The Importance of Jade in Precolumbian America

The Importance of Jade in Precolumbian America Jade occurs naturally in very few places in the world, although the term jade has been often used to describe a variety of minerals used since ancient times to produce luxury items in many different regions of the world, such as China, Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Neolithic Europe, and Mesoamerica. The term jade should be properly applied to only two minerals: nephrite and jadeite. Nephrite is a calcium and magnesium silicate  and can be found in a variety of colors, from translucent white, to yellow, and all shades of green. Nephrite doesn’t occur naturally in Mesoamerica. Jadeite, a sodium and aluminum silicate, is a hard and highly translucent stone whose color ranges from blue-green to apple green. Sources of Jade in Mesoamerica The only source of jadeite known so far in Mesoamerica is the Motagua River valley in Guatemala. Mesoamericanists debate over whether the Motagua river was the only source  or ancient peoples of Mesoamerica used multiple sources of the precious stone. Possible sources under study are the Rio Balsas basin in Mexico  and the Santa Elena region in Costa Rica. Pre-Columbian archaeologists working on jade, distinguish between â€Å"geological† and â€Å"social† jade. The first term indicates the actual jadeite, whereas â€Å"social† jade indicates other, similar greenstones, such as quartz and serpentine which were not as rare as jadeite but were similar in color and therefore fulfilled the same social function. Cultural Importance of Jade Jade was especially appreciated by Mesoamerican and Lower Central American people because of its green color. This stone was associated with water, and vegetation, especially young, maturing corn. For this reason, it was also related to life and death. Olmec, Maya, Aztec and Costa Rican elites particularly appreciated jade carvings and artifacts and commissioned elegant pieces from skillful artisans. Jade was traded and exchanged among elite members as a luxury item all over the pre-Hispanic American world. It was replaced by gold very late in time in Mesoamerica, and around 500 AD in Costa Rica and Lower Central America. In these locations, frequent contacts with South America made gold more easily available. Jade artifacts are often found in elite burial contexts, as personal adornments or accompanying objects. Sometimes a jade bead was placed within the mouth of the deceased. Jade objects are also found in dedicatory offerings for the construction or ritual termination of public buildings, as well as in more private residential contexts. Ancient Jade Artifacts In the Formative period, the Olmec of the Gulf Coast were among the first Mesoamerican people to shape jade into votive celts, axes, and bloodletting tools around 1200-1000 BC. The Maya achieved master levels of jade carving. Maya artisans used drawing cords, harder minerals, and water as abrasive tools to work the stone. Holes were made in jade objects with bone and wood drills, and finer incisions were often added at the end. Jade objects varied in size and shapes and included necklaces, pendants, pectorals, ear ornaments, beads, mosaic masks, vessels, rings, and statues. Among the most famous jade artifacts from the Maya region, we can include funeral masks and vessels from Tikal, and Pakal’s funeral mask and jewels from the Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque. Other burial offerings and dedication caches have been found at major Maya sites, such as Copan, Cerros, and Calakmul. During the Postclassic period, the use of jade dropped dramatically in the Maya area. Jade carvings are rare, with the notable exception of the pieces dredged out of the Sacred Cenote at Chichà ©n Itz. Among Aztec nobility, jade jewelry was the most valuable luxury: partly because of its rarity, since it had to be imported from the tropical lowlands, and partly because of its symbolism linked to water, fertility, ​and preciousness. For this reason, jade was one of the most valuable tribute item collected by the Aztec Triple Alliance. Jade in Southeastern Mesoamerica and Lower Central America Southeastern Mesoamerica and Lower Central America were other important regions of the distribution of jade artifacts. In the Costa Rican regions of Guanacaste-Nicoya jade artifacts were mainly widespread between AD 200 and 600. Although no local source of jadeite has been identified so far, Costa Rica and Honduras developed their own jade-working tradition. In Honduras, non-Maya areas show a preference for using jade in building dedication offerings more than burials. In Costa Rica, by contrast, the majority of jade artifacts have been recovered from burials. The use of jade in Costa Rica seems to come to an end around A.D. 500-600  when there was a shift towards gold as the luxury raw material; that technology originated in Colombia and Panama. Jade Study Problems Unfortunately, jade artifacts are hard to date, even if found in relatively clear chronological contexts, since this particularly precious and hard-to-find material was often passed down from one generation to another as heirlooms. Finally, because of their value, jade objects are often looted from archaeological sites and sold to private collectors. For this reason, a huge number of published items are from unknown provenience, missing, therefore, an important piece of information. Sources Lange, Frederick W., 1993, Precolumbian Jade: New Geological and Cultural Interpretations. University of Utah Press. Seitz, R., G.E. Harlow, V.B. Sisson, and K.A. Taube, 2001, Olmec Blue and Formative Jade Sources: New Discoveries in Guatemala, Antiquity, 75: 687-688

