The Real Jack Sparrow
May 26, 2007 — whatthecrap? ____whatthecrap@wordpress.com picture—-give the credit at all times!
Riveroflifelisajoy’s Weblog
Just another WordPress.com weblogArchive for February, 2008
TWICE REMOVED- reflections on losing a loved one to skizophrenia — by RIVEROFLIFELISAJOY
This picture was painted with water color and it is called “hunger in a box” in August 2007 by riveroflifelisajoy.—It represents the lack of understanding, and lack of support for the families of those suffering with skizophrenia in todays society.
It is the last and final taboo that no one wants to talk about in 2008 and before. Maybe things will change as people open up a forum and talk about the dilemmas that are created for the families of the afflicted persons.
This little essay is based on the poem…”Don’t love me too much.–by riveroflifelisajoy (me). My husband was a corrections officer for seven years , he was hired and had to withstand psychological evaluation and he had passed.
Yet after seven years of being a corrections officer at RikersIsland, a father, homeowner, owner of three cars, and a time share in the Poconos, and husband –we, He and I had stood looking at the crossroads.
We had come to the end of our journey together. In sickness and in health, till death do us part. I even allowed myself to state that I would honor and obey him to the gasp of all in the church during our wedding. People were shocked for some reason.
For today’s women they want to be much more independent than that. How could I want to honor….but much worse….OBEY? Malachi? I think that the women in the church thought I had brought them back 100 years before the femminist revolution.
Who cares? I thought; Malachi had proven himself trust worthy. His gentle ways, and care and concern were continuous throughout our 2 1/2 year relationship before our marriage.
He gave utmost care and compassion to my mother and her problems with her house. My Malachi painted the rooms of my mother’s house before he married me.
He did not try to take advantage of my mother by asking her for money or loans of any type. Instead he allowed her to ask him for help which he gave without financial gain. He told me that since I lived with my mother, that he wanted me in a nice looking house.
He wanted me happy and healthy. One day he picked me up from work and then pulled over and proposed to me. I was warmed and at peace—I said yes. It was beautiful.
When Malachi became a corrections officer he changed after a few years on the job. That job is difficult and stressful. Things have changed quite a bit from those days (1995)….or so I have heard.
Before my dear Malachi had a goal to become a minister–but then his attitude began to change after we purchased our home. He had worked atleast 70 to 80 hours per week of overtime to make the money to buy our home.
After that it seemed that the stress took its affect.
Losing him affected me and our child and further more the entire extention of Malachi’s family–His family lived in deep denial and blamed and attacked me on behalf of Malachi.
His family also was quite well off finanically and could afford to care for him without him taking out social security benefits at the young age of 35 years old.
They did not want my son to aquire social secuity benefits because I would be the person in charge of the money that would come to my son. I would also be eligible as a legally married woman…which of course I was and still am.
My son stood to receive $700.00 per month based on his father’s disability.
Therefore, my mother inlaw bluntly informed me that I was to go back home to my mother because I was going to lose my house; and that I would crawl on the ground for the rest of my life for money.
I returned home to my mother and I did lose my house. My son has never received “child support”, or the social security benefits that his father should have applied for–but never did.
Malachi’s mother tried to take my son from me by means of ploting and lying. She did not succeed. But she created a lack of family in my son’s life for nine years.
Instead of the family coming together during Malachi’s time of need…they separated and attacked me.
They combined as a family in order to assault me…but separated from me and Malchi’s son.
I was told by Malachi’s uncle , who was a Assistant Pastor in his church, not to ask for any help.
I was left with over two hundred thousand dollars of debt. My house went into foreclosure and I could not sell it without Malachi’s signature; my son and I moved back to my mother’s house.
I became emotionally bankrupt…but most of all financially bankrupt. So Skizophrenia did more than just attack the mind and body of my husband Malachi.
There have been many crying nights. But the power has been in people who have challenged me to continue on and have faith for the best.
But you see my Malachi had been stabbed in the top of his head when he was a corrections officer. He handled it well at the time…but that did not stop the after affects.
The illness that he suffered was not caused by the job…but yet it could have been aggrevated nonetheless.
Malachi had resigned from his job before it was found out that he was sick. Therefore there was nothing the job was obligated to do for me as the wife, or Malachi himself. Such is life.
But I always know that the disease is distructive and takes away loved ones. See, my Malachi refused to take medication and his parents agreed.
Thus the missing Malachi. He walked away from everything and everyone he knew. He lived a tortured life…believing he was being chased by several unseen to the naked eye–foes.
His life was a good one…yet the family is left to suffer and live on without answers to the unknown….(whether he is dead or alive).
Unfortunately it is true…most mentally ill people if not on medication become statistics and homeless people on the streets, jails, or hospital wards in prisons for the mentally ill—or worse yet….DEAD.
The mentally ill die on the streets even in the United States ….actually throughout the world. I will add the facts from a research essay I wrote later on.
For now….till next blog….
…..hope all is well with you and yours—-riveroflifelisajoy!
“Don’t Love me too much” –haiku prose- by riveroflifelisajoy
***Oil paint of still life by RIVEROFLIFELISAJOY 8/07
****************************************************
Don’t love me too much
he said, and I held him tighter
You have to love G-d more
I do, I said.
