Everything in life starts with Questions, a plan, a strategy and marketing your existence. "You also have to market yourself to God…"

Fourth annual Short Film Online Competition - Cannes 2008. The NFB, in association with the Cannes Short Film Corner and partner YouTube, is proud to announce that the winner of the NFB Online Competition Cannes 2008 is Alonso Alvarez Barreda for his short film Historia de un Letrero (The Story of a Sign) produced in Mexico/U.S.A.

With a stroke of the pen, a stranger transforms the afternoon for another man in this emotionally stirring short film by Alonso Alvarez.

Alonso Alvarez Barreda was born in Mexico City in 1984. He met Alejandro Monteverde, who was still in film school, and since then Alejandro became his friend and mentor. Alonso wrote, produced and directed his first short film, called El Algodonero. His second short film, Historia de un Letrero, was named best short film in the Festival Internacional de Cine en Corto and also won the Hispanoamerican jury award in the Short Shorts Film Festival in Mexico City. It has also been an official selection at the San Diego Latino Film Festival, Cine Festival in San Antonio, Texas, Short Shorts Film Festival Monterrey and Morelos, and in the Short Film Corner in Cannes.

Currently, Historia de un Letrero is part of the regular programming on National TV in Mexico. Alonso lives in Los Angeles.

Dateline: Charlotte, North Carolina - just the other day.

A self-assured lawyer (aren't you all?!) purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars. He then insured them against all the usual hazards to personal property, including fire. Within a month, he had smoked the entire stockpile of those great cigars and had yet to make the first premium payment on the policy although he aggressively filed a claim against the insurance company for his "losses".

1. Resolve to stay brutally optimistic. Seek the opportunity in every difficulty and anticipate the most favorable outcome out of every situation. If you look for something specific, you're likely to find it. When times are tough, we can get better or we can get bitter; it all depends on the lessons we draw from each experience. Optimism is like electricity — very little happens without it. Know this truth: you have all the resources you'll ever need to handle all the challenges you'll ever have. In true emergencies the true you will emerge.

We have taller buildings but shorter tempers; wider freeways but narrower viewpoints; we spend more but have less; we buy more but enjoy it less; we have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, yet less time; we have more degrees but less sense; more knowledge but less judgement; more experts, yet more problems; we have more gadgets but less satisfaction; more medicine, yet less wellness; we take more vitamins but see fewer results. We drink too much; smoke too much; spend too recklessly; laugh too little; drive too fast; get too angry quickly; stay up too late; get up too tired; read too seldom; watch TV too much and pray too seldom.

Capital will go where it is wanted, and stays where it is well treated. It will flee from onerous regulations of its value or use, and no government power can restrain it for long. Far more than any other form of capital, intellectual capital will go where it is wanted, stays where it is well treated, and multiply where it is allowed to earn the greatest return.  Attributed to the late Walter Wriston, former Citibank CEO, and known to the late Sardar Shroff.

Tech Support:  Hello, you've reached the Help Desk for technical support. How can I help you?

Customer: Well, after much consideration,  I've decided to install Love.  Can you guide me though the process?

Tech Support:  Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer:  Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I do first?

Our global, social entrepreneurial experience shows that the largest inventory of dormant, under utilized land bank and uneconomically designed and built assets are under the control of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), universities, counties, small towns and municipalities, port authorities, government departments both at state/province and federal levels, as well as various large industrial complexes, waste/landfill sites, and corporate assets.

Firoz Shroff is pleased to offer a formal organizational mentoring program that has been valuable to entry-level professionals seeking leadership development experience.

Sapporo (A commercial city in Japan - north-western Hokkaido) stadium seating more than 42,000 people! One unique aspect of this stadium is that it is an indoor stadium with the playing field out side; however, when required, the field is moved inside the stadium. Even more dramatic is the feature that rotates the field on its axis once the field is inside. Movement of the field ensures that all the spectators get a spectacular view of the game being played!

Why Lawyers should never ask a witness a question if they aren't prepared for the answer.

In a trial, a Southern small town prosecuting attorney called his first witness to the stand, an elderly, grandmother. The attorney approached her and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know me?"

John is the kind of guy you might love to hate, if you're inclined to express such emotions. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply: If I were any better, I would be twins!

When the archaeologist Howard Carter opened the tomb of King Tutankhamen in 1922, some 33 centuries after it had been sealed, treasures of unimaginable splendor were revealed to an incredulous world. The chambers were filled with golden objects. Surrounding the massive quartzite sarcophagus, which contained the mummy and its magnificent, solid gold death mask, were innumerable artifacts left by the boy king’s faithful subjects to buoy him on his journey to the netherworld.

A friend sent this to us with an encouragement to share it and spread the word.

A friend stumbled and fell during a backyard barbecue, but she got up and reassured everyone that she was fine when they wanted to call the paramedics. It was just her new shoes that caught on something and tripped her up.

With a little help she got cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. She did appear a bit shaken, but everyone continued to enjoy the rest of the afternoon.

It was almost sundown when my friend's husband called to say his wife had been taken to hospital where she passed away. She had suffered a stroke at the barbecue and no one recognized the signs. Some stroke victims don't die, they end up hopelessly helpless, and can live for a long time.

The point of this story is that everyone should be able to recognize the signs of stroke...please read on.