Saturday 29 October 2016

#DhanDaan♿: sharing the wealth

I’m on the advisory board of Wheels for Life which brings together those who need wheelchairs with those who’d like to gift them. I’d like to do something to raise awareness of Wheels for Life, since it’s very new. And so I made an offer on Twitter (slightly edited, merging several tweets):
Not very original, but I’m only copying myself. Some of you may remember this (also here) which I did for @prathambooks? If you promise to make a donation to Wheels for Life, I’ll write you a silly poem, just for you. Most probably a limerick.
You don’t have to donate ₹5000, the cost of one wheelchair (but it would be super if you do). There’s an option to donate via cheque/DD. Or you could choose to volunteer if you prefer: Whatever works for you. Just help me get the word out about Wheels for Life. Oh yes, they haven’t asked me to do this; they don’t even know I'm doing it. (Now they do.)
So this is my personal offer:
Tell me where you’re from, and one thing about you, and get a silly poem, In return, you support Wheels for Life in some way.
Deal?

I also emailed a number of friends, shared a set of fund-raising ideas, and asked if they’d like to offer their skills, time or goods to donors for Wheels for Life. Several people said yes. I posted their offers, and then several more people got in touch with offers. More people saw those, and… you get the picture.
It’s all getting rather complex on Twitter at the moment, so I thought I’d do one post that collected all the offers in one place for easy reference. Here they are.
But first, the terms.
If you’d like to take up any of these generous offers:
• Reply to the offer tweet.
• The person making the offer accepts.
• You make your donation at Wheels for Life’s donation page. WFL takes donations in multiples of ₹5,000. ₹5,000 is the cost of one wheelchair ♿.
• Tweet the transaction number at the person making the offer, me, & @nipunmalhotra, founder of Wheels for Life, who will confirm receipt.
• Person making the offer gets in touch with you and you get your return gift.
p.s.
• You can choose to donate but gift your offer to someone else; let the person making the offer know who it is.

Want to make an offer? I’d be happy to add a few more slots. If you’d like to join in, tweet your offer at me, or email zigzackly at gmail. Make it quantifiable and precise, please. For example: X numbers of a an item you make; Y number of hours/minutes of your time consulting on Z. And include the total number of products or slots you have the time or inclination to give away, or the time up to when your offer is open. For example, X such products or Y such slots are available, up to the end of Z. Also specify things like: any geographic geographic restrictions — only in Bombay, for example — and whether you can email or courier a product; should what you offer be picked up; whether you can provide the service over phone or web chat.
There is a version of this list on Facebook as well, here on Wheels for Life’s page (make sure to follow them there); that page also has a few Facebook-only offers by people who aren’t in Twitter. Of course you could follow the sequence on Twitter, and see the various replies as well, starting from here.