No…you don’t
he said
I grew angry that
he saw through my
tears of fear
I feared loss
I feared loneliness
I feared the emptiness
and empty bed
I loved him
We would embrace
and our “unique” addition
to the Eskimo nose kiss was
our left eye to right eye touch
Our eyes and cheeks would touch
He would flutter his eye lashes on mine
I would try to see within his soul
through my mind’s eye
Don’t love me too much
You have got to love G-d more
We held hands even in our sleep
We would entwine our legs even
in our sleep
We awoke and talked of our
goals
He would jump up and bring
a paper to bed and show me the
plans he had written the day
before
I would look on and think
I AM –lucky, or proper term
blessed I was to
have a man with vision
goals and dreams
I would hug him and
close my eyes and
be so happy
I just want to be happy
I said
“It is not about you
It is not about me
It is about what we can do for
others he said
His goals were plain
His goals were simple
Help those around you
Do what you can for the
disadvantaged
Jobs, training, youth, and
prayer
He wanted to be a minister
He wanted me to be there
A dark cloud approached
and my sunny day faded to
black
I could no longer hug his strong
muscular back
For he was gone
Skizzzz
Soooo
FREAAAAAA
NEEEEEE
YAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!
A gutteral,
primitive scream!!!
That horrible disease
destroyed my dream
Darkness took over
tentacles crawled from the
depths of hell
and dragged him down
a so,– so deep well
Don’t love me so much!!
was all I could hear
Take care of my son,
to me you will always be
dear!!!!!
Continue to sing,
and give to the poor
for in that you will not
lose me….ever more!!!!
So I continue to help
I continue to give
Although my arms ache,
the lost love that
I can no longer take
I understand now
I ponder and think
What did he see
beyond that ugly,
ugly, brink?
I have not lost him
when at last I think
he has been in every
good deed
I will not falter
until my dying day
Although there is no
grave plot
No memorial for him
for that ugly, ugly
monster has claimed
him from within
He is missing,
traveling a road I can
not find
Missing in body—
missing in mind
SKIZOPHRENIA!
He is gone, for nine years
Don’t love me too much
Hold on to G-d
I did grow strong
I will go on
But I will always
love him
from now on
Do not feel sorry for me
For I have suffered great
loss
But I have no regrets
For great was the love
some would call it soul
mate
I call it a blessing from
above
He was my teacher,
my mentor,
my best friend
my lover
my husband
He had a good and
honorable job
as a Corrections Officer
yet he was taken from me by
illness beyond my control
His goals and dreams never to
be fulfilled
But yet he still lives on
Don’t love me too much
—but I do
———————-Fini’
riveroflifelisajoy
A WOMAN’S WORK IS NEVER, EVER DONE! My thoughts on working overtime and its affects on family, and health–riveroflifelisajoy
Most Americans work a stated 40 hour work week. But then this thing called overtime kicks in. UGH! and double ugh!
I am of victim of this overtime dilemma. You work it either because you have to, or because you need the money. But what happens when you come on and the house is a wreck, your feet hurt, your back hurts, and all you want to do is lay down.
Problem with laying down for a few minutes you suddenly find youself being awaken by the hunger of the family and the second job now is upon you.
Your family needs your attention…..NOW! yOU PULL your aching bones from the bed and feel dizzy, weak and tired. You make dinner and then your child tells you he needs construction paper from the store.
You suddently find yourself at a 24 hour STOP AND SHOP SUPERMARKET, looking at multicolored paper and wishing you were back in your bed.
The clock is spinning fast now. You realize that 4a.m. and 5 a.m. are just around the corner. Inside you want to cry….you wonder will you make it to retirement?
You wonder if you will make it to June at this point. You get back home and then you look around the house and then begin to plan out the house cleaning.
But wait….you go lay down….just for a minute…and suddenly it is 5 30 a.m.! You are half an hour from being late. YOu jump up from bed and then rush to prepare breakfast for the family.
Take your shower and then run out the door to start this hard work force routine again.
But atleast today is Friday….but oh, You have to work 4hours and 30 minutes on Saturday morning! Ugh!…Don’t think about it right now. Just go one minute, and one day at a time.
Focus….for you know the old saying….a “woman’s work is never done—she works from sun to sun!”
Lets analyize the workforce and how it affects the woman and her health….and the need to earn income vs. being a mother and care giver.
Entry will be made later today…….It is 5am and I have got to get ready for work! Write to you after my work day is complete!
Riveroflifelisajoy! ————-
Well, I ‘m back.
Work as a definition is something you have to do, and/or want to do in order to get paid, or complete some type of task that benefits yourself or others. Work is good….work is healthy.
But too much of anything is never good. As a woman I was persmitted to take a year of maternity leave after I gave birth to my only child. However, due to conditions beyond my control I have been a single parent for nearly 10 years to date.
I do not like it and it can be a double job at times. (especially since my child has been having varied serious medical problems.) I bear my burdens completely solo. I care for my mother also.
Thus I am sandwiched between two different circumstances—or rather three. I am thankful for the job….but not having assistance at home makes it difficult to say the least. For example, one day I had to work overtime on my job.
But when I arrived home, I heard banging in the house. My mother, was calling my child. He was in the basement. He had been boiling an egg and fell asleep. He burnt the pot he was cooking in and was sleeping in the smokey house.
My mother was upstairs and could not walk down to the basement because of the arthritisis in her knees. That conditon had the potentical to be devastating to say the least. So I tried to stop doing overtime. However, I am unable to at this time.
A standing order is in place for my child not to cook at all unless I am in the house. Tunafish, and peanut butter and jelly are left in place for him to eat when I am not home. Or–microwave oven also…But even that I do not trust too much either.
You might ask, where is your family and friends? Well, I am not the “Lucy and Ethel” type gal! Everyone I know has a job….and/career. There are no stay at home mom’s in my daily life struggles.
