MUDs: An Adventure in Cyberspace :: Internet Computer Essays

"Hi, my name is Jamal. I'm a tall, gorgeous black man with a bod made for sin. Talk to me!" "Hi, I'm India, an exotic prostitute with a fondness for short, Norwegian men." "Harry here . . . I'm handsome and shy, and looking for love. . ." "My name is Sophie, and my job as a songwriter has led me to the great city of Miami." "Hello, I'm Lila. I am a 24-year old Jazz singer with a preference for foreign men. If you qualify, definitely say hi." The people you see above are very interesting individuals, all unique and distinctive. At first glance, there seems to be no common thread that connects them, except for the fact that they appear to be seeking some sort of interaction. No, these are not entries in a Personals Column or members of a support group for the love-lost. All of them do, however, share a very important characteristic. They are all facets of the same person; they are all descriptions of me. No, I am not schizophrenic or insane; I am simply one of the many that has found entertainment exploring a MUD-- an acronym that stands for Multiple User Domain or Multi User Dungeon. Before this assignment, I had no idea that MUD was something other than dirt mixed with water or that the world that existed on-line was so immense and so popular. In fact, MUDding has become one of the most sought after forms of interactive entertainment in the world, engaging tens of thousands of players (Leslie 28). The world of MUDding seems like a relatively new concept, but the truth is that MUDs have been around for years. Invented at the University of Essex in England in 1979, MUDs served as a computerized way to play Dungeons and Dragons, a popular and addictive role-playing game that mesmerized thousands (Rigdon R16). While the undisputed thrill of participating in such a game was the ability to reshape identity, other attracting factors were the relationships that a player could develop with fellow characters. Today, both adventure-type MUDs and social MUDs work in the much same way that Dungeons and Dragons did 20 years ago--players take on an identity and enter a fantasy world, only now they can communicate with people from around the globe. This type of role-playing sounds like simple fun, but the underlying issues and complex social situations that materialize are more than just child's play.

Aristotle Vs. Copernicus :: essays research papers

Aristotle vs. Copernicus Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and scientist, who shared with Plato the distinction of being the most famous of ancient philosophers. Aristotle was born at Stagira, in Macedonia, the son of a physician to the royal court. At the age of 17, he went to Athens to study at Plato's Academy. He remained there for about 20 years, as a student and then as a teacher. When Plato died in 347 bc , Aristotle moved to Assos, a city in Asia Minor, where a friend of his, Hermias (d. 345 bc ), was ruler. There he counseled Hermias and married his niece and adopted daughter, Pythias. After Hermias was captured and executed by the Persians, Aristotle went to Pella, the Macedonian capital, where he became the tutor of the king's young son Alexander, later known as Alexander the Great. In 335, when Alexander became king, Aristotle returned to Athens and established his own school, the Lyceum. Because much of the discussion in his school took place while teachers and students were walking about the Lyceum grounds, Aristotle's school came to be known as the Peripatetic ("walking" or "strolling") school. Upon the death of Alexander in 323 bc , strong anti- Macedonian feeling developed in Athens, and Aristotle retired to a family estate in Euboea. He died there the following year. His works on natural science include Physics, which gives a vast amount of information on astronomy, meteorology, plants, and animals. His writings on the nature, scope, and properties of being, which Aristotle called First Philosophy ( Prote philosophia ), were given the title Metaphysics in the first published edition of his works (c. 60 bc ), because in that edition they followed Physics. His treatment of the Prime Mover, or first cause, as pure intellect, perfect in unity, immutable, and, as he said, "the thought of thought," is given in the Metaphysics. To his son Nicomachus he dedicated his work on ethics, called the Nicomachean Ethics. Other essential works include his Rhetoric, his Poetics (which survives in incomplete form), and his Politics (also incomplete). Some of the principal aspects of Aristotle's thought can be seen in the following summary of his doctrines, or theories. Physics, or natural philosophy. In astronomy, Aristotle proposed a finite, spherical universe, with the earth at its center. The central region is made up of four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. In Aristotle's physics, each of these four elements has a proper place, determined by its relative heaviness, its "specific gravity." Each moves naturally in a straight line-earth down, fire up-toward its proper place, where