This person… …Is offering this… …If you give this # of ♿s Links to tweets Still open?
01. @surekhapillai, comunications professional and Twitter star, and also the person who persuaded me to try once more to open this up to more people. One hour of consultation for your start-up, via phone or online call. One, two Closed
02. @MaryTKurkalang who has worked 20 years consulting on arts/culture in India and abroad. An offer for aspiring arts professionals.
One hour, via phone or online call on how to pitch an art / culture / book project.
One, two, three Closed
03. @MaryTKurkalang again An offer for aspiring arts professionals.
One hour, via phone or online call on how to start working in the art management space.
One, two, three Closed
04. @prempanicker, writer, journalist, mentor, man-about-town One hour to consult on anything: writing, editing, social media, messaging, in person in Bangalore or via phone or online call. One, two, three Closed
05. @prempanicker again Lunch or coffee with him (when you’re both in the same city) to chat about anything. One, two, three Closed
06. @prempanicker with an offer for organisations. Prem will do a full-day workshop on editing / communications / social media / writing for your organisation. Offer open in Bangalore, but if you pay his fare, anywhere else too. ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ (that's 10, or ₹50,000) One, two, three Closed
07. @Paromadiva, who ran communications at Google India and now at SoftBank International. One hour to consult on brand, reputation & internal/external communications, via phone or online call. One, two Closed
08. @anaggh, who is an entrepreneur, mentor and Twitter star. Anaggh has dreamed up #PolaroidWish, supported by @rockymindia. If you make a donation above ₹1,000, they will send you an expensive pair of sunglasses worth at least twice that. Wheels For Life is one of the four listed charities for this campaign. (Read Anaggh's post here). One, two Closed
09. @anaggh also has a personal offer One to two hours of brainstorming or business discussion with him. Bonus: If in Bombay (& in Bangalore in November), this discussion in person & coffee on Anaggh. One, two, three Closed
10. @samitbasu, cult author, @pi_alize, an amazing illustrator and future superstar, and me Samit has kindly offered to share rhyming duties with me. (Same brief: in your reply, tell us one thing about you and where you're from.) And Pi will illustrate your poem. One, two, three, four, five Closed
11. @Meetasengupta education strategist & coach & writer An hour of coaching time on the phone on how to Plan to be a CxO for future leaders; via phone or online call One, two Closed
12.@Aparna executive coach & author Corporate leadership mini coaching: three 30-minute sessions over two months; via phone or online call ♿ ♿ (that's ₹10,000) One, two Closed
13. @Aparna with her chef's toque on A two-hour pahaadi cooking class plus lunch with her at her home, plus a copy of her The Sood Family Cookbook. This offer is Delhi/NCR only. One, two Closed
14. @krishashok, musician, firestarter & brain the size of a planet An hour's lesson on how to compose and record music digitally at home & sound semi-professional; via phone or online call.
(Have you tuned in to his Soundcloud?)
One, two Closed
15. @TheRestlessQuil, editor, writer, and now artist She will send you two watercolour paintings (see Tweets for samples) One, two Closed
16. @NakulShenoy, magician Meet Nakul over tea, discuss & perform magic (in Bangalore, or when you & he are in the same city) One, two Closed
17. @NakulShenoy, magician Get a free seat (or 50% off on two seats) in his magic workshop (Bangalore, Nov. 26-27) ♿ ♿ (that's ₹10,000) Three Closed
18. @atti_cus, lawyer and writer Two hours of legal advice or discussion in Delhi (or via the phone / online call) One, two Closed
19. @RushinaMG, culinary expert, consultant, teacher and writer Two seats (a cooking date!) at a special @RushinaMG Eggciting Breakfasts Masterclass followed by brunch, on Nov 13 in Bombay. One, two, three Closed
20. @madmanweb, chef, writer, singer and, now, portrait photographer A "profile candid package" as described here One, two, three Closed
21. @calamur, TV professional and blogger An hour on script / concept / character development and writing structure for a show or script.
Harini is offering four such (one-off) slots in November. Ideally, face-to-face in Mumbai, or if she and you are in the same city at some point, otherwise via phone or online call.
One, two, three Closed
22. @nilanjanaroy, author, columnist, critic, speaker, aspiring cat-herder, dear friend Nilanjana will give you and three friends you choose an exclusive three- to four-hour walk through literary Delhi. She will arrange transport and meeting location plus light snacks. She is offering three such walks at mutually convenient dates over November and December. One, two, three, four Closed
