Limbo

If there’s one thing that stands out about Thomas Ikimi’s first feature film “Limbo”, it’s that despite of (or perhaps because of?) being shot on digital black and white video, this is one impressive looking film. Ikimi clearly has a good eye for frame composition, and there’s an innate intelligence on the screen and laudable ambition behind the script that you just don’t see a lot in low-budget independent films. Purportedly made for under $10,000, “Limbo” makes a fine first feature, even if it does get a bit ponderous at times, and the middle is not quite as sharp as the rest of the film.

Christopher Russo stars as the improbably named Adam Moses, a lawyer with a shady past who comes into possession of incriminating evidence against a crime boss. When the Mafioso’s attempts to pay for said evidence is spurned, the service of a notorious assassin who never misses is called for. Lured to a city rooftop, Adam is subsequently shot, but death doesn’t come. Instead, our man wakes up from the assassination attempt, unharmed, and for reasons unknown, finds himself stuck in a seemingly endless loop that repeats itself every hour, leaving only Adam to remember the hour previous.

Although the world continues on, resetting every hour, Adam remembers everything that has transpired. His only clue is the attempt on his life, which sends him in search of answers. Adam believes that the answers lie in his capturing of the elusive assassin. Or does it? Is Adam dead, and somehow existing only in limbo, trapped between Heaven and Hell? If that’s the case, why does a woman named Rebecca (Etya Dudko), who Adam first meets in a bar, also seems to be stuck in limbo as he?

For much of its first hour, and despite occurrences of a fantastical element like a time loop, “Limbo” is fashioned very much like an old fashion detective story, the noir qualities of those old stories made even more obvious by the black and white. It’s only later on when, in a spurt of manic anger, Adam kills a homeless man, that the film takes on more overt philosophical intentions. And because “Limbo” (purposely) has none of the whimsical of the similarly themed “Groundhog Day”, Adam’s actions do not involve hitting on the pretty girl in hopes of getting laid, but rather trying to keep himself from continually killing that mugger who keeps trying to mug him, or harming that prostitute who refuses to “just talk”.

God, religion, the nature of man’s free will, and what one should or should not do if there were no consequence to his actions, all come to the fore before all is said and done. These are, without a doubt, pretty heady topics, and Ikimi certainly knows more than his share of Philosophy 101. “Limbo” is indeed a very intellectual film, and if one were uninterested in the subject, one might be inclined to calling Ikimi and his movie overly pretentious. Then again, the fact that the film knows its subject very well would seem to indicate that “Limbo” is very much a heartfelt approach to, as well as a genuine attempt to explore, the subject matter at hand.

A major plus for “Limbo” is leading man Christopher Russo, who carries the entire film from beginning to end like a champ. Russo is a fine actor, and to watch the character slowly unravel from a man who thought he had left his checkered past behind to a man who slowly comes to embrace what he once was, you can’t help but wonder why this guy hasn’t done anything major yet. Less successful are the rest of the cast, but because Ikimi’s script is so Adam-centric, this isn’t an insult. Etya Dudko has little to do as Rebecca. Likewise with John Holt, as a stranger who seems to know what’s going on, or perhaps he’s just crazy.

Another sign of “Limbo’s” success is that you wouldn’t know the film was low-budget if nobody told you. It is that visually impressive, not an easy feat considering the digital video format, which has never been all that kind to visually-inclined filmmaking. Ikimi and company have a fantastic understanding of cinematic aesthetics, and take every natural advantage supplied by the choice to use black and white. Despite some slow spots in the middle, it’s startling how good “Limbo” is, especially for a first feature shot on a meager budget. Mark Thomas Ikimi as a filmmaker to watch.

You can watch/download it here..http://www.jaman.com/movie/Limbo/0QtZDraGdlOk/

A SOULFUL RELATIONSHIP

A SOULFUL RELATIONSHIP

by Ronald McFadden

f you're not married yet, share this with a friend.

If you are married, share it with your spouse or other married couples and reflect on it.

An African proverb states, "Before you get married, keep both eyes open, and after you marry, close one eye."

Before you get involved and make a commitment to someone, don't let lust, desperation, immaturity, ignorance, pressure from others or a low self-esteem, make you blind to warning signs.

Keep your eyes open, and don't fool yourself that you can change someone or that which you see as faults aren't really important.

Once you decide to commit to someone, over time his or her flaws, vulnerabilities, pet peeves, and differences will become more obvious.

If you love your mate and want the relationship to grow and evolve, you've got to learn to close one eye and not let every little thing bother you.

You and your mate have many different expectations, emotional needs, values, dreams, weaknesses, and strengths.

You are two unique individual children of God who have decided to share a life together.

Neither of you are perfect, but are you perfect for each other?

Do you bring out the best in each other?

Do you compliment and compromise with each other, or do you compete, compare, and control?

What do you bring to the relationship?

Do you bring past relationships, past hurt, past mistrust, past pain?

You can't take someone to the altar to alter him or her.

You can't make someone love you or make someone stay.

If you develop self-esteem, spiritual discernment, and "a life", you won't find yourself making someone else responsible for your happiness or responsible for your pain.

Manipulation, control, jealousy, neediness, and selfishness are not the ingredients of a thriving, healthy, loving and lasting relationship!

Seeking status, sex, wealth, and security are the wrong reasons to be in a relationship.

What keeps a relationship strong?

Communication, intimacy, trust, a sense of humor, sharing household tasks, some getaway time without business or children and daily exchanges (a meal, shared activity, a hug, a call, a touch, a note).

Leave a nice message on the voicemail or send an email.

Share common goals and interests.

Learn each other's family situation.

Respect his / her parents...regardless.