How Reading Comic Books Improved My Writing

How Reading Comic Books Improved My Writing How Reading Comic Books Improved My Writing Dr. Franklin Warsh is an Investigating Coroner and retired family doctor who lives  in London, Ontario. While writing his first full-length book, The Flame Broiled Doctor (a memoir of his experiences working in the health care system), Frank Warsh realized that his many years of reading comic books had not just been an enjoyable pastime, but a lesson in writing. Read on to learn more about the storytelling tips comic books provided him - including stories within stories, and archetype inspiration.Nowadays, comic books are a perfectly respected, even revered form of art. And at three to five bucks a pop, they’re clearly no longer just a product for children. But even the cheap newsprint comic books I read voraciously in the 1980s weren’t as silly a past-time as my elders would have had me believe. Depending on what kind of writer you’re striving to be, you owe it to yourself to give comic books another go-around. While writing my recently published memoir, The Flame Broiled Doctor, I drew upon the following comic book storytelling tips. My largest writing block isn’t a lack of ideas, or a lack of skill, but a lack of motivation. Even my own memoir, full of funny and intensely personal stories I’ve been collecting for nearly twenty years, was a chore to write at times. If I’m not in the mood to write, I’m probably not going to feel like reading something meaty either. We all need an escape, but when the kids are asleep and people have been barking at me all day, the last thing I want is the noise of the TV. Give me ten minutes with Deadpool or Suicide Squad or Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, and the creative juices are churning once more.There are a myriad of reasons I read comic books even to this day that have made me a better writer, beyond those I’ve described. One of the great tools in your kit as a humorist is over-writing. Poking fun at your characters with liberal dashes of purple prose works as well in the pages of Deadpool as it did in Cervantes’  Don Quixote. Writing a s an over-the-top narrator can get your reader in the mood for a joyride, like an episode of the campy 60s Batman  TV show - that’s now in circulation as a comic book. Have a terrific villain in your novel, but can’t quite get their villain speech right? Give comics a try†¦ Cersei Lannister and Iago have nothing on  Lex Luthor from Superman or Dr. Doom from Fantastic Four. Head to a library or local shop to give comic books a second look. They’re a great escape from the daily news, and you’re sure to find something to help your writing as well.The Flame Broiled Doctor is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle! Find out more on Frank's website.Are you a comic book reader? What nuggets of writing wisdom have you discovered through reading comics?  Leave your thoughts, experiences, or any questions for Frank  in the comments below.