Money is tight and people do not help out like that without hard green money in their hands. So,—I do not have people walking in and out of my house. Therefore, I do not have assistance.
I even had attempted to get my mother a home attendant and VISITING NURSE SERIVCE of New York resfused her several times in the past two years.
You just about have to need a hospice before they offer you assistance.
If she can bathe herself, and feed herself, they say that she is not eligable. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?
Thus back to my original discussion…..a WOMAN’S work is never done!
What are the society politicians doing to help the single parent, caregivers of society?
I get rediculed, and repremanded on my job for my support of my mother and child. I am told to make arrangments to have my child taken care of and my mother for that matter.
But where is the money coming from to foot the bill to help PAY for these so called arrangements?—-Strange huh?!
THIS WAS ANOTHER INSTALLMENT….BUT HOUSE CLEANING CALLS….!—-
RIVEROFLIFELISAJOY!
“Molestation by a Minister”– (NON-Fiction story written by Riveroflifelisajoy) Now watch…—T.D. Jakes Movie Woman Thou Art Loosed! wATCH THIS MOVIE AND LEARN LIFE’S LESSONS!
First Saturday
The little girl was lead down the dark dank cement staircase into a large open room in the basement of a church. It was not her church. It was a church that she would come to for math tutoring.
There were chairs and tables set up in a circular patten. The little girl was lead to a table with three chairs. She sat down and began to open her books. She was shy and withdrawn naturally.
A predator could smell her fear of the world a mile away. She sent out the signals and the signals were received. She however, did not realized that her quiet seven year old shyness was a attractive to the predator.
Once the tutoring session began and the other students had taken their seats, the pedator made his way from table to table. He sat down, or leaned over in a standing position toward the other students.
The first day with his little victim/ or prey was simple and quiet. He asked her questions about her school work and he observed her closely. She was very, very, withdrawn and barely raised her voice above a whisper.
“Yes, yes,” the predator thought to himself in deep internal excitement. If the little girl had looked up from her work she would have seen the predator tutor’s eyes—; she would have seen the hungry gleam eminating from deep within his very soul and his eyes!
But instead, as was her usual reaction to new places, and people, she kept her head down. Keeping her head down and barely talking above a whisper made the predator want to take action right then and there.
But wait, he had to get his prey comfortable, and relaxed. He could see her nervousness too. So wait, he told himself, wait.
Soon she will be mine. The hour and one half was up. The students all filed out of the dank old church basement, and up into the fresh air and glided over to their waiting parents.
The little prey walked timidly toward her mother along side her more fearless big sister. The predator decided right then to separate the two sisters according to age and grade.
Lucky for the predator, the prey was the only 2nd grader in the tutoring program. He would put her at a table all by herself. She would never complain like the other kids.
She is very docile….bendable, and plyable too. With every thought he grew more excited and could not wait for the next Saturday program.
What great plans he had for this new meat!
Second Saturday
Once again the little girl was lead down the dark, dank cement church basement steps for math tutoring with the minister. He made an announcement to the students to sit at the desk where the age and grades were their own.
He lead the shy prey to her and his personal singular table with two chairs. One for him and one for her. He sat his chair very, very close to her.
He began to talk in low tones about her math. He gave her some assignments and some math equations and went to the other students to assist them.
He could barely keep his mind on his work. He wanted to sit next to this shy little girl.
She was clean, and neat, and terrified of the world around her. The predator tried to convince himself that he must calm down. He must be patient.
Once he had all of the other students working on computations, and english assignments, he went back to his quietly waiting timid prey. He sat next to her, and she inched over slightly away from him.
He began to talk to her and then he placed a hand every so gently on her thigh. She jumped. She glanced up at him slightly and then looked back at her school work. Inside the pedator laughed to himself in glee. The prey began to cry in a low whimper.
3 Weeks Later on Monday
The little prey had become uneasy as her mother questioned her. She began to cry. Her sister had told her mother that she noticed something funny going on at the little prey’s tutuoring table.
The mother took out dolls and had the little prey act out anything that she could not say. Once the entire story came out the mother told her husband — the little prey’s father.
They decided to go to the police and also go to the church. The little prey remembered, years later that she had experienced pain in her lower region, pain so severe that she would squeeze her eyes shut so as to block out the memory of the predator’s large fingers and what they had done to cause her such pain while she had tried to learn her math lessons!
She remembered the smell of the dank basement and the look of the predator; she remembered his fingers, and finger nails that were neatly clipped and clean, but caused her extreme pain!
She remembered his plain black minister’s suite and white collar, and the whisper in her ear to be quiet, and “don’t make noise, you do not want to disturb the other students.”
The little prey remembered hearing her parents yelling at the top of their lungs after she dismissed and was sent to bed ….so that “grown folks could decide what to do. “
******* You see the problem was that the little prey was black, and the predator was white. It was 1967 and racism was still alive and well in society.*******
Who would they, (the church) believe? The white Minister of a respected very powerful religious organization, or a 7 year old little black girl?
The answer : the minister was not arrested. He promised to seek counseling. The little girl stopped the math tutoring.
The final outcome of the predator is unknown. But the little girl went on to have problems in math forever, and ever AMEN.
The characters in this story are real. The names have been omitted for obvious reasons.
The movie by T.D. JAKES—WOMAN THOU ART LOOSED….pay homage to “little prey” and her brothers and sisters who have been victimized throughout history.
Please watch your children closely, watch the people around your children closely…..and try not to leave them unattended with any one at all.
