Avatar- Movie Film Review

Film Review By: Rutba Rahman Avatar is a 2009 science fiction film directed by James Cameron. The movie stars are Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver. James Cameron’s movies have grossed approximately US $2 billion in North America. James Cameron’s previous films that he is known for are The Terminator (1984), True Lies (1994) and Titanic (1996). The purpose of Avatar is incarnation, in the movie it means that the future human technology is capable of injecting a human’s intelligence into a biological body. Avatar has shown incarnation beautifully and it has explained the Na’vi (extraterrestrial humans) correctly by showing their different lifestyle and behavior from humans. Avatar’s plot is that a disabled ex-marine named Jake Sully finds life on the planet Pandora, only to find him battling mankind with the planet’s Na’vi race. Jake is sent to learn their ways so that he can help relocate them and the humans can take over. Neytiri is the daughter of the Na’vi leaders Mo’at and Eytukan. She is brave, loyal and strong willed. When she meets Jake she begins to fall in love with him because of his bravery. Grace Augustine is a scientist who studies the plants and creatures of Pandora. She is the head of the avatar program, and she is peaceful with the Na’vi clan because she set up a school to teach them English. The characters in Avatar are believable characters, such as Jake Sully, Neytiri and Grace Augustine. Jake Sully is a believable character because he is charismatic, and acts as a strong leader, he is courageous because he takes a stand for what he has believes is wrong, and he is brave because he is willing to fight against the military. Neytri is a believable character because she is devoted to her people and is willing to put herself in a dangerous situation for the sake of her clan. Grace Augustine is also a believable character because she is very fond of and close to her Na'vi students. The actors’ interpretation of the characters is remarkable. Zoe Saldana plays the heroine Neytiri. Zoe Saldana gave an emotional and strong performance throughout the movie. Sam Worthington plays the hero Jake Sully in the movie. Sam has shown outstanding interpretation for Jake because he has an intuitive quality that makes the audience believe that people would follow him. He was handpicked by James Cameron because he had sensitivity, vulnerability and strength. The Cinematographer for Avatar is Mauro Fiore. The film’s central challenge is depicting an imaginary and digitally crafted world with a persistent sense of realism. At first the Na’vi species were drawn with fins and gills. Then they were redesigned to look more like humans so the audience could relate to them better. James Cameron developed a specially designed camera that allowed the facial expressions of the actors to be captured and digitally recorded for the animators to use later. The entire background of Pandora’s floating mountains, including the light source is represented on set only by a green screen. Every scene involved some sort of interactive light. James Horner created a soundtrack that reflected the Na'vi way of sound and he created a small chorus singing in the alien language Na'vi. The main theme of the movie is Human Vs Nature. The destruction of the natural world will lead ultimately to the destruction of mankind. The film’s strong points are the Special Effects because they are incredible and used well. They are weaved into the story beautifully, and they come off effortlessly. The acting was done extremely well. Much of the actors’ emotions could be seen through their Avatar characters. The details were thought out and used as a part of the environment. James Cameron has truly created his own world. The audience truly feels as if they have been transported into a new world while watching the film. The low points of the movie were the negative action, because of the inhumanity being shown, such as destruction and violence. The story is efficiently developed but the film is easily overshadowed by special effects. I would recommend this movie to others because the entire story is fantastic. The significant message of this movie is that all living things are connected and those who seek to exploit nature rather than respect it, will only destroy themselves. I would rate this film 10/10 because I think it’s a great achievement and it has produced a great effort to make.