Political Corruption in Israel Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Political Corruption in Israel - Research Paper Example Only recently very reliable sources identified that Israel bagged 30th position out of 178 countries when evaluated in context of corruption rate and even worse results were witnessed when the country was compared to other member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (Dattel and Reuters). Highly irresponsible, unprofessional, and inconsiderate behavior of the politicians has led to prodigious public commotion within the country but unfortunately, the terror game played by atrocious political instigators which is fraught with big risks continues to remain in vogue. This research paper is basically an attempt to discuss what contemporary research evidence has to offer on the reality of political turmoil in Israel and how corruption and debaucheries of the political leaders is negatively interfering with the basis of moral government. Research material presented in the paper will principally focus on the corruption of politicians and influential public officials and how their conduct serves to foster lawlessness in every field of life will also be debated in the paper. Israel is placed in the category of â€Å"Elite Cartel Corruption† by Johnston who analyzed political corruption in association with nature of political agencies and economic liberalization (Shannon). He argues that this specific category involves well-connected networks of social elites who share corrupt advantages in an environment of fierce political competition and enhanced economic liberalization. Such politically powerful figures regularly â€Å"work together to protect and maintain their advantages and stave off the opposition† (Johnston cited in Shannon). This is exactly the style of top Israeli politicians and official moguls who exploit their own people in order to foment their personal wealth and form a channel of corruption by notoriously collaborating among themselves. Lost in their wicked conspiracies, they do not maintain a sincere assoc iation with Israeli public, rather use their political influence to transform state agencies into promising means of personal welfare. Consistent bad ranking exposed by a huge collection of analytical studies has not managed as yet to inculcate a sense of responsibility and awareness in the minds of Israeli politicians. Rather Israel continues to be the poorest, disreputable, and most unreliable member of the OECD and the Western world. Research cites that corruption and fraudulence affairs currently occupy the center of the Israeli political stage (Avnery) with many former powerful political figures including prime ministers and governors awaiting judgments in rape and bribery trials. It is thought to be a matter of great concern by all critics that while many other countries suffering from similar troublesome conditions have shown significant improvements over the past years, corruption in Israel remains unaffected by any reconstructive agendas and continues to successfully genera te political upheaval. There is such explicit austerity in political corruption in Israel that millions of lives have been and continue to be sacrificed to resulting exigencies. The series of outrageous events

Question 30 of 30 Explain in your own words the logic of statistical Essay

Question 30 of 30 Explain in your own words the logic of statistical significance - Essay Example This means that even if it does, it happens very infrequently, thus leading the teacher to the conclusion that since the event occurs so infrequently, the child is probably lying and the most probable thing that must have happened is that the child never did the homework. The child’s explanation is statistically insignificant since the probability of occurrence of such incidents is very less, if any. â€Å"Although tests of statistical significance are widely reported in criminal justice literature, the logic underlying them is subtle and often misunderstood† (2011, p. 292). The logic here is that very unlikely events like a cat eating a child’s homework surprise teachers greatly and so the teachers tend to think of a better explanation. It is hard to depict which level of significance is significant. There has to be a sufficiently large coincidence to assume that the matter under consideration is not simply a mere

Dramatic Irony in Oedipus Essay Example for Free

Dramatic Irony in Oedipus Essay In the play written by Sophocles, Oedipus the King, there are several instances of irony. Dramatic irony, or tragic irony as some critics would prefer to call it, usually means a situation in which the character of the play has limited knowledge and says or does something in which they have no idea of the significance. The audience, however, already has the knowledge of what is going to occur or what the consequences of the characters actions will be. The degree of irony and the effect it has depends upon the readers grasp and recognition of some discrepancy between two things. Our first taste of dramatic irony comes very early into the play when Oedipus vows to bring to justice the killer of Laius, which is in reality himself. When he learns that the bringing of justice of Laius killer will rid the city of a terrible plague, he sets forth with a plan to track down the killer. Oedipus begins to curse the killer and vows: Oedipus: As for the criminal, I pray to God Whether it be a lurking thief, or one of a number I pray that that mans life be consumed in evil and wretchedness. And as for me, this curse applies no less (968) This is very ironic, as Oedipus is indeed, without knowledge of the truth, talking about himself. Another example of dramatic irony is the power of fate and Oedipus powerlessness against it. Throughout the play we are aware of Oedipus fate and we realize there is nothing that he can do to change it. When Oedipus tells his city after listening to their plea for help against the terrible sickness and plague that has taken over the city: Oedipus: I know that you are deathly sick; and yet, Sick as you are, not one is as sick as I. (963) The audience understands the truth and the irony in that statement. Oedipus should not worry about himself becoming sick for he is already infested with the sickness. A third example of the irony of Oedipus is the fact that Oedipus seemed to be blind and deaf to the truth. He appears to be on a valiant search for the truth and justice of the killer of Laius, yet refuses to hear the truth when it is spoken to him. In order to hear the truth Oedipus needed to be able to hear and interpret it, yet he only heard what he wanted to hear. Therefore rendering him unable to understand the mystery of who he truly was. In this play there seems to be a constant string of ironies throughout. Oedipus is in denial of the truth. In his dramatic speeches he misconstrues the information that he has been given by Teiresias, as well as Creon and Iocaste. The horrifying realization that the prophecy of the Sphinx is in fact the truth, causes Oedipus to blind himself. The audience therefore pities him, which is a result of the use of dramatic irony. The use of irony in a play allows the writer to make their audience want to see how the events which are occurring, mentally affect the main character, even if they already know how the story will end, as in Oedipus the King. Kennedy, X.J., and Gioia Dana. Oedipus the King Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 2nd edition. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, 2000. 960-1005.