Sincerely,
RIVEROFLIFELISAJOY
Calypso the Love of Davy Jones: Pirates of the Caribbean – AT WORLD’S END—UNIQUE LOVE STORY*** IN A DISNEY MOVIE***! WOW!!!
Okay, my friends, time for more of my discussion of my love of one of my most favorite trilogies….Pirates of the Caribbean.
Today I want to discuss Tia Dalma a.k.a. Calypso the goddess of the Sea. She has unqiue features like black lips, black paint under her eyes, and dreadlocks.
She has been visited by Jack Sparrow and company, i.e. Will Turner, Elizabeth and some of the crew members, and then again by Will Turner after Jack Sparrow was taken to Davy Jones Locker by the Kracken. Tia Dalma was always willing to help them.
She lives in the deep forest in the West Indies (Caribbean) surrounded by faceless forest people. She has a hut that has strange and odd looking jars filled with eyeballs and what not….But you can’t seem to be truly afraid of her.
You kind of like her. She is not really happy, but not really angry either. You find that she is willing to help those around her. She has strong views and concepts and seems to see the future of the key players in the movie. She constantly warns Will Turner of his “Touch of Destiny!”
Did you even think that Davy Jones could love anybody? Certainly not the OBIA (witchcraft) woman!
I was surprised that the young actress that portrayed the fabulous, loving, changing, angry Tia Dalma turned out to be the only one true weakness of Davy the Squid Head Jones!
Diadalma even said it herself, “There is an evil on the seas that even the staunchess pirates fear!”
But when Tia Dalama spoke directly to Davy Jones before she was released from her intombed body space, she told him” You have corrupted your purpose.”
Davy Jones had taken to the seas in fearce angry retribution on the sailors and their boats. Davy Jones unleash the Kracken on “innocent ships and sailors, or pirates” then he would ask people if they feared death.
He would enlist or force them into servitude to the Fying Dutchman if they feared death. Little did the unsuspecting dying sailors know….but they would soon be in a worse condition than if they had dyed at sea.
Tia Dalma was to blame, (in Davy Jones mind) for his change of heart. Davy Jones job was to ferry the dead to the other side, and then come to land every ten years.
Because Davy Jones loved Tia Dalma a.k.a. Calypso, he became angry when she did not show up for their meeting after his ten years at sea. His feelings and heart hurt so much that he wanted to end the pain.
He then cut out his heart, and thus you know how that all went. Dispite the scary appearance of Davy Jones, I felt a slight pang of compassion for this sailor turned monster at sea whenever he sat at his “church” organ to play himself to sleep, or soothe his mind.
Even though he placed his heart in a box, he could not run from his anger an all of his fears.
When the Flying Dutchman and the Black Pearl were soaring through the rough waters of the malstrom and shooting and fighting one another….Davy Jones was fighting with Will Turner’s father and then he knocked him to the floor and told him,”You will not forestall my judgement!”
At first hearing this I had thought that he meant that he was going to finish off the”whelp” Will Turner junior…..but on seeing it again….I have wondereed if Davy Jones was seeking freedom from his life as the tenatcled sea monster pirate?
Was he hoping that Will Turner would take over the job….instead? So I believe that he was referring to that…..well any way …only the director and writer truly know what that statement.
All I know is that when Davy Jones visited Tia Dalma he told her that his heart would always belong to her.
He loved ocean, the wind, and the life on and in the ocean. She smiled and he walked out of her holding room on board the Black Pearl.
I was happy to see a black woman cast in that role. I had grown to like her thick West Indian accent, and her all knowing personality.
But when she turned around and responded to Will Turner’s question…”Who told the Brethern Court how to bind you?!!! Tia Dalma grew so big that she was as tall as the mast on the ship. She yelled, “Say it! Say it!” And with that Will Turner yelled Davy Jones and she ballooned up to an unbelieveable size!
She began shaking her head and saying things in a garbled way and kind of exploded into the same white crabs that helped to pull the black pearl from the depths of Davy Jones locker.
What a sight! When all of the crabs fell over the ships edge (the Black Pearl) everybody said…”Is that all?” Suddenly the wind began to blow and the malstrom kicked up.
I thought this was wonderful and powerful portrayal of nature fighting back against the rules and establishment!!
It was so strange to see Davy Jones look of renewed faith….and even when his heart was stabbed….a look of peace as he fell off of the Flying Dutchman to his final resting place with Tia Dalma!
I really loved the music that portrayed the tender love that had gone wrong between Davy Jones and Tia Dalma a.k.a Calypso.
Now a new story must be told about Will Turner… the hope of the dead who must still be carried to the after life…, and Elizabeth his chillhood love turned “Pirate King” during the Brethen court meeting.
What a wonderful pirate, action adventure and double love story!
Stay tuned for more discussion on the Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy!
Next Time Captain Barbossa, Singapore, and more!!!!!!
Till next blog,
RIVEROFLIFELISAJOY!!!
BLACK HEALTH AND BLACK WOMEN….IT IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH!
Ladies, of all races….please read this blog and think about yourself for a moment or two. When I was young, I played for hours as a pre-teen. Then I began to mature and had to start addressing my health as a young woman.
When I was a teenager, my mother did not take me to the doctor because my father and my mom were separated and I was no longer covered under my father’s health plan.
I had braces on my teeth for two years, but when my father separated and left my mother and I, the dental coverage for my teeth stopped. I had missing teeth, and a very wide gap in the front.
The dentist took the braces off but neglected to take off the wire that had finally closed the gap in my teeth.