23. @devangshudatta, friend, polymath, raconteur, finance wiz and much else DD will teach you a basic trend-following technical trading system (approx one hour) over phone or internet video call, or if you're in Delhi & he is feeling sociable, in person.
To those who take this offer, DD is also offering follow-up lessons: 1 ♿ per one-hour session on trading systems / refinements.
♿ (+ ♿ per follow-up session) One, two, three, four Closed
24. @devangshudatta again. (Did I mention he has a ridiculously unfair amount of brains?) This is for chess players (beginning or intermediate). A 1-hour chess basics lesson from @devangshudatta. Example subjects:
- a given opening
- how to mate with B+N
- basic pawn endgames
- basic rook endgames
etc
One, two, three Closed
25. @amritat, author, TV journalist, entrepreneur, activist A one-hour consultation on social media/media outreach/writing via phone or internet video call One, two Closed
26. @amritat again, with her author hat on Be immortalised! Get a starring role in a (short) short story she will write ♿ ♿ ♿ (₹15,000) One Closed
27. @ashoklalla, digital & marketing advisor, speaker, startup mentor For aspiring digital marketing folks and start-ups:
Get 30 minutes of digital marketing business or career advice over a phone call
One, two Closed
28. @ashoklalla again 90 minutes on digital marketing business or advice. Face to face over coffee if in Bangalore (Ashok will pay) or via phone or internet video call ♿ ♿ (₹10,000) One Closed
29. @mahimkajerry, award-winning author, poet, columnist Jerry will read a manuscript you send him over email and offer an edit. He is open to do five such MSes. (One has already been claimed) One, two, three Closed
30. @rucsb, HR leader, mentor, influencer 30 minutes to one hour of career development coaching or mentoring One, two Closed
31. @SanSip, ad guy, book critic and blogger A thorough assessment plus suggestions for improvement, for an unpublished novel or short story One, two Closed
32. @GautamGhosh, HR maven & consultant, pioneering blogger One hour of consultation on HR, social media, HR tech, personal branding One, two Closed
33. @GautamGhosh again An offer for organisations
A one-day programme on social media for your HR team. Offer is in Bangalore, but can be made available in other places if you pay for his travel
♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ (that's 10, or ₹50,000) One, two Closed
34. @saffrontrail, food writer, consultant blogger A 90-minute healthy cooking / salad-making workshop for you & one other person
This offer has been taken. Nandita has time for only one slot.
One, two Closed.
35. @DeathEndsFun, old pal, author, columnist, blogger Dilip will serenade you or a person you choose with songs on his blues harmonica. He says, "Willing to play Jaaneman Jaaneman Sounds of Silence (or any of a number of other songs)."
Offer available in Mumbai, but also via Internet video if that works for you.
One, two, three, four Closed
36. @DeathEndsFun with his author hat on. One hour with Dilip to talk about what he believes will improve your writing. In person in Bombay or via phone or Internet video call One Closed
37. And @DeathEndsFun plays tennis One hour of tennis with Dilip as his guest at Bandra Gymkhana (Bombay). One Closed
38. @rochellepotkar, writer and poet Rochelle will chat with you over coffee for one or two hours, then write you a haibun (a prose-poem) based on your life, just for you. Offer claimable in Bombay or if you and she are in the same city in the near future. One, two, three Closed
39. @KiranManral, novelist and blogger, colleague from so long ago that both of us aren't talking about it. For as-yet-unpublished writers, a one-hour (phone) chat on how to get your manuscript done and how to approach publishers. One, two Closed
40. @LadyAshBorg, good buddy and very successful entrepreneur A half-hour session on founding early-stage tech startups and/or fundraising (or related matters). In person in Chennai or if you and she are in the same city in the near future, otherwise via phone or Internet video chat.
She only has the time to offer two such sessions in the immediate future, so grab them quickly.
Statutory warning: do not make silly jokes about AI, or invite her to speak in a #manel.
One, two, three Closed
41. @amitvarma, writer, blogger, poker wiz and, professional limerick writer A 16-line poem adapted to any context you want. For example, you want the poem starring you and a purple cow duelling Amit? Amit will deliver.
NOTE: Amit's poems have proven hugely popular, and we don't want him to burn out, delightful as his verse is. So we're upping the ante here, and saying THREE wheelchairs for one of his poems