Free Essays on A Musical Betrayal

. It’s true poetry. In cold English sense, they use metaphors and imagery to bring songs to life and make it beautiful, or expose something gruesome, but its all things every day people can relate to. Then you got these new pop artists like Britney Spears singing lyrics like â€Å"Oops†¦I did it again. What is that, the worst part is most new pop artists don’t write their own lyrics. While bands and rock acts nearly always pen their own songs in order to convey whichever message they might be aiming for. Pop acts are far more often than not written by someone else who â€Å"knows† what an audience wants. While rock tends to have lyrics with poetry, depth, and meaning, pop tends to have lyrics that are shallow, oversimplified, and so straight forward and without abstraction that there is no room for interpretation. While lyrics are important, music is music and is meant to be listened to. Rock acts are almost always bands. There are actual instruments involved. Acoustic, electric guitars, bass, drums, and the powerful emotion of a singer that is what makes a band. ... Free Essays on A Musical Betrayal Free Essays on A Musical Betrayal A Musical Betrayal In the 60’s it was the Beatles. Then Jimi Hendrix revolutioned the electric guitar. The 70’s stoner music followed, 80’s was heavy metal, the 90’s was rap and alternative, and now were left with groups like the Backstreet Boys and N’sync. What happened to music? As we enter a new millennium, rock, in its purest form, is widely proclaimed dead. It has been replaced by the latest bubble gum pop trend; rock is no longer the art it used to be. It’s old hat, obsolete, over and done with thanks to the artless form of bubble gum pop. Even more depressing is that the critics and audiences confuse to meld the two with the label of â€Å"Rock/Pop.† Unless you are Mozart or Beethoven, lyrics are absolutely crucial to and artist. Music sets the mood, but lyrics make the idea clear. Rock, rap, alternative have depth to their words. It’s true poetry. In cold English sense, they use metaphors and imagery to bring songs to life and make it beautiful, or expose something gruesome, but its all things every day people can relate to. Then you got these new pop artists like Britney Spears singing lyrics like â€Å"Oops†¦I did it again. What is that, the worst part is most new pop artists don’t write their own lyrics. While bands and rock acts nearly always pen their own songs in order to convey whichever message they might be aiming for. Pop acts are far more often than not written by someone else who â€Å"knows† what an audience wants. While rock tends to have lyrics with poetry, depth, and meaning, pop tends to have lyrics that are shallow, oversimplified, and so straight forward and without abstrac tion that there is no room for interpretation. While lyrics are important, music is music and is meant to be listened to. Rock acts are almost always bands. There are actual instruments involved. Acoustic, electric guitars, bass, drums, and the powerful emotion of a singer that is what makes a band. ...

Issue Summary - Geneva Conventions POW Treatment

Issue Summary - Geneva Conventions POW Treatment The Geneva Conventions (1949) and the two Additional Protocols (1977) form the foundation for international humanitarian law in times of war. The treaty focuses on the treatment of enemy forces as well as civilians living in occupied territories. These international treaties are intended to limit the barbarity of war by protecting non-combatants- civilians, medics and aid workers- and combatants who are no longer able to take part in battle- wounded, sick and shipwrecked troops, and all persons held as prisoners of war. The Conventions and their Protocols provide measures for preventing all violations and contain strict rules for dealing with the perpetrators of war crime atrocities known in the treaties as â€Å"grave breaches.† Under these rules, war criminals are to be investigated, sought, extradited if necessary, and tried, regardless of their nationality.   History and Background of Limiting War As long as there has been armed conflict, man has tried to devise ways to limit wartime behavior, from the sixth century BCE Chinese warrior Sun Tzu to the 19th century American Civil War. The founder of the International Red Cross, Henri Dunant, inspired the first Geneva Convention, which was designed to protect the sick and wounded. Pioneer nurse Clara Barton was instrumental in U.S. ratification of that First Convention in 1882. Subsequent conventions addressed asphyxiating gases, expanding bullets, the treatment of prisoners of war, and treatment of civilians. Nearly 200 countries- including the United States- are signatory nations and have ratified these Conventions. Treatment of Combatants, Civilians, and Terrorists The treaties were initially written with state-sponsored military conflicts in mind and emphasize that combatants must be clearly distinguishable from civilians. Combatants who fall within the guidelines and who become prisoners of war must be treated humanely. According to the International Red Cross: Captured combatants and civilians who find themselves under the authority of the adverse party are entitled to respect for their lives, their dignity, their personal rights and their political, religious and other convictions. They must be protected against all acts of violence or reprisal. They are entitled to exchange news with their families and receive aid. They must enjoy basic judicial guarantees. Enemy Combatant Habeas Corpus Under these rules, captured enemy combatants, whether soldiers or saboteurs, may be detained for the duration of hostilities. They need not be guilty of anything; they are detained simply by virtue of their status as enemy combatants in war. The challenge in wars like those Afghanistan and Iraq is determining which persons who have been captured are terrorists and which are innocent civilians. The Geneva Conventions protect civilians from being tortured, raped or enslaved as well as from being subjected to attacks. However, Geneva Conventions also protect the uncharged terrorist, noting that anyone who has been captured is entitled to protection until their status has been determined by a competent tribunal. Military lawyers (Judge Advocate Generals Corps - JAG) reportedly have petitioned the Bush Administration for prisoner protection for two years- long before Iraqs Abu Ghraib prison became a household word around the world. Supreme Court Ruling The Bush Administration held hundreds of people at the Guantanamo Bay naval base on Cuba, for two years or longer, without charge and without redress. Many were subjected to actions that have been characterized as abuse or torture. In June 2004, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that habeas corpus applies to detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as well as to citizen enemy combatants held in continental U.S. facilities. Therefore, according to the Court, these detainees have the right to file a petition asking that a court determine if they are being held lawfully.