Ethical and Legal Considerations in Social Work Essay -- Social Work E

Shaniya Robinson arrives at the County Human Services Authority for her monthly appointment with her social worker. Ms. Robinson is a 25 year old African American female who is receiving treatment for schizophrenia from the adult behavioral health services program. During a session the client reports that she is under a great deal of stress because she is having difficulty adjusting to being a new mother. Her five month old baby girl Shanice is teething and cries frequently. Ms. Robinson is also struggling financially because she is currently unemployed; her mental illness makes it difficult to sustain employment long term. And she does not receive support from the child’s father on a consistent basis. The combination of these interactional difficulties is weighing heavily on the client who reports an increase in positive and negative symptoms (i.e. auditory hallucinations and social withdrawal). Because the client does not have insurance she disclosed to her social worker that she self-medicates using marijuana in an effort to manage symptoms. More noteworthy, the client explains that she uses the same method to soothe the baby by blowing marijuana smoke in the infant's face. It is certain that Ms. Robinson divulged such information for several reasons, she wants help and she believes that any information she shares within the context of her sessions are confidential. Confidentiality The expectation in the practitioner/client relationship is that any information disclosed will not be shared with others. Confidentiality is emphasized to provide the client with a safe haven in which to share traumatic events or embarrassing personal information about themselves (Krase, 2013). Disclosing this type of sensitive information... ...). Marijuana and Breast Feeding: Is it Safe to Smoke Marijuana and Breastfeed? Retrieved from http://addictions.about.com/od/legalissues/a/Marijuana- And-Breastfeeding.htm?p=1 Krase, K. (2013). Social Workers as Mandated as Reporters: Conflicted Over Confidentiality? Part IV. The New Social Worker. Retrieved from http://www.socialworker.com/feature- articles/practice/social-workers-as-mandated-reporters%3A/page-2.html Louisiana Children's Code. (n.d.). Retrieved on March 27, 2014 from http://www.nicholls.edu/frc/louisiana-chidrens-code/ National Association of Social Workers (2008). NASW Code of Ethics: Guide to the Everyday Professional Conduct of Social Workers. Washington, DC: NASW. Sheafor, B. & Horejsi, C.J. (2012). Techniques and guidelines for social work practice. (9th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