♿ ♿ ♿ One, two, three Closed
42. @udhay_shankar, counsellor to start-ups and co-founder of @thegoaproject A 30-minute session with Udhay in which he will critique your business plan and offer suggestions One, two, three Closed
43. @krisudayasankar, author For budding writers: critical feedback on a piece of your writing (fiction or poetry, up to one thousand words) One, two Closed
44. @PedestrianPoet, poet Get a critique and an edit for your poem.
Harnidh is also game to take up any poetry writing challenge you throw at her, for the same kind of donation.
One, two, three Closed
45. @SumanaMukherjee, friend, editor, writer, f̶o̶o̶d̶i̶e̶ bonne vivante A 1-month, twice-weekly supply of home-baked bread. Choice of breakfast loaves, foccacias, partybrots, etc. Can be customised. (You will have to pick up from central Bangalore) One, two, three Closed
46. @kishiarora, pastry chef, and her mother, @mamaktreats Two brownie cakes by Kishi, plus one Banarasi/Punjabi cooking class by her mum One, two Closed
47. @jackerhack & @zainabbawa, old friends and founders of @hasgeek A free ticket to any hasgeek conference of your choice. Check their site for upcming events, and tag @hasgeek to claim. One, two, three Closed
48. Meghna Gill of @studioGDA, architect & designer. See her company's work here A two-hour design consultancy to anyone looking for interior design inputs for any interior projects, be it residential, office, retail, etc. In Mumbai in person or elsewhere over web chat. One, two, three Closed
49. @SimonaTerron, journalist, writer, voice-over artist, PR & media consultant Her handmade, natural spa products
-Lemongrass Refresher Fizzy Foot Soaks
-Lavender for LaLaLand Massage Oil
-Peppermint Perk Up Body Scrub
She will fill four such orders.
She will speedpost the soak or the scrub to anywhere in India. The massage oil is only for those in Mumbai.
One, two, three, four, five Closed
50. @SimonaTerron again, with her voice-over artist hat on A silly voicemail/festive greeting message in a funny style/accent of your choice.
Mail her the script (under 60 seconds) and required style/accent; she'll email you the audio track within 48 hours.
One, two, three Closed
51. @MissGoobe, a wildlife photographer, A framed print of one of her images. Contact her to see samples of her work. One, two Closed
52. @kritimonga, designer, artist, calligrapher, who I am a huge fan of. See her work here, and specifically her calligraphy here An artwork of your name (or a short phrase / quote / word) in her exquisite calligraphy.
Send her the word or phrase, or a Twitter-style short bio for the name, & she'll draw her interpretation in expressive lettering.
One, two, three, four Closed
53. Sudarshan Purohit @connectmc, translator, editor and critic Sudarshan will critique/edit an up-to-5K-word fiction piece. One, two Closed
54. @JSV76, art curator She runs Indiancolours, which licenses the art of top Indian contemporary artists & adapts them to objects of everyday use, She will give you ₹1500 worth of products from Indiancolours One, two Closed
55. @kkrathlete, a professional cyclist & current national MTB Champion He will do a three-hour MTB trail ride with you, advise you on technique, and chat about becoming a champ. Bangalore area only. One, two Closed
56. Rohit Nayak, who runs @canvasnchrome, an adventure company A free weekend camping/trek trip, from Mumbai or Pune. One, two Closed
57. Arundhati Ghosh​, who has worked many, many years in the arts space. 90 minutes advice on how to raise funds for an arts project. In person in Bangalore if she's feeling up to it, or via phone/web chat Fb link (scroll to the bottom of the post) Closed
58. Rekha Nigam​, former advertising creative director, now a film writer and transcreator Rendition (translation) of any public service message or film into Hindi or any other Indian language Fb link (scroll to the bottom of the post) Closed
59. Rekha Nigam again Screenwriting advice. Rekha will read your subject for a movie, and mentor you on how to structure it. She could read it through various stages and offer you advice on detangling knotty issues. ♿ ♿ (₹10,000) Fb link (scroll to the bottom of the post) Closed
60. @bigfatphoenix, game designer and one of the funniest writers I know. A workshop for you or your org (in Bangalore) on one of these topics
- Game design
- Using a design thinking approach to solve problems
- Guided tour of the history of humour in videogames
♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ ♿ (₹25,000) One, two, three Closed
61. @bigfatphoenix again A one-hour phone/web chat with you on any of those topics
OR
An hour of feedback (phone/web) on the UX of a game or app you may be developing
One, two, three Closed
