and the furniture looks really comfy. It doesn’t look too much like a rock star’s home, unlike some of the mansions you see on Cribs; it looks like a place you’d want to hang out in.

So this week, I’m highlighting five of my Tweeps in the greater marketing communications community who aren’t just rock stars at what they do; but more importantly, they’re good, honest people whom I feel comfortable with.

1. Robin Lane (@robinhlane). I first came in contact with Robin a few years ago while she was still at Vocus, and have been a fan ever since. She’s an amazing PR professional but more than knowing the mechanics of the business inside out, she builds and maintains relationships.

2. Arik Hanson (@arikhanson). Arik and I started “talking” on Twitter, and finally met at BlogPotomac earlier this year. Boy, is he a nice guy! He knows who he is, but he won’t beat you over the head with it. And that’s saying a lot for someone of his caliber and standing in the community.

3. Leigh Fazzina (@leighfazzina). Will you look at this woman’s bio? My god, what a rock star! But what’s even more amazing about Leigh are her energy and generosity of spirit. Just looking at her avatar is a a pick-me-up.

4. Arun Rajagopal (@arun4). I don’t even remember how Arun and I came across each other, but he’s now one of my closest Twitter friends. He’s great at what he does – advertising – but he’s just FUN to talk to. And he cares; you can tell that from the minute you start talking to him.

5. Judy Gombita (@jgombita). As far as rock stars go, Judy’s at the stratospheric level. We could probably take everything the rest of us know and it would fit on her little finger. But the even greater thing about Judy is that she never lets you get lazy. She’ll challenge – and make you think – about everything you think you know.

There are many more Tweeps who give me immense value – these are just five of them. Even if you don’t work in the PR/MarComm areas, I believe you should get to know them. Because they’re like Graceland: imposing but oh so comfortable to be around.

Who’re your “Graceland” tweeps? I’d love to know.

Filed under Communication, Networking, Public Relations, Social Media, Twitter | Tags: arik hanson, arun rajagopal, followfriday, graceland, judy gombita, leigh fazzina, pr, robin lane, tennessee, Twitter, vocus | Comments (5)