Lives of the Saints Essay

Summary: Chapter 1 In the opening of the chapter, the main character Vittorio describes the story that the book is written about. It has a beginning that occurred on a hot July day in the year 1960 in Vittorio’s home town of Valle de Sole, when his mother, Christina got bit by a snake. Vittorio describes his city as to have no holy places, ancient cites or ruins; forgotten and unsung, just like hundreds of villages spread throughout Italy. Vittorio describes how his father immigrated to America almost four years ago when Vittorio was barely three years old. His grandfather was left crippled from the war when a horse crushed his foot and he was injured by a grenade. That day, his mother slipped out of the house making him promise that he would read his school books. Vittorio’s attendance at school was not very regular because he would spend much of class time wondering to the top of Colle di Papa or down the river with his friend Fabrizio and sharing cigarettes that Fabrizio had stole from his father. Vittorio was sitting on his porch reading math books when he dose off. He was awakened by a muffled shout coming from the stable. Vittorio ran to the stable and stopped short at the bottom of the steps and peeked through the crack in the door. Inside he saw a green snake which slipped through the cracks of the stable and into the tomato garden. While Vittorio was watching the snake, the barn door opened, and a man with blue eyes swooped out of the stable. After Vittorio went inside the stable, he saw his mother pouring water into the pigs’ trough as though nothing has happened. Vittorio tells his mother that he heard a man screm and when she asked him what he saw, Vittorio replied that he didnt see anything. He then told her that she has blood on her ankle. In the conclusion of the chapter, Christina tells Vittorio to run up to Di Lucci’s and tell him to bring a car because she had been bitten by a snake.

Article of Confederation Essay

The first constitution was written in the United States was called the â€Å"Articles of Confederation. † It established a loose league of friendship between thirteen sovereign states and proposed that each state have its sovereignty, freedom, and independence. The Articles of Confederation approve in 1781, which led to a period of crisis between the years 1781 and 1789. This period refer as the Critical Period. The Articles of Confederation was the precursor of the United States Constitution because of the many reasons it had weaknesses and replaced by the United States Constitution. The Constitution of the United States comprises the nation’s fundamental law, providing the framework for its governance and the principles under which it must operate. When the constitution was written, it was intended to endure for ages, be flexible, and adaptable for future generations. The constitution was intended to be the supreme law of the land. â€Å"To win the required approval from all 13 states, drafters changed the plan and granted the Confederation control of western lands. After four years, the Articles finally won ratification in 1781. † (Created Equal, pg. 77) The Articles of Confederation, which were ratified in 1781, became the first constitution. The Articles of Confederation dealt with three problems: taxation, representation, and the extent of control over western territories. First, the Articles of Confederation weakness was that the central government did not have the power to collect taxes. As the Articles of Confederation illustrate, â€Å"According to the Articles, Congress could not collect taxes or regulate trade; it could only requisition funds from the states. Shares would vary depending on each state’s free population. (Created Equal, pg. 177) Under the Articles of Confederation, the state government can only send its contribution annually to the national government but they cannot be compelled to pay taxes. Due to this huge weakness, many problems arose in the U. S, which were signs of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. The trade agreements Congress had made with other nations were not always carried out. Many people soon started importing goods from other countries that they refused to pay for. Consequently, people in other nations soon became reluctant to trade with the U.  S; even Great Britain closed its commerce to it, which resulted in the loss of a lot of money because of lack of trade. There was also competition among the states, as they started levying taxes on goods passing through them to other states. Taxes are the lifeblood of the nation. Without it, no government machinery will function. Thus, the national government could not perform its functions because it did not have the funds. Second weakness was the enactment of laws. Under the Articles of Confederation, the enactment of laws needed the approval of 9 out of 13 states. The voting obligation is quite high. As a result, five states could easily prevent the enactment of laws, which seriously jeopardized the enactment of laws that needed to be passed. The Articles of Confederation note, â€Å"Moreover, the Confederation had no separate executive branch; executive functions fell to various committees of the Confederation Congress. † (Created Equal, pg. 177) There was no executive branch to institute the policies for the entire nation. As a result, the state governments did not have a cohesive policy that every state government should follow. Consequently, the state governments individually created their own policies. Since there was no national judiciary, the state courts were tasked to interpret laws. As George Mason indicates, â€Å"The Judiciary of the United States is so constructed & extended, as to absorb and destroy the Judiciarys of the several States; thereby rendering Law as tedious intricate and expensive, & Justice as unattainable, by a great Part of the Community, as in England, and enabling the Rich to oppress & ruin the Poor. † (Mason, Paragraph 2, pg. 10) It had become clear that it was necessary to abandon the Articles of Confederation in favor of a constitution that provided for a stronger national government, created a national judiciary and strong Congress. Finally, the United States had different issues that they had to deal with. These were foreign affairs, economic conditions, and Western land. The Articles clarify, â€Å"In addition, to the dismay of land speculators, the Congress would not control the western domains that several large states had claimed. † (Created Equal, pg. 77) The government was weak due to poor economic conditions and the people still feared the power of the central government. These weaknesses posed a threat to the effectiveness of the government. Under the Articles of Confederation, there was a unicameral legislature. There was one house and there were no executive or judiciary branches. Each state had the same number of representatives and their own currency. The states taxed each other and affecting the value of money to decrease and posed a threat to the economic stability of the United States, which was already weak and in need of reformation. The Articles of Confederation was the precursor of the United States Constitution because of the many reasons it had weaknesses and replaced by the United States Constitution. It brought the colonies together as a loose confederation with the state’s rights being more important than the power of the federal government. Even though the government under the Articles of Confederation was very weak, it was still more democratic because it gave more rights and power to the states. The Articles unified the states under a loose confederation, which lacked a strong, central government. Although the Articles of Confederation had several successes, it created far more weaknesses and failures. The failures of the Articles had to be addressed, so a new constitution was created and drafted at the Constitutional Convention, which determined the many failures of the Articles, and created a strong central government. A controversial issue has been debated over whether the government under the Articles of Confederation or the Constitution was more democratic. The Articles of Confederation created a more democratic government because it gave power to the individual states and to the people.