Causes and Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes in Urban China Essay

Causes and Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes in Urban China - Essay Example 2005 pp2132) (Appendix i). Because of the human body's need to properly process and synthesize dietary sugar, an ailment which interferes with that process intrudes into fundamental health and lifestyle choices of affected individuals. In addition, because the disease can also include debilitating complications such as blindness or sensory impairment (WHO_FS 138 2002: 1), diabetes not only has a devastating impact on individuals, but also on their regions, their countries, and the world at large. To fully understand the crisis represented by this disease, it is important to establish its causes and contributing physiological and behavioural phenomena. Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. The resulting hyperglycemia and related metabolic disturbances can lead to serious damage to many of the body's systems, particularly nerves and blood vessels (WHO_FS 138 2002: pp.1). There are two principle forms of diabetes, known as type 1 and type 2. Type 1 is characterized by failure of the pancreas to produce insulin, and type 2 by the inability to properly utilize insulin. Treatment normally consists of insulin injections type 1 diabetics, and oral medications in conjunction with lifestyle changes for type

Montessori and Child Early Learning and Development Essay

Montessori and Child Early Learning and Development - Essay Example The Montessori approach in itself is scientific both in its aim and substance. The Montessori approach at the Early Years Foundation Stage offers children a chance to establish their motivation and exercise their independence within the favorable environment of the classrooms. The calm atmosphere, freedom within limits and respectful attitudes encourage and promote self-respect and self-esteem (Isaacs 2010, p. 78). This kind of environment promotes the development of the child’s personal, social and emotional aspects of his or her life. The Montessori approach offers a child a great opportunity to learn, explore and develop. The early years learning goals of children include the emotional, social, and personal development of the child, the child’s physical development, creative development, development of the child’s knowledge and understanding of the world and development of the child’s language communication and literacy. The Montessori approach provides a conducive environment, materials and activities for the sole purpose of achieving these primary goals of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It is critical to have an understanding of a child’s development in order to have an understanding of the Montessori approach. According to Smith, Cowie, & Blades (2003, p. ... She believed that it was an escape from reality and was primitive. Jean Piaget, on the other hand believed that play had a role in the cognitive development of a child. He believed that adaptation depended on assimilation and accommodation processes and that children acted out an already established behavior, in play, and adapted reality to fit these. Vygotsys approach to play combined the cognitive and affective aspects of development. He believed that play is fulfillment of wish, not, however the isolated wishes, but generalized affects. He believed that the affective drive force behind play is the imaginary and illusory realization of the desires that are unrealizable, not with specific impulses but in a general sense to do with children’s mastery and confidence. He believed that play was the main source of development in children during preschool years. Clearly, based on the beliefs of Montessori, Piaget and Vgotsys, play is of great value in the development process of a c hild. In these paper we examine three activities that children can engage in and demonstrate how the Montessori approach supports the early learning and development d goals of a child. Three activities are analyzed closely. They include the rolling and unrolling of a mat, spooning grains and zipping and unzipping. Each of these activities has a sole purpose of enabling children enhance their learning and development and in the long run meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The learning should occur primarily due to the interests and abilities of the children and that any planning done for purposes of learning should take this aspect of development and learning into account. Unrolling and rolling of mat According to Montessori for there to be personal,