How Important Are Customer Expectations

Customer expectations are very important because depending on their satisfaction, they are more likely to return for service or refer other customers. The company needs knowledge if satisfaction is rising and which are the areas in which customers are satisfied so the company can continue with that same service. There needs to be an observation when customer's satisfaction level is changing since it affects their expectations and or perceptions. Constant diligence in observing your customers' environment and your own can affect their satisfaction level. A good way to exceed service quality to switch from service provider mentality to being the customers. Observe what would be your expectations as a customer. For the most part, customer will not demand service that is in executable, it is usually reasonable. Customers like to be treated with courtesy, appreciation and listened to as well. Customer service includes not only how the customer is treated, it is the entire process of obtaining the product and after the product has been purchase. Acknowledgement of voicemail and service request is a very important factor. Customers many times have questions on the product, it is essential for them to obtain correct responses and together with friendliness and dedicated attention. Due to the economic status of this nation there has been many jobs positions that has been made to the minimum amount of employees needed. Customers do not like to wait for service, therefore, once they receive service it should be the best quality to make them feel it was worth the time they waited to obtain the service. ttp://www. nkarten. com/mce. html The company also needs knowledge in the areas in which the customers are not satisfied, they need to track and cout the frequency of complaints and if they are the same or similar complaints. Company may opt to send periodically Mystery Shoppers. A survey to customers is a good idea because it give them the opportunity to express their experience and also to make suggestions. When Customer satisfact ion has been met or exceeded, it leads to company loyalty and product repurchase. Customer should be inform about changes made as the direct result of listening to their needs. All survey of customer service should be made available to all employees to make them aware of the positive and negative feedback and changes could be made accordingly. Quality measure should both be made internal and external. Customer service should be such that it exceeds that of competitors. Proper training to employees should be given so they can provide excellent customer service. The company should also look for ways for the employees to be happy with their employment, so they can offer unique happiness as they perform their duties. Many times if employees encounter work problems such as conflicts with their superiors, coworkers and or disappointed because they would like to have the opportunity to advance professionally, this does affect their performance in a negative way. Employees needs must be met, company have to communicate with them as they have to with their customers. Problems at work has to be approach and resolve. http://www.qualitydigest.com/sept00/html/satisfaction.html

Lyric Poetry Red Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift's song â€Å"Red† is very joyful even though her words are sometimes gloomy because she misses what she use to have. She is speaking about someone who she can not forget because of all the good memories they have with each other. Taylor Swift ‘s use of similes, imagery and alliteration in her song â€Å"Red† helps portray the good and bad about loving someone that is not around any more. Taylor Swifts uses similes through out her writing to make you feel her happiness and struggles. â€Å"Loving him is like driving a new maserati down a dead end street,† tells you that happiness was damaging her relationship.It be great to have a maserati just to have it, with no where to go but, it is hurting our earth. Loving him was unnecessary so it ended up hurting her. When Swift says, â€Å"Memorizing him was as easy as knowing all the words to your old favorite song,† she shows how much she misses having this person around. When a song stops play ing for a while but, then it comes on again and the mind still remembers all the words its like an old friend popping back into the mind. When the mind remembers someone they loved all of the good and bad memories with that person can be stuck in the head.Taylor Swift's similes are very meaningful and can make you feel mixed emotions. Imagery is used many different times through out the song and gives a dark but still happy mood. â€Å"Missing him was dark grey all alone,† is very depressing because this person is gone. Now she is lonely because she feels like she is stuck in the dark all lone. Taylor Swift also says, â€Å"Losing him was blue like I never known. † This is very gloomy because it is the saddest she has ever been. She did not even know she could feel this terrible. When she says, â€Å"Loving him was Red,† it make the song much happier.It gives off this bright, cheerful mood saying even though she felt terrible after the relationship the time she had loving him was worth it. The way Taylor Swift uses imagery makes the reader feel her pain. Taylor Swift also used alliteration in her writing to emphasize certain words. When Swift says,† Cause love was like driving a new maserati down a dead and street,† lots of focus is drawn to the words â€Å"driving,† â€Å"down,† and â€Å"dead. † She felt like this relationship was dyeing and was going down hill. In the quote â€Å"Once you're already flying through the free fall,† the words flying,† â€Å"free,† and â€Å"fall,† stand out. She feels like she has fallen head over heels and could not stop loving this person even if she wanted to. Swift wanted those words to stand out so the reader felt her passion. Taylor Swfit's use of alliteration helps the reader understands how strong her feelings are for this person. Taylor Swift used so many poetic elements to help the reader feel many different emotions. She used a variety of similes, imagery, and alliteration through out her writing. Taylor Swift's writing lets the reader into her head and rollercoaster of emotions.