I ended up with swollen gums and I had to spend hours pulling that wire out. It got stuck and I had to go to the dentist again to have it removed.
My mother did not have a health, or dental plan to pay for it. The dentist did want to work on my mouth at all.
That was a very terrible experience to say the least. The dentist was annoyed with my mother for asking and needing help. I felt worthless and unloved by my father.
My own sister who was 7 years older than me at the time and had a good paying job had a terrible attitude toward my mother and I.
My sister had influenced my father to take me and my mother off of his medical and dental coverage. ( ***note: my father died of sugar diabetes when he was 59 years old and he left my sister a lot of money.—thus the reason for her heavy influence over him. My mother never attempted to fight it because she did not know about it until years later.)
My Mom had been a stay at home mother and did not have any skills except for house cleaning. My Mom had gone to college but due to the domestic issues with my dad did not complete college. I did not have an annual medical check up until I was actually in my late twenties and thirties. I gave birth to my son when I was 32.
My child is 14 years old now. I have been going to the doctor for various issues over the past five years. I am 269.1 pounds currently.
I am truly obese. I used to do karate, and gymnastics. I swam laps and kept my meals healthy between the ages of 18 years old and and age 30 years old.
Now I have to c0me to you this day and state the obvious…..PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES LADIES.
Yes it is black history month…but health is for all races and creeds to be concerned with.
I almost lost a big toe due to finger nail salons and my ignorance about foot and toe health. I was stuck at home for about 4 months.
I had surgery on my big left toe to clean out dead material every two weeks.
The year before that I had knee surgery.
I have been looking into trying food supplements and rebuilding my immune system. My hair has become thin, and I wear various hair styles that hide it.
So for black history month ladies….forget about tanning salons, hair weaves, nail polish and pedicures, and facials.
Let us women of color look deep inside to our HEARTS, OUR LIVERS, OUR KIDNEYS, OUR VEINS, OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM, OUR NERVOUS SYSTEMS AND OUR LEGS, OUR ARMS, OUR CHESTS, BREASTS, OUR REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS, OUR TEETH, OUR SKIN, AND ANY OTHER AREAS.
Take off some of that nail polish and go to a nutritionist and see where you stand on health and nutrition.
Take out those contact lenses and see what your opthamologist sees when he checks your eyes for glacoma.
Our families need us, and we need and DESERVE to have the best quality of life possible. Many medical tests can be painless, and simple and quick. Get over the fear, face your fears, and the outcome will be for the better.
Take a friend with you to the doctors appointments if you need a supportive person by your side.
Your daily love and care for your job, family, and friends is black history, white history, yellow history, brown history in the making.
Make good history by keeping your doctors appointments and monitoring your health.
If you do not have health coverage make an effort to contact local agenices that may offer low cost health coverage for you, and free coverage for your children.
Till next blog…..
BLACK, WHITE, YELLOW, AND BROWN WOMEN HEALTH MATTERS……..
IT REALLY DOES!!!!
RIVEROFLIFELISAJOY!!!!
T.D. Jakes: Movie, “WOMAN THOU ART LOOSED!” WHAT A POWERFUL EYE OPENER!!! A MUST SEE FOR EVERYONE!
Children are pure and simple.
Adults are children who grew up.
Why are there so many adults that have forgotten what it was like to be a child?
What has happened to the hurting children of society?
They grow up….and if they are still unaware of circumstance s that have changed their attitudes, and they are not aware of their actions and how it creates the future paths that they take….WOW!
You end up with the powerful film that I just saw tonight. I hesitated to purchase…yes purchase this movie. I thought it was going to be a sermon for a good long hour or more. But instead for people who like hard hitting reality type dramas….this is it. T.D. Jakes plays himself in this movie.
But he is so low key that he does not over do it. He did exactly what a minister is supposed to do…..listen. T. D. Jakes listened to the actors in their roles and behaviors. He was excellent!
But the worse part of the movie was the child being attacked. That was too graphic for me.
I had to fast forward it after I watched the movie for the second time.
The Woman thou art loosed may stir up old hurts and old pain for those who have suffered such things as a child.
The ending is somewhat confusing. It leaves it up in the air.
But it gave voice to those humanbeings that have suffered in many circumstances in life.
It is skillfully acted, and not too over the top. It was difficult to watch at times…because it was so brutally raw and real.
It was not a true story….but it makes you wonder if maybe there were other reasons for the pain and suffering in the world.
It makes you want to give the entire world a hug.
Every race has suffered.
Every race has cried.
Every race has wished the sun would not go down on its’ sorrow.
Every race has prayed for a new begining.
And all mankind has begged, and pleaded for redemption from suffering.
There are no human beings excempt from suffering.
Please watch this movie….do not look at the race of the people playing the acting roles
….do not look at T.D. Jakes as a man who has a “black” persepective on the situation.
Please take a look.
The movie “Woman Thou Art Loosed” may just change your perspective on life for the better.
Have a good night!
RIVEROFLIFELISAJOY!
DAVY JONES AND the CRACKEN! Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man’s Chest!
What is it about this movie PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN- DEAD MAN’S CHEST, that I love so much?! Well, today class, we will discuss Davy Jones and his pet cracken…. in continuing in my favorite movie triology action/drama/comedy Pirates of the Caribbean we will now talk about my most favorite villian Davy Jones! Class please feel to free to comment!
At first he scared me with his “dread lock” tenticles! Davy Jones was a first in the animation blue technique. The computer graphics, the artistic stretch and intense attention to detail is also a fabulous testiment to what mankind can achieve!