62. @indianoceanband, a band I adore Attend an @indianoceanband practice/jam session. Delhi/NCR area only. One, two Closed
63. @indianoceanband again Get a personalised birthday or anniversary wish and an acoustic song sung for a specific person by the band. the song can be delivered by phone, web chat, Whatsapp. email ed video, whatever. One, two Closed
64. And again, @indianoceanband One or more band members MAY be able to come over to serenade someone for you. How many ♿s would you donate?
Please note. Though Indian Ocean plays all around the world, they rarely have time in the cities they perform in to do something like this. So, if at all they consider doing this, the (slim) likelihood is that it will be in the Delhi/NCR area, their home base. Please check with me on this before you choose.
One, two Closed
65. @SimmSareen, food blogger Her site: bombayfoodie A goodie bag. Choose from:
- Shortbread cookies + caramel sauce + superfood granola
Or
Any cookies or cake
One, two Closed
66. One more from @SimmSareen A two-hour cooking class for up to two people One Closed
67. @neo_pac shamanic & energy healer & psychological astrologer One-hour healing session One Closed
68. @Mayank1029, journalist & business management graduate who specialised in financial markets & stock pricing A one-hour session on basics of personal finance or finance One, two Closed
69. @Mayank1029 again, this time as a poet A poem in Hindi and English One Closed
70. @sidin, author, journalist & blogger Name a character in Sidin's next novel. ♿ ♿ (₹10,000) One, two Closed
71. @rashmid9, a business coach with over 30 years corporate/media HR experience Two hours of HR/talent advisory &/or business coaching (in Mumbai or over Skype) One, two Closed
72. @SK_Vaze, performance consultant A one-hour session on personal branding / international business etiquette One, two, three Closed
73. @SK_Vaze again: he's a former hotels professional Talk hospitality for an hour One, two, three Closed
74. @strayatheart, canine behaviourist A one-hour consult + email follow up on any issue: aggression, fear, anxiety One, two Closed
75. @jasuja, payments wiz One hour (via phone/webchat) to discuss digital payments, digital commerce in india & trends worldwide. One, two Closed
76. @jasuja again Two-hour crash course (via phone/webchat) in product management for consumer payment products. ♿ ♿ (₹10,000) One, two, three Closed
77. @jasuja, yet again One-hour consult on how to transition from an engineering job > finding your calling in product management Two such slots open. In person in Delhi/Mumbai or via phone/web chat. One, two, three Closed
78. Ayesha Thomas, one of my former interns, now all grow'd up and a theatre professional A two hour drama workshop with 6-8 kids (ages eight to fifteen), but only in January. This is only via Facebook. ♿ ♿ (₹10,000) Fb link (scroll to the bottom of the post) Closed
79. @chhavi, podcasting professional, who also teaches podcasting workshops Get a free seat at two of her workshops (1. intro to podcast 2. editing workshop) or two at either one. Seat value; ₹2,500 each. The workshops are in Bombay (early December) & Delhi (January). One, two, three Closed
80. @rashmid, former journalist and communications professional, now am arts entrepreneur A one-hour mentoring session (phone/webchat) on working in the arts. One, two Closed
81. @rashmid again A a one-hour consult on your communications for your arts/culture project One, two Closed
82. @nehadara, travel writer and editor A critique of two 1000–1500-word travel pieces or one longer piece of up to 2500 words with detailed comments and suggestions for improvements. And a follow-up 15-minute phone chat explaining the critique and answering any questions the writer has. One, two, three Closed
83. @Chinmayi, singer, entrepreneur, voice-over artist First row seats to a Chinmayi concert for you &/or 2 or 3 pals. (Wherever she is performing.) One, two Closed
84. @Chinmayi again A personalised birthday/anniversary wish + an acoustic song sung for a specific person sung by Chinmayi One, two Closed
85. One more from @Chinmayi How many ♿s would you bid for a 30-minute concert, where she will sing free, but you pay her band? Offer in Chennai, or if she is performing in your city. Limited offers open. You can make your bids to Chinmayi directly or via me. One, two Closed
86. Artist and teacher @zaiuranjit He's donating one of his paintings, Dreamscape - II (8x10in, acrylic on canvas). One Closed
87. @AnantRangaswami, former advertising professional, now a journalist and teacher (he lectures in colleges on advertising and marketing Two hours of his time to talk about anything you think he can help with. He's offering one two-hour slot per week, eight such slots, one ♿ per slot One, two, three Closed
YOU Your offer Open
A very happy Deepavali / Diwali to you and yours.