Critical Thinking Question Essay

1. Explain the differences between bacterial meningitis, aseptic meningitis, fungal meningitis, and tubercular meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is a primary infection of the pia mater, arachnoid and subarachnoid space, ventricular system and the CSF of the brain. The subarachnoid space is accessed either by a systemic, bloodstream or direct extension infection. Common causes of bacterial meningitis after the neonatal period are Meningococcus (Neisseria meningitidis) and pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumonia). For neonates, pneumococcus and gram-negative enteric bacilli are common agents. Aseptic meningitis (viral meningitis, nonpurulent meningitis, lymphocytic meningitis) is an inflammation which is thought to be localized to the meninges. The population at risk depends of the virus. A variety of symptoms are caused by a plethora of viruses such as enteroviral (most common), mumps, herpes simplex types 1 and 2,, St. Lus encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, California encephalitis virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, Colorado tick fever, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, Epstein-Barr virus, and influenza virus types A and B. Fungal meningitis is a chronic, much less common condition than bacterial or viral meningitis. It most frequently occurs in persons with impaired immune systems or those with altered normal flora. Development is insidious and usually occurs over days to weeks. Also associated with chronic meningitis are syphilis, tuberculosis and Lyme disease. Tubercular meningitis is the most common and most serious form of CNS tuberculosis, and is found mostly in those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Miliary tubercules form in the brain and meninges, later eroding in the pia mater with mycobacteria entering in the CSF producing a hypersensitivity reaction which causes purulent exudate to the basal meninges, cerebrum and spinal nerves. Vasculitis occurs causing cerebral ischemia and infarction. Symptoms include headache, low-grade fever, stiff neck, nausea and vomiting, irritability, difficulty sleeping and fatigue. These signs and symptoms lead to increase to confusion, stiff neck, significant behavioral changes, and seizures. Additionally, hydrocephalus and cranial nerve palsies or cerebral infarcts may occur. Early diagnosis and treatment with proper antituberculosis may cause a 90% recovery rate. 2. A neonate has a harsh, loud, systolic murmur shortly after birth. This is best heard at the left lower sternal border. The neonate is acyanotic and has no other symptoms. What type of congenital heart disorder does this infant have? Explain why the neonate is not cyanotic. When could the infant become cyanotic? These symptoms describe a ventricular septal defect (VSD). This type of defect is a left to right shunt of blood flow through the septum of the heart and symptoms depend on the size of the shunt. Because of the increase in blood from the right ventricle (RV) into the pulmonary artery (PA), the PA, left atrium (LA) and left ventricle (LV) become enlarged. A large VSD causes a large amount of pulmonary volume. Over time, the smooth muscle layer of the arteriolar wall thickens and a decrease in diameter of the pulmonary vessels occurs which causes resistance to the new blood flow. An increase in pulmonary vascular resistance causes a reverse shunting through the VSD causing cyanosis from deoxygenated blood flowing through systemic circulation. This phenomenon is termed Eisenmenger syndrome. 3. How does defective gastric secretion of intrinsic factor (IF) cause anemia? What is this type of anemia called, and how does a person get it? Intrinsic factor (IF) is a mucoprotein that is produced by the parietal cells. It is responsible for absorption of vitamin B12 in the ileum. Decreased amounts of IF causes a lack of absorption of B12 resulting in pernicious anemia. IF deficiency may be congenital or from adult onset gastric mucosal atrophy and parietal cell destruction. In older adults, failure to absorb IF is the cause of almost all vitamin B12 deficiencies. Congenital IF disorder is caused by an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern which is a genetic disorder. Gastric atrophy may be autoimmune and occurs along with type A chronic gastritis. 4. Discuss the pathophysiologic relationship between cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Cirrhosis is an inflammatory disease of the liver that disrupts its structure and function. Fibrous bands are formed causing nodular regeneration giving the liver a bumpy appearance. The liver is smaller or larger than normal and is hard when palpated. Parenchyma of the liver becomes distorted and the biliary channels become obstructed causing jaundice. Shunting is formed in new vascular channels bypassing blood from the liver. Obstruction in the portal veins also causes abnormal high blood pressure in the system from resistance of the blood flow from the obstruction. This is termed portal hypertension. Cirrhosis of the liver is the most common cause of portal hypertension.