AR 364 HISTORY OF ART(print based) Research Paper

AR 364 HISTORY OF ART(print based) - Research Paper Example Every man is an artist. Every individual has a way to voice out what is going on inside of him and loose it out in ways that would make an impact to whoever perceives. Art as an expression reflects what is happening in a certain society and culture. If art is a work output, then it must come from inside of the artist. The freedom of every individual lets him explore the vastness of his creativity exploding into varied concepts of supreme work of art and achievements. Historically, art has evolved through time and culture. Since the evolution of human history, art is already present. Early artworks were seen on the caves and rocks. They were aesthetically basic, devoid of colors, no definite forms and lacking in medium. Regardless of their simplicity, they are renowned important due to the message and content that they carry. What they have done is considered supreme and historically significant. Their art is their way of expression of what they perceive in their nature. Due to their simple cave wall caricatures and sketches, man’s civilization was traced. The message of an artwork reveals the environment at certain point in the history. There is a dynamic relationship of the artist with the environment, whether internal or external. With all his intellect, emotions, and religious beliefs, he freely cast out what he infers from his system. There are various factors that affect the artist’s works such as geographical, historical, religion, politics, and other day to day happenings can make artists resolved into expressions painted in canvasses to portray soundless words. This symbiotic human cycle produces a total artwork that is directed into shaping the world creating history and directing the course of the future. Art has been evident since the early period of Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic period in 30,000 BC to 2,000 BC. Man has expressed what they perceived from nature through

