The Difference Between Extortion and Blackmail

The Difference Between Extortion and Blackmail The Difference Between Extortion and Blackmail The Difference Between Extortion and Blackmail By Maeve Maddox Two legal terms similar in meaning are extortion and blackmail. Both involve the practice of getting money from victims with threats. Extortion comes from Latin extortionem, a twisting out. The crime involves obtaining something, usually money, from a person by force or wrongful use of authority or power. A former city of Miami police officer charged with extortion is accused of writing a false police report and protecting purportedly stolen property in exchange for payments, authorities said. The term blackmail originated in reference to the protection money demanded by clan chieftains from Scottish farmers in exchange for leaving them alone. The word has always conjured up the image in my mind of a black envelope containing a threat and a demand for money. In fact, the mail part of blackmail derives from Middle English male, rent, tribute. Old English mal meant lawsuit, terms, bargaining, agreement. The black of blackmail refers to association of the color black with evil. In modern usage blackmail differs from extortion in that the money or other valuable object or act is not extorted by threat of direct bodily harm, but by the threat of revealing something presumed to be injurious to the victim. A CBS News producer who blackmailed David Letterman for $2 million [about extra-marital affairs] is going away for six months This difference in meaning between blackmail and extortion obtains in American English, but in cruising the web to prepare this post, I discovered evidence that the original use of blackmail to mean extortion by threat of physical harm may still be current in British English: Blackmailer threatened to nail victims hand to floor: A BLOCK paver who threatened to nail a mans hand to the floor if he did not get the  £1,000 owed to him has been jailed for three years. A BLACKMAILER tried to extort  £40,000 from a businessman by threatening to kill him and dismember his body. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†75 Idioms and Expressions That Include â€Å"Break†January 1 Doesn't Need an "st"

How to Figure Out If You Should Work for Yourself

How to Figure Out If You Should Work for Yourself Have you ever thought about whether or not you should work for yourself? Maybe you’re tired of the 9-5 grind. Maybe you feel underutilized by your boss. Maybe you’d like to fulfill yourself creatively. Or maybe you’d just like to make more money. Whatever the case may be, setting up something on your own is a big decision and you need to think very carefully about the pros and cons before you decide to take the plunge.  Source:[The Business Backer]

The HRM implications of new technology in organisations Dissertation

The HRM implications of new technology in organisations - Dissertation Example The most primary issue is cost and labour investment that goes into development and whether the advantages outweigh these issues in regards to new technology adoption. Background: The implementation of new technologies in any industry has significant implications for human resource managers and line management. Depending on the nature of the system, such as HRIS for the human resources function, there are significant costs and labour expenditures to ensure proper development and training of existing staff members who must use this software. Other systems, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software or other system-wide technologies designed to facilitate better use of resources, also have cost issues and training problems that must be rectified by human resources management. Especially in international organisations, the complexity of these systems requires ongoing assistance from information technology support teams and the development of appropriate flowcharts that identify each key role and their job function related to the new technology implementation. Any such systems can be exceptionally problematic for human resources leadership in terms of driving motivation to use these systems effectively and eliciting change policies within the organisation. Discussion & Analysis: HRIS systems, human resource information systems, have some of the largest implications for human resource leadership and line management in virtually every organisation. HRIS is â€Å"a composite of databases, computer applications, and hardware/software necessary to collect/record, store, manage, deliver, present and manipulate data for HR† (Ngai & Wat, 2006, p.299). Such systems have administrative function to assist in record-keeping related to subordinate staff members and also assist in business decision-making throughout the organisation. A 1998 survey shows that 60 percent of Fortune 500 companies rely on HRIS systems in daily operations (Ngai & Wat). This number has likely increased over the last decade. The benefits of such systems is better