Thursday 27 October 2016

Sell yourself (for your favourite charity or cause)

A little while ago, I did a little Twitter experiment (here's the Storify, but here's the short version): I offered to write bespoke silly poems for anyone who asked, in return for a donation to a good cause.

It occurred to me that so many people I know are in a much, much better position to offer their friends and followers something of value in return for a charitable contribution.

(I did try suggesting something like this as a #DaanUtsavAuction but that didn't take off. This later version was prompted by Surekha Pillai's suggestion.)

If you want to fund-raise or increase awareness for a cause dear to your heart, here are some suggestions. Please take them with my good wishes.

1.
a. Some of you are much better at nonsense poems than I am. Why not offer to do some for your fans?
b. Or you're a poet who wouldn't be caught dead doing nonsense verse. You could offer a short, personalised, sensible poem instead. : )

2.
Some of you are great artists, cartoonists, calligraphers (calligraphists?), photographers. Offer a personalised drawing, cartoon, caricature, a beautifully written name someone could use on their visiting cards or other stationery, a portrait photo for a donor's social media / public photo?

3.
Some of you are in the performing arts, performers or impresarios. Offer a ticket to your next show.

4.
All of you are people with valuable skills. Could you offer an hour of your time? (For example, one friend, who is a communications consultant, has offered to let me offer one hour of consultancy for start-ups on communication issues they may face.) This service could be via email, phone, Skype, whatever you're comfortable with.

5.
Are you writing a book? Offer to name a minor character after a donor.

6.
Do you make films? Maybe offer a walk-on or bystander role to a donor.

7.
If you run some kind of service that requires paid membership, you could offer a limited time membership to a donor. If you run something where people buy stuff, offer a free drink or meal, or a free WhatYouMake,

8.
You're a star, in real life as well as on social media. How about offering a selfie with you to donors? Or lunch with you, or a coffee? Or a certain number of Retweets? Or a follow on Twitter or a #FF recommendation?

9.
Want to do a dare? "I will walk around India Gate shirtless if you donate." "I will jump into a water body fully clothed and post a video of it if you donate." "I will offer Raj Thackeray a visa to Pakistan." (More suggestions?)

11.
Any other suggestions on what kind of stuff generous people like you can offer?

Please do pass this around to people you think might like to do something like this.

Thanks for reading!

Monday 10 October 2016

The audacity of grope

• Called Mexican Americans drug-dealers, criminals, and rapists.
• Belittled John McCain's POW ordeal (whatever your opinion of his politics, or of war in general, the man was quiet a hero in the wars he fought)
• Imitated and mocked a disabled reporter's lack of motor control
• Called for a complete ban on Muslims entering the USA
• Asked his supporters at a rally to knock the crap out of hecklers
• Said he would bring back custodial torture worse than waterboarding
• Didn't disavow a former Ku Klux Klan leader's endorsement
• Mocked the looks of a rival's wife
• Said that a Mexican-born judge wouldn't judge impartially
• Mocked the Muslim parents of a soldier who died fighting for the USA
• Dog-whistled a threat of gun violence to his Democratic Party rival
• Called the current US president and his Democratic Party rival the founders of ISIS
• Mocked refugees
• Mocked fat people
(All of the above on the campaign trail. From stage.)
• May not have paid taxes for 18 years thanks to some slick lawyering
• Shafted shareholders while ensuring he got paid really well
• Got his charitable foundation to buy him stuff and pay for expenses he committed to personally
• Didn't give his own money to his own foundation for at least 15 years
• Got other people to put money into his foundation and then donated that money, taking credit for generosity
• May have raped his first wife
• Has a hearing coming up for raping a minor

And it's only when a tape comes up that catches him bragging about sexually assaulting women that you unendorse him?

What took you so long, Republican party fellows?

ICICI Bank wins over the women

Best thing I've seen today.
The original video was here This comment thread was later deleted by ICIC Bank's social media people, so I'm glad I screen-grabbed them. If you know any of these ladies, please give them my salaams.

The audacity of dope

The truly amazing thing Rump* has done is make chaps like Pence look like reasonable alternatives. Pence. Who wanted a law making it mandatory for women who had miscarriages to have funerals for the the foetuses. Who wanted to divert funds for HIV research to curing homosexuality.

Now where have I seen this thing — the views of batshit extremists being given publicity and then their slightly less batshit buddies look reasonable — before?

*I'm just calling him that from now on, okay?