Long Term Global Warming Effects Environmental Sciences Essay

Long Term Global Warming Effects Environmental Sciences Essay Global warming is recognized to be the effect of increasing atmospheric greenhouse gases. In Australia, however, experts discover that land use/land cover change (LUCC) has potential impacts on the exacerbation of climate change consequences. To address this issue, the Australian government calls for the execution of several methods to prevent further deterioration of Australian ecosystem. Such steps are needed to reduce the harmful effects of long-term global warming in the Australian continent as represented by 15% clearing of the continents agriculture, hotter and drier El Nià ±o, more frequent occurrence of drought, large-scale deforestation, and reduction in the gross population of plants and animals, and danger on human health. The consequences of ignoring this effect could have a terrible impact in the nations environment, economic and communities not only in Australia but also around the world. The global climate has elevated the greenhouse gases such as dioxide and ozone, w hich has caused global temperatures to, accelerated over the last 50 years. For example, in some cases there has been a consequential vegetation change to increased woodiness. Because of the fragility of the Australian landscape and their variable climate this effect are important to the future state of Australias vegetation, soil and water resources. They decided to integrated more policies and regional natural resources strategies that will renovate their environmental issues. In addition, this will be beneficial to the vegetation and their regional climate as well as their atmosphere to fight the impact of global warming. However, they do not know to what extent such actions will have an effect. Global climate change agenda needs to admit that climate change is a multidimensional issue that affects every population, and that LUCC must be included in global and regional strategies to inform about climate change .The authors coordinated a research that will including the role of LUCC and its dynamic interaction with increased concentrations of anthropogenic greenhouse gases. This method will require the evaluation of the capacity of reforestation, the impact of climate change at a regional scale and vegetation. Reducing deforestation in the tropics and subtropics will be the first priority. They also argue that this process requires a strong and coordinated global effort through a combination of regulatory frameworks and constructed markets to stop deforestation and facilitate reforestation. This would have extra benefits for ecosystem services. They authors conclude that the positive feedbacks to climate from land clearing appear to emphasize the impacts of global climate cha nge by strengthen climatic extremes, such as recent droughts in eastern Australia. Critical Review This article provided detailed information regarding the long-term effects of global warming in the Australian continent. In particular, the article was able to identify specific causes of global warming aside from escalating atmospheric green houses gases escalation. Such events are discovered to be the result of compounded traditional land use efforts and modern land conversion practices. Furthermore, the enumeration of possible measures to address climate change in Australia marks the importance of this article in the ecological field. This article also recognizes that reducing the deforestation and improving our methods of vegetation requires strong effort to protect the planet in which we live. I agree with the authors because Global warming is happening due to the green house gases and deforestation. For example, they talk about policy implications and how we need to understand what is happening around us. I believe that by understanding and how and why the system is changing w e have better possibilities by reducing the greenhouse gases and restore the vegetation. Global warning is the most urgent environmental problem the world will face in the next decade due to climate changes and other activities caused by humans. I also believe that some natural resources and agricultural sector are vulnerable to climate changes and if we do not take, action this could represents a major risk to the planet. We need to preserve our environment by putting limits to the way in which we waste products and technology that we do not need. If we implement the large-scale restoration of ecosystems, we may have a potential factor in our favor to see regional climate change and provide other ecological services such as clean air and water. However, there is not currently affirmation that such actions will change temperatures and or increase the vegetation, which makes anyone wonder if we can prevent global warning from destroying the planet. Welker, J.M., Fahnestock, J.T., Sullivan, P.F., Chimmer, R.A. (2005). Leaf mineral nutrition of Arctic plants in response to warming and deeper snow in northern Alaska. Oikos, 109(1), 167-177. Summary Two of the most apparent consequences of global warming in northern Alaska are higher summer temperatures and deeper snow levels during the winter season. Alternatively, the quality of leaf mineral nutrition, as represented by Carbon and Nitrogen content, account for efficient photosynthesis, unhampered food chain, carbon budgets, soil organic matter decomposition, leaf litter, and better herbivore forage quality. In connection to this, the purpose of the article was to study and to investigate the effects of prolonged global warming effects on the leaf mineral nutrition content of tundra plants by subjecting several species of tundra plants to a long-term experiment characterized by altering summer and winter conditions. The results showed that extended global warming effects significantly affect the leaf Carbon, leaf Nitrogen and leaf Carbon: Nitrogen content of the plants. The plants were expose three different scenarios to see how each one responded to the climate conditions. The plant call dry tundra survive the clime conditions because of the moisture but the other plan call tussock tundra did not survive when it was expose to the snow. The experiment illustrated that some species of plants leaf mineral nutrition when they are expose to different scenarios. However, the tundra field experiments have focused mostly on measuring the extent to which changes in summer or winter conditions the plants will reproduce, shortening the growing or change the composition of the vegetation. In addition, scientists recognize that caring for the ecosystem is critical to the protection of the planet against global warming. In conclusion, the experiment show that dry and tussock tundra potentially enhance gas and produce carbon when they are exposed to typical weather. This study was designed to address two questions of microbial respiration and different areas without experimental snow and how the changes in vegetation affect us. Although they conducted a small study with limited statistical power, the findings indicate that exposing plants to snow has the potential to allow very old plant to be decomposed, accelerating the rate of CO2 