RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

Pizza Delivery girls for Domino's do not have some close relationship with the people who order Pizzas. They probably don't even remember them. So, when delivery girl Susan realized that a particular elder woman had mysteriously stopped ordering pizzas. What reason, did she even have to notice? Maybe somebody opened a Pizza Hut nearby. Maybe the lady stopped eating Pizzas.

But on a hunch, Susan drove out to the lady's house. She banged on the door. No answer. She banged on a window. Nothing. Finally she got a neighbor to call 911.

Stop and think about how foolish she would have looked if she were wrong here. Maybe the lady was just on vacation, maybe she had just run out to the store, maybe she would be furious that a stupid pizza delivery driver was nosing into her business. But when the cops came and forced the door, there was the old lady, lying where she had fallen three days earlier, unable to get to a phone.

No one else had checked on her, and no one else was going to. Except for pizza delivery woman Susan who had every right in the world to just shrug and go on with her day.

IT PAYS TO CARE.

Living

An American in Hollywood

An American in Hollywood tells the story of the Trials and Tribulations a young band of wannabe’s chasing their Hollywood dream. It tells the story well and you do identify with their troubles and terrors.

What’s good about it- The story telling is great. The plot weaves seamlessly into the “boysie” talk commentary which is told through a stand-up comedy show and a “girlsie” gossip session which provides a cynical commentary on the plot.

The music is awesome and rhymes so unobtrusively into the script that by the time you understand what the songs were telling you and realize how well it was done you are into the next scene.

The cast live parts and that’s all you can ask for.

What could have been better: The editing could have been more raspy and crisp for a movie like this. The dissolves and fade outs did not work for me. The superhero analogy was a good idea as was the voice-over but was a bit overdone.

Final Verdict- The sincerity of the intent and the hard work shows through the lack of money and somewhat tacky look of the film. What shines through is the heart and soul of the film and the unique story telling style. If this is not enough Azur-De provides the “Drool Value”. Go watch it, cheer for the independent movie makers and your dollars would be well spent.

Message- All you wannabes'... Pursue your dream. Even if you do not get as far you dreamed, the journey will be worth it. As the soundtrack says "If you got this far..." Go watch the movie and live the dreams you've hidden in your closets

Way to go V-TwinZ…You ROCK

The simple art of collaboration

There once was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won the best "Corn Grower Award".  As the years passed it was observed that the

• ·         Farmer was getting a better yield and continuing to improve the quality of corn
• ·         Difference between the yield and quality of the award winning farmer and his neighbours was coming down and the neighbours were catching up
• ·         The coming years would no longer be a one horse race
• ·         Overall production from the area had more than doubled and the quality of corn had also improved significantly 
• Researchers attributed it to the soil, rainfall and general climate but this did not satisfy one particularly persistent researcher who discovered that the award winning farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbours. 
• "How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbours when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the researcher asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbours grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbours grow good corn."

This simple farmer had learnt and implemented the art of sharing much before the management gurus of the world started marketing “collaboration” as a strategic initiative.

If we are to germinate and implement good ideas we work with those around us to help them do the same as cross pollination of ideas leads to greater innovation. 
As it is with farming and business so it is with our lives. Those who choose to live in peace must help their neighbours to live in peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.
       

·         This is an anonymous story which I have adapted to suit the context of today.