Don't put pressure on each other for material goods.

Remember "for richer or for poorer..."

If these qualities are missing, the relationship will erode as resentment, withdrawal, abuse, neglect, dishonesty, and pain replace the passion.

The difference between 'United' and 'Untied' is where you put the " i "

"Beyond Salmon"

I stumbled across a delightful blog by a very delightful lady,Helen Rennie.I use the words "delightful lady" to describe someone whom I have never met or even communicated through the net and whose blog i came upon just 5 mins ago of my blogging on her blog, for the simple reason that 5 mins of skimming through her blog,her passion and love for what she does for a living shone through it.She is a culinary instructor.No big deal one might opine.Read her profile in her blog,the link of which I have given in the title...and you will know just what I am talking about here.




Bon Appetit

“The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination”

J.K. Rowling, author of the best-selling Harry Potter book series, delivers her Commencement Address, “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination,” at the Annual Meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association.

http://harvardmagazine.com/go/jkrowling.html

On a tangential note...how come all the Ivy league business schools invite world famous people who haven't ever studied at the aforementioned schools,who haven't even finished college (well most of them) to deliver the key note address to their students on importance of dreaming,achieving goals...basically being successful and also loving what they do? I mean students dream about getting into these Ivy leagues and after slogging their gluteus maximus off for their graduation,end up being told on THEIR day that they were better off dreaming elsewhere.....
Harvard even has a case study in their curriculum on........"What they dont teach you at Harvard business school" byMark McCormack.

Go on folks...dream...and if you can make gallons of green-backs through it...tell me your secret:)

DIY

For all you DIY's out there and believe me there ARE certain things which one is better of DIY than OUT-SOURCING them. lolll.The above link dares to answer all the queries one might have,in high quality video presentation.I use th word "dare" literally 'cos this is one portal which makes no bones about the fact that some of their "solutions" are down right moronic.In fact they seem to be pretty smug about it and have passed it on as some kind of Kafkaesque humor (what, you nerds don't believe that Kafka had a sense of humor??).

So go on folks,be a true blue DIY expert..:P

So you want to be more creative - by Hugh McLeod

So you want to be more creative, in art, in business, whatever. Here are some tips that have worked for me over the years:

1. Ignore everybody.

2. The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to change the world.

3. Put the hours in.

4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being "discovered" by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.

5. You are responsible for your own experience.

6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.

7. Keep your day job.

8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.

9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.

10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.

11. Don't try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.

12. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.

13. Never compare your inside with somebody else's outside.

14. Dying young is overrated.

15. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.

16. The world is changing.

17. Merit can be bought. Passion can't.

18. Avoid the Watercooler Gang.

19. Sing in your own voice.

20. The choice of media is irrelevant.

21. Selling out is harder than it looks.

22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.

23. Worrying about "Commercial vs. Artistic" is a complete waste of time.

24. Don't worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.

25. You have to find your own schtick.

26. Write from the heart.

27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.

28. Power is never given. Power is taken.

29. Whatever choice you make, The Devil gets his due eventually.

30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.

31. Remain frugal.

Eight simple anger management tips

One of the biggest obstacles to personal and career success is anger. When we fail to control our anger, we suffer several blows:

• Anger impedes our ability to be happy, because anger and happiness are incompatible.
  
• Anger sends marriages and other family relationships off-course.
  
• Anger reduces our social skills, compromising other relationships, too.
  
• Anger means lost business, because it destroys relationships.
  
• Anger also means losing business that you could have won in a more gracious mood.
  
• Anger leads to increased stress (ironic, since stress often increases anger).
  
• We make mistakes when we are angry, because anger makes it harder to process information.
  

People are beginning to wake up to the dangers of anger and the need for anger management skills and strategies. Many people find anger easy to control. Yes, they do get angry. Everybody does. But some people find anger easier to manage than others. More people need to develop anger management skills.

For those who have a tough time controlling their anger, an anger management plan might help. Think of this as your emotional control class, and try these self-help anger management tips:

ANGER MANAGEMENT TIP #1
Ask yourself this question: "Will the object of my anger matter ten years from now?" Chances are, you will see things from a calmer perspective.

ANGER MANAGEMENT TIP #2
Ask yourself: "What is the worst consequence of the object of my anger?" If someone cut in front of you at the book store check-out, you will probably find that three minutes is not such a big deal.

ANGER MANAGEMENT TIP #3
Imagine yourself doing the same thing. Come on, admit that you sometimes cut in front of another driver, too ... sometimes by accident. Do you get angry at yourself?

ANGER MANAGEMENT TIP #4
Ask yourself this question: "Did that person do this to me on purpose?" In many cases, you will see that they were just careless or in a rush, and really did not mean you any harm.

ANGER MANAGEMENT TIP #5
Try counting to ten before saying anything. This may not address the anger directly, but it can minimize the damage you will do while angry.

ANGER MANAGEMENT TIP #6
Try some "new and improved" variations of counting to ten. For instance, try counting to ten with a deep slow breathe in between each number. Deep breathing -- from your diaphragm -- helps people relax.

ANGER MANAGEMENT TIP #7
Or try pacing your numbers as you count. The old "one-steamboat-two-steamboat, etc." trick seems kind of lame to me. Steamboats are not the best devices to reduce your steam. How about "One-chocolate-ice-cream-two-chocolate-ice-cream", or use something else that you find either pleasant or humorous.

ANGER MANAGEMENT TIP #8
Visualize a relaxing experience. Close your eyes, and travel there in your mind. Make it your stress-free oasis.

If these tips do not help and you still feel you lack sufficient anger management skills, you might need some professional help, either in the form of a therapist specializing in anger management or a coach with a strong background in psychology.