increase in the atmosphere. Their results also complement recently reports by Schuur etal in 2009. In her study of tussock tundra near the Denali National Park, she finds that the plant increase due to increases in soil nutrient pools and the stimulation of plant growth. However, she says that the period in which the plant increases at the same time it losses respiration. Critical Review By analysis, it can be said that this article provided an experimental overview of the long-term effects of global warming on the leaf mineral nutrition content of Arctic plants. Although the settings used were manipulated, one cannot deny the significance of these findings on the future Arctic ecosystem with respect to climate change. Hotter summers and colder winters are already being experienced at present in most parts of the globe and the duration of these events are hard to quantify. Hence, the findings of this study emphasize the need to address the causes of global warming in order to minimize its effects in the future. I agree with the authors because those plants are essential to the global environment since they purify, and carry fresh water. In addition, most of the plants store carbon; absorb pollutants; and support many species of unique animals and other plants too. I think if humans put more effort, will be a decrease on the release of additional greenhouse gases and this will help communities, species and animals to survive or adapt to the global warming conditions. However, I also disagree with the authors, because they are conducting a global experiment by changing the course of Mother Nature. They propose to create a formula that could make the plants grow faster and survive any type of climate condition. I believe that could destroy the ozone layer, which will not allow life to exist on the Earths surface or altered the composition of the biosphere and the Earths heat balance. The studies show that those plants were expose to artificial conditions that were created in order for experiment to take place, but the measurements taken in Alaska that growth in trees has been stunt in recent years which mean that plants could go through the same process and consequence of a rapidly warming climate could appear faster. If the solution to global warming is to experiment more with nature then the solution will be the end. Valsson, T. (2006). How the world will change with global warming. Reykjavjk: University of Iceland Press. Summary This book contained 24 units distributed into three chapters that discuss the nature of global warming, patterns of effects, and the future of the entirety of the biosphere in response to the long-term consequences of global warming. Concerning the future effects of global warming, the author elaborated the outcomes of climate change on the biosphere, world economy, and the possibility of exploiting the Northern part of the globe as replacement of the withering habitats in the future. In particular, land and sea formations are likely to be highly affected by the fluctuating Earth temperature. Therefore, natural resources will be altered; some may be depleted, and majority will be converted. The author argues that global warning could be good for anyone who lives in the northern of the globe, which he claims, will become the new civilization. He also talks about the consequences of global warming and how the geographical locations could play an important role.He draw conclusions of wa rmer global climates in Iceland and the northern of the globe. Furthermore, the author approaches the problem of how global warming is melting the sea ice in the north, which will create routes that will include the passage north of Siberia and later through the Canadian Archipelago. He shows the positive and the negatives aspect of global warming but also how this may benefit someone of the population in areas where the temperature is below normal. For example, he talks about countries bordering being closer to each other and new routes that will allow ships to travel for less time. However, he emphasizes the importance of the agreements across countries in order to reduce greenhouse gas .He also encourage the view that even in negative consequences, we need to preserve a positive attitude towards the changes that are coming. On the other hand, he argues that the warming climate and melting ice will make oil and mineral resources in northern areas easily accessible for exploitation and will make the far north comfortable for human habitation, r eplacing the living spaces around the central areas of the globe that will become too hot for habitation. He talks about conducting an experiment for 3 years in which he will try to expand summer at the expense of winter. In other words, he means that plants usually start to come into flower just as the snow begins to melt and with that bloom sooner then the pollinators of those plants can get to them the faster it will make the plants product their photosynthesis. That would be damaging to both of the species that he will use during the experiment. He also says that the project will confirm that people should not waste any time when it comes to saving the planet from a environmental disaster. Critical Review Through the page of the book, the author was able to synthesize the long-term effects of global warming. In addition, the author was able to provide a concise discussion of the consequences of climate change on the preservation of natural resources. General alteration in the ecological profile and land outline will characterize mankinds future due to global warming. In general, this book is an effective reference on the elucidation of the profound effects of climate change not only in humans but also with respect to biosphere as a whole. I totally disagree with the authors point of view. I believe that his perspective on global warming is more negative than positive. He describes this problem as a normal issue that we as humans have to understand that it can be a positive outcome. I have a different point of view I strongly believe that Global warming is destroying our earth and as humans, we are responsible for what is happening in the world. Global warming is gasses that are trappe d in the atmosphere that are water vapors, carbon dioxide and methane gas which are the reason why many natural disaster are happening around the world lately. The author seems to believe that global warming is good for use because it could make countries closer and unify many continents that are far. He also believes that this could be a good thing for the people who live in the northern of the globe because when the ice melt the new civilization will be created. I find that statement ironic because if the ice melts there is a probability that many of the people who live in those areas will die or be hurt in some way due to the consequences of global warming. I believe that global warning is something negative for anyone, because at some point of another we all going to suffer the consequences of not taking care of the planet in which we live. I take the position that I do believe in global warming and I think it is not just scientists who should notice what is happening around the world.