Human Rights and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Human Rights and Development - Essay Example Low-income countries have many issues to deal with including poverty, poor education systems, inadequate healthcare provision systems and corruption among other issues. Most low-income countries are ill equipped to deal with diseases that affect large populations especially communicable diseases. HIV/ AIDS has proven to be a very difficult issue to solve in low income countries affecting human rights and development in such countries (Institute of Medicine (U.S.), Briere & National Academies Press, 2011:29). The UN Charter on human rights states that every person has a right to good health status, which means that all people must have access to quality health care services. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has made it difficult to achieve this aspect of human rights under the UN charter. Most low-income countries are ill equipped to deal with the pandemic. Their economic status and the healthcare sector do not have enough funds, equipment and personnel to deal with HIV/AIDS. In addition to this, most low-income countries cannot afford to provide medication and the necessary healthcare services to people with HIV/AIDS considering that these countries have the highest number of people suffering from the disease (Robinson,  2011:99). This countries struggle to deal with the HIV/ AIDS pandemic on top of the fact that new infections occur at higher rates compared to the middle income and the high income countries. As such, the fulfilment or the provision of human rights to populations with HIV/ AIDS in low-income countries has become a difficult issue to accomplish. All people affected by the HIV/ AIDS including those infected and their families are entitled to access public resources that enable them to cope with the effects of HIV/ AIDS. However, low-income countries face a difficulty to provide public support to this group meaning that they suffer rejection and

Talent Management & Succession Planning in the Work Environment Assignment

Talent Management & Succession Planning in the Work Environment - Assignment Example In order to achieve the above functions, proper and reliable communication structures are also paramount. It is often said that the strength of a team or an organisation in general, lies in the diversity of its workers, which in this case is defined by the existing differences in knowledge, talents and innovativeness among each other. In addition, it can create and nurture new talents to succeed those that are retiring and transferring from their jobs. This paper focuses on talent management and succession planning, and how these processes are conducted in businesses in their bid to remain competitive and successful. It also examines a case study to identify how these practices are designed and implemented by Apple Company. Current advancements in the business world require that business invest in reliable human capital in order to maintain their excellence and better performance. The advancements include; changes in information and technology, competition strategies and methods of successful business management. In this understanding, human resource managers in organisations have to work closely with the top management in order to attract, hire, develop and retain talents. However, despite these efforts, skills shortages in the current business environment continue to present both socio-economic and cultural challenges as talent crosses borders in industries globally. Analysis of human resource trends and skills are needed in businesses because of the shifting demographic patterns, international and global supply chains, an aging workforce as well as occupational mobility. For this reason, human resource managers are expected to devise effective strategies in harnessing and managing their talents (Cheese and Robert 11-12). The success of talent identification and management approaches places organizations in better positions to establish themselves firmly in the changing business environment, both locally as well as on a global