Easy Methods to Arrange a Classroom

Easy Methods to Arrange a Classroom Classroom arrangement is one of the key decisions that teachers need to make when they begin a new teaching year. A few of the items that need to be decided include where to place the teacher desk, how to place the student desks, and whether or not to use seating charts. Where to Place the Teacher Desk Teachers typically place their desk to the front of the classroom. However, there is nothing that says that this is the way it has to be. While being in the front of the class affords the teacher a good view of the students faces, there are advantages to placing the desk in the back of the classroom. For one thing, by being in the back of the classroom, the teacher has less of a chance of blocking the students view of the board. Additionally, less motivated students will choose to sit in the back of the class even though the teachers desk is placed in the back. Finally, if a student needs help from the teacher, they might feel less intimated by not being on show in front of the classroom. Classroom Arrangement of Student Desks After placing the teachers desk, the next step is to decide how you will arrange student desks. There are four main arrangements that you can choose from. You can set up desks into straight lines. This is the normal way in which student desks are set up. In a typical class, you might have five rows of six students. The benefit of this is that it affords the teacher the ability to walk between the rows. The negative is that it doesnt really allow for collaborative work. If you are going to have students often work in pairs or teams you will be moving the desks a lot.A second way to arrange desks is in a large circle. This has the benefit of providing ample opportunity for interaction but hinders the ability to utilize the board. It can also be challenging when having the students take quizzes and tests in that it is easier for students to cheat.Another method of classroom arrangement is to have students sit in pairs, with two desks touching each other. The teacher can still walk down the rows helping students, and there is a greater chance for collaboration to occur. The board is still available for use. However, a couple of issues can arise including interpersonal problems and cheating concerns. The fourth method to arrange student desks is in groups of four. Students face each other, providing them ample opportunity for teamwork and collaboration. However, some students might find they are not facing the board. Further, there can be interpersonal issues and cheating concerns. Most teachers opt to use rows for their students but have them move into the other arrangements if a specific lesson plan calls for it. Just be aware that this can take time and can be loud for adjoining classrooms. Seating Charts The final step in classroom arrangement is to decide how you are going to deal with where students sit. When you dont know the students coming in, you typically do not know which students should not be seated next to each other. Therefore, there are a couple of ways to set up your initial seating chart. One way that you can arrange students is alphabetical. This is a simple way that makes sense and can help you learn student names.Another method for seating charts is to alternate girls and boys. This is another simple way to divide out a class.One way that many teachers choose is to allow students to choose their seats. Then you as a teacher mark this down and it becomes the seating chart.The final option is to have no seating chart at all. Realize, however, that without a seating chart you lose a bit of control and you also lose a powerful way to help you learn student names. No matter which seating chart option you choose, make sure that you reserve the right to change the seating chart at any time in order to keep order in your classroom. Also, realize that you start the year without a seating chart and then decide partway through the year to implement one, this can cause some issues with students.

The Definition of Atomic Mass or Weight in Chemistry

The Definition of Atomic Mass or Weight in Chemistry Atomic Mass or Weight Definition Atomic mass, which is also known as atomic weight, is the average mass of atoms of an element, calculated using the relative abundance of isotopes in a naturally-occurring element. Atomic mass indicates the size of an atom. Although technically the mass is the sum of the mass of all the protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom, the mass of an electron is so much less than that of the other particles, that mass is simply that of the nucleus (protons and neutrons). Examples of Atomic Mass The atomic mass of carbon is 12.011. Most carbon atoms consist of six protons and six neutrons.The atomic mass of hydrogen is 1.0079. Hydrogen (atomic number 1) is the element that has the lowest atomic mass. The most common isotope of hydrogen is protium, an atom that consists of a proton or a proton and an electron. Because of a small amount of deuterium (one proton and one neutron) and tritium (one proton and two neutrons), the atomic mass of hydrogen is slightly higher than 1. How To Calculate Atomic Mass