Education, and attention to excellence made this character of Davy Jones believeable! I constantly looked for flaws and weakness in the cinematography and I could not find it. I even paused the video, slowed the video and studied the faces of the”fish people” at various times during the movie.
For example Will Turner, the handsome traditional leading man of the movie, a.k.a. Orlando Bloom, first comes into contact with Davy Jones and his computer generated ship the Flying Dutchman, after he is knocked over board from the Black Pearl by Jack Sparrow a.k.a. Johnny Depp.
When Will heard that the Cracken– a huge squid/ octopus that is the “pet” of squid head Davy Jones, could suck a man’s face clean off his head….he found that to be true when he came upon the wreckage of a ship with some few survivors.
Will found a man without a face. I did a close up with my hand controller and could not see any flaws in the computer/madeup suctioned face! Disney apparently did not spare any expense in the making of this movie. I love it!
Respect the intelligence of your audience and they will keep coming back for more!!!!
While looking at the suctioned face man, suddenly the “fish people, arrived on the ship from within the walls of the ship….alive yet dead.
One fish faced man, apparently a ship mate in high standing with Davy Jones gave the order for the lone survivors of this wrecked ship to “Get down on your marrow bones and pray!” At that point Will Turner began to fight for his life with the fish people.
Davy Jones then arrived on board this doomed boat with its doomed crew and began to speak in the most interesting accent I have ever enjoyed listening too–and asked one very injured crew member “Do you fear death?”
His eyes were glowing from the colors known to be in the eyes of squid and octopus…that glow in the ocean naturally, and his tenticales moved effortlessly around his pirate hat, shoulders, and chest. He was so ugly, yet so handsome.
The designer of the character’s appearance had explained in the commentary in the special features of the movie that he had created this character depiction of Davy Jones from his own mind!
The voice of the actor was so intriquing that my son Jay Jewels and I immate it while joking around at home sometimes!!! LOL!!!
My son has the best talent for voice, and vocal inflection of Davy Jones! The first statement that Davy Jones makes to Will Turner is “You are neither dead nor dying! What is your purpose here?! Will, surprisingly unafraid of the fierce looking half human/half squid faced harsh pirate Davy Jones stated, I am here to pay the debt of Jack Sparrow!
Suddenly Davy Jones stood quite still and repeated again, “What is your purpose here?! After Davy Jones and Will were talking for a bit, the camera turns back to the curious look of Jack Sparrow who is watching from what he thought was a safe distance. But to my dear silly Jack’s shock and dismay Davy Jones turned in his direction while talking to see Jack looking though a spy glass.
No sooner did Davy Jones turn and look with glowing golden eyes did Davy Jones suddenly appear on board the ship deck of the Black Pearl! To which Jack responded in shock!
That was so funny that I and my son rewind that part several times when we watch the video! I enjoy the interaction between Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones. Even though Jack is in deep debt to Davy Jones for raising the Black Pearl from the depths of ocean, he is allowed to plead his case, stating that he has only been a captain of a ship for only 2 years because Captain Barbosa had mutinied against him.
However, Davy Jones turned to him and had the fish people crew laughing and said, ” Well you were a poor captain….but a captain nonetheless!”
You owe me an eternity of service!” As the movie goes it is a fight for Jack to stay away from Davy Jones and his Cracken. Jack decides to get the heart that lies within the chest that is hidden on an island somewhere.
Davy Jones is evil but yet has his concerns too. He has moments of sadness in which he thinks of his lost love —unknown to the audience.
Davy Jones also plays a “mean” church organ that is installed in the Flying Dutchman. Will Turner had to stay on his ship until the payment for Jack Sparrow’s soul be made in full. But while on the ship Will finds his father who has been missing for years….Ole’ Boot Strap William Turner, as member of Davy Jones crew.
Will determines to get his father away and let him be free from his debt to Davy Jones. However, as the movie triology progresses, the turn of events for Will Turner, the “pup” of Boot Strap William Turner finds out that his desire to save his father’s very soul becomes sticky. He may loose more than he gains.
Davy Jone’s Cracken had its own unique personality as well. The cracken attacked many ships and broke them in half. But when the cracken finally got its tenticles on the Black Pearl, it gently took Jack Sparrow, who had been through a turn of circumstance and handcuffed to the main mast of ship by Elizabeth, who had wavered in her like, hate, love, and attraction –into finally deciding to save everyone including Will Turner by making Jack Sparrow stay on the Black Pearl at the end of the movie and go down with his ship.
But what made the cracken have a unique twist is how it handled its aquiring of the pirate and his ship.
Instead of breaking the Black Pearl in half, the cracken gently rolled the ship over after if swallowed Jack and turned the boat over and then took it gently to Davy Jones locker, where we meet up with Jack in the final of the three pictures of ” Pirates of the Caribbean – At World’s End.” It was masterfully made, and every bit if attention was given to detail.
The best part of the end of DeadMan’s chest, was how angry Davy Jones got when he realized that the chest did not hold his heart!!!! He screamed ,”JACK SPARROW!!!!!!”
The most exciting part of the end of this second movie was how Captain Barbosa was raised from the dead by Diadalma the Obia (witch craft woman—whose role is stronger than the audience at that time is aware) to assist in getting Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl from Davy Jones locker.
I will discuss how much I truly enjoy Captain Barbosa and even Elizabeth, the monkey, the dog with the keys, and many other of the characters in this my favorite trilogy of movies.
Comments? Send em!
Till next “Pirates of the Caribbean” post:
RIVEROFLIFELISAJOY!!!
JOHNNY DEPP ( THE BEST LOVABLE PIRATE I HAVE EVER SEEN PORTRAYED ON THE BIG SCREEN! : PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN-Curse of the Black Pearl
I am going to discuss in the next few posts various aspects of the Pirates of the Caribbean triology. So today class….we will venture to the introductory movie “Curse of the Black Pearl.”
In this first of the triology we are introduced into the world of pirates by a little girl singing.
That little girl grows up before our eyes….that little girl is Elizabeth! She is singing a pirate song which so unnerved a man on the ship she was sailing with her father the govenor enroute to the West Indies and Caribbean.
The ship captain told her a bit about pirates to which end her father told him to please not give her such information. Elizabeth then spied a boy floating in the ocean.
That boy turned out to be another person who grew up before our eyes in the triology.
Once the call for man over board went out and the boy was retrieved from the foggy sea and placed in the “care” of a 10 year old Elizabeth, the crew then observed the mass destruction from which they had saved the boy Will Turner.
It appeared that the ship he had been sailing on had been destroyed, broken and burned. It also appeared that young Will Turner had been the only survivor. While the ship and crew were occupied with the severe destruction before their eyes, Elizbeth found a chain with a coin on Will’s neck.
He woke for a moment to tell her his name and then passed out again. Elizabeth took the coin and chain for safe keeping. The coin she believed would have caused Will more problems because it was the coin of pirating!
The scene fades to black and then you see a more mature and grown up Elizabeth awaking from her slumber and looking in her night table and she then takes out the coin and chain she had taken from Will Turner’s neck years before.
To cut to the chase she arises, gets dressed, and finds herself in a extremely tight frock that her father gave her as a gift and standing at a ceremony for the Commodore.
The Commodore then attempted to propose marriage to Elizabeth but she fainted and fell over a wall into the ocean below. At this point Johnny Depp a.k.a. Jack Sparrow enters the movie just before Elizbeth falls to her near death. Jack Sparrow is entertaining two “soliders” who were guarding a ship for the Royal Navy. Jack was attempting to “steal” the ship and got into a long conversation about the Black Pearl and it’s actual existence or not. When suddenly they hear a splash and hear the Commodore screaming and looking into the ocean where Elizabeth fell.
Jack Sparrow, (Johnny Depp—a “friend in my head” (please excuse my coining a phrase by noted celebrity gossip radio personality a.k.a. Diva and Queen of all media Shock Jock—Wendy Williams at 107.5 WBLS) jumped into the ocean and saved Elizabeth.
I just love Johnny Depp!! His role as Jack Sparrow is similar to a little bit of an IMP! You know a bad little elf or mischievious spirit that creates issues and runs and hides himself while everyone is trying to sort out the mess that was left behind! I love his make up and his “drunken pseudo feminine swagger and gait.”
Some how what would look silly and stupid on a different actor all works wonders towards the plot, the scenes, and the motivation within “Curse of the Black Pearl.” When I first saw the movie I did not even have time to think of it as a movie.
You know what I mean right? While you watch some movies you have a self awareness that this is a fantasy, drama, action film or whatever….but with the simple conduct of the actors from Will Turner’s character, to Elizabeth’s character and even her forgiving father the governor….I found myself lost in the movie!
I did not want my adventure with these lovable charactors to ever end. Maybe it was Johnny Depp who brings so much to life in his portrayal of a “never say die character.” Johnny really surprised me with the ease to which he apparently did alot of his own stunts after he was arrested by the Commodore for being a pirate.
I loved the statement that he Jack Sparrow made after he was being considered for the gallows for hanging….when the Commodore tried to explain that “One good deed after a life time of wickedness is not enough to save a man.” — and then my lovable “friend in my head“(Wendy Williams reference 107.5 WBLS) Jack Sparrow replied–“No, but it is enough to condemm him!”
At which point Jack Sparrow made up his mind to get his freedom since the “dye had been cast” to send him to the gallows for bearing a brand on his arm of “P” for pirate.
The first interaction of Johhnny and Elizabeth give us a hint of some romantic tension between them when he grabs her in an effort to attain his freedom by holding her hostage while he gives orders to the Commodore with a threat of “possible harm” to Elizabeth while he awaits his personal belongings (i.e. his sword, gun, buckler, and hat). He had Elizabeth are caught in a too close embrace while he has her to place his property back on his body and he then tosses her back to her father and Commodore and takes off on a wild swing above their heads after he cuts a rope free.
He lands back on ground while a barage of gun fire follows him. He eventually ends up in Will Turners residence where he creates swords as his training and skill warrant.
Jack Sparrow and Will Turner begin to duel and threaten each other. But Jack Sparrow always the witty one…teases Will Turner and tells him that he needs to “Get a girl Mate!” When Will finally leaves Jack Sparrow without a sword, he finds himself staring down the barrel of Jack Sparrow’s gun.
And as a surprise to the audience, Jack Sparrow practically pleads with Will to lead him run free because the gun he has is only loaded with one bullet that is not meant for him. Will, a slave to morality and has a hatred for pirates says no.
Suddenly the Commodore is at the door of the sword shop and Will’s “sleeping boss” awakes to hit Jack over the head with a bottle—this of course knocks Jack out and the Commodore thanks the man for his asssitance to Will’s dismay!
This movie moves right along and poor Elizabeth is kidnapped by the crew of the Black Pearl, because she is in possession of the pirate coin that holds the key to the crew from being the walking, talking dead—-thus the curse that they are trying to get rid of.
The movie picks up speed from this point on. Suddenly finds himself with Jack Sparrow partnered up to get the Black Pearl, and get Elizabeth away from the crew and the infamous Captain Barbosa who mutinied the ship away from Jack 10 years ago and left him for dead on a deserted island.
Those who have seen the movie know how this ends. But all I want to really say….I love Johnny Depp!
He is so very likeable as a “bad” pirate….you just can’t stay angry with his character?
He is so likeable that people who hate him like him. Such great acting. I have truly watched this movie hundreds of times!!!!!
Till next blog entry on my favorite triology: Pirates of the Caribbean!!
Any comments?
RIVEROFLIFELISAJOY
Basketball Versus Tennis—Challenge: Take your Kids out Of that Basketball Team and Put them INTO TENNIS—YOU WILL SEE A BIG DIFFERENCE!!!!
How could I make such a challenge you ask? I will compare Basketball to tennis in this blog, and then you take the BasketBall or Tennis Challenge and you tell me what you come up with. I bet you will be surprised.
Basketball is a game that does require a certain standard to be met in order for a youth to participate in an organized team effort. Basketball scholarships pick from the best of the best talent in that sport. Basketball is only for the best, fastest, or tallest with skill. Basketball leaves out the opportunitie for mediocre people to progress in that sport.
Youth basketball is great for team effort. But tennis reminds me of chess. My son Jay Jewels plays in the Youth and Tennis Academy and he explains it this way, “Tennis is a game of thinking and control. You have to think where you are gonna hit the ball. It’s like chess….before the person makes their move you gotta know where you are going to hit it.” My son plays at Cunningham Winter Bubble every Friday and Sunday night. What a great activity! When it is 10:00 I do know where my child is—he is at tennis until atleast 10p.m. My child loves the game and is ranked 44 in 100. He has a lot of practice to put in but he loves it. The kids love the friendships that they build. My child Jay Jewels is 13 years old. So it is important to him to feel like one of the crowd. The tennis kids are very nice indeed. Basketball kids are even more nice.
My son Jay Jewels answered my question of what is different in the thoughts of basketball player he stated, ” In basketball you have to think with the team. You have to keep the ball moving and look for openings to throw it to your team members so you can score or dunk it.Here is an small interview with Jay Jewels my in-house “tennis pro in training.”
Q: When did you start playing tennis?
Jay Jewels: I dunno, 5 years ago.
Q: Did you like tennis when you first started?
Jay Jewels: No. I thought it was not cool to play tennis.
Q: When did you begin to like playing Tennis?
Jay Jewels: I started to like tennis when I began to beat people at the game.
Q: Did you have any good experiences that stick out in your mind?
Jay Jewels: When I beat one of the coaches at tennis and he paid me $5.00.
Q: Did you ever play baskeball?
Jay Jewels: Yes.
Q: How do you feel about basketball?
Jay Jewels: What I think about basketball is that it is really fun to play. I like blocking people from making their shots. I like crossin’ em’ up! Its really awesome My Dude!!!
Q: Do you like tennis more than basketball?
Jay Jewels: I have been with basketball for nine years. The beginning with my love of sports came from basketball.
Q: So what has made the change in your attitude?
Jay Jewels: Tennis tests your ability to focus your mind on the most important goal of getting the ball past you oponent. There is more of a chance of getting a point in tennis than in basketball. It you make the person miss the ball that you volley back to them then you gain points. But in basketball, you have to shoot the ball in the hoop.
Q: Does height matter, or weight matter in both tennis or basketball.
Jay Jewels: The weight of a player in tennis does matter, because, you know….if you can’t get to the ball in time you will miss the volley. You oponent will get the point. When you are serving in tennis and you are short–you have to aim higher to get the ball over the net.
Q: How is it for people who are tall?
Jay Jewels: Easy!
Q: Are people you have seen playing tennis either tall or medium in height? Are they allowed to play no matter how tall or short they are?
Jay Jewels: Well, just a minute. Getting back to basketball, for a second, on the team called Atlanta Hawks, there was a basketball player who was five nine who dunked. (the basketball) I can’t remember his name ….but he played very well. Well, in basketball if you small and have no game, or handle or something like that, there is no point of you being on the team. But in tennis you can basically be any height you want to be. It just depends on how you serve that ball, how far, and how fast! It is more one on one competition! And there is doubles too.
Q: What you do plan to do with you skills in tennis Jay Jewels?
Jay Jewels: I want a private teacher, including the Youth and Tennis Academy with Bill Briggs. I also want to get sponsored to play. I want to use my tennis playing to get scholarships for college.
Q: How long can you last in the game if you became pro?
Jay Jewels: Around to your thirties, and then you retire. Afterward I would coach.
Q: How much do coaches make?
Jay Jewels: Some coaches make $95.00 per hour.
Q: How could you stand to toss the ball and no longer be able to play the game like you did when you were younger….have you thought about it like that?
Jay Jewels: You can play still. You can still play even if you are old. There are people that look like they are in their seventies on the courts.
Q: Would you feel good helping and coaching someone else?
Jay Jewels: Well, if they became someone known and famous because of my coaching then that would be good. And people would know that I had helped them.
END OF INTERVIEW —
Q: Thanks Jay Jewels for your insight. Is there anything else you would like to say regarding Tennis vs Basketball?
Jay Jewels: No.
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Well, parents you have it from my son Jay Jewels.
Try to test out different sports. You never know how it will shape your child’s interests, goals and future.
Reply or comment.
Till next sports talk……
I’m RIVEROFLIFELISAJOY
Website: www.youthandtennis.org
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