Contemporary Latino Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Contemporary Latino Film - Essay Example The first three films of Inarritu depicted his unique style of storytelling having multiple stories with non-chronological scenes which were interconnected to one another. Biutiful was not a film in that style of storytelling rather it had linear and chronological events occurring (Deleyto 19). 21 grams is a story of three individuals who come from different walks of life and somehow their stories connect to each other. The director shows the past, present and future of every character with scenes set non-chronologically. The main issue is an accident and how it changed the lives of the three individuals. The film plot shows scenes from the past and the future arrangement (Russo 63). The main characters are Jack, Paul and Cristina. Jack is an ex-convict who has been sent and released from prison several times, and then he is finding his new religious faith in order to overcome his drug addiction. Paul is a mathematician who is living his last days due to a bad heart condition and nee ds an organ donor. His wife continually insists to donate his sperm so that she could get pregnant even after he dies. The third character is Cristina who was a former drug addict and is recovering towards a normal life with her husband and children. The three individuals connect to each other when Cristina’s family is killed by Jack in an accident and the heart of her husband is donated to Paul who starts to recover. Paul wants to start a new life but is not content with his wife’s constant forcing to donate his sperm, and also finds out she has had an abortion in the past, thus Paul leaves her and sets off to find out his heart donor. Cristina had returned to drugs when Paul finds out about her and they both get into a relationship. Both of them make a plan to murder Jack for what he did with Cristina’s family after he had been released. Jack, on the other hand is extremely guilty and after he is released he leaves his family. When Paul and Cristina find out w here Jack is living they go to him, and Paul takes him to a corner with the intention to kill him. When Paul fails to do so, he tells Jack to simply disappear and lies to Cristina about Jack’s death. The same night, Jack returns to the couple due to guilt and Cristina starts beating him. Paul suffers a heart attack and to avoid dying from asphyxia, he shoots himself. Cristina’s revenge remains unresolved and Jack returns to his family in the end. The urge for revenge of Cristina and the guilt of Jack resulted in the death of the relatively innocent Paul (Ebert 705). 21 Grams is a powerful dramatic film with themes such as death occurs by chance not by choice, our lives are tragic, appreciate relationships, life goes on, looking at life beyond money and God. Some of the most powerful relationships are also presented in the film including mother and daughter, father and son, men and women which resulted in a fusion of a dramatic film plot. The film Biutiful is about a si ngle parent who rises up his children in the worst conditions of a poor family living in Barcelona. Uxbal does not have a stable job and yet takes good care of his children like a responsible parent; providing food, care, after-school care etc. Soon after he finds out that he is suffering from a terminal disease which is incurable and he has

Blindness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Blindness - Essay Example Some of the causes include infections, injuries, lack of glasses, trauma, etc. Blind students are also taught using various technologies, including Braille and assistive computer technology. These technologies enable students to read and listen to lecture notes, presentations, course materials and other reading materials. Causes of blindness depend on the socioeconomic conditions to which a person is exposed. They include causes that affect the eye directly and those that affect visual processing centres like the brain. In developed economies, the primary causes of blindness include macular degeneration, traumatic injuries and ocular diabetes complications. In developing and underdeveloped nations blindness is caused primarily by infections, glaucoma, lack of glasses, injury, and cataracts. Some of the infections that lead to blindness in underdeveloped countries include onchocerciasis (river blindness), leprosy and trachoma. The herpes simplex is the most common cause of blindness in developed countries. There are also other causes of blindness such as retinopathy, deficiency of vitamin A, diseases affective the retina or optic nerve e.g. stroke, inflammation, eye malignancies, abnormalities of the congenital, hereditary eye diseases, and chemical poisoning. According to Bourne et al (2013), catarac ts and macular degeneration are the leading causes of blindness. Cataracts affect people from developing and underdeveloped world while macular degeneration mainly affects people from developed countries. Blindness can also be caused by amblyopia, or the lazy eye. This refers to the condition in which a child is born with poorer vision in one eye than the other (NIH Medline Plus, 2015). Untreated amblyopia leads to vision loss and blindness. As the child grows, the brain ignores images from the affected eye, leading to loss of vision in that eye as the child enters teenage stage of life. The condition starts when one of the child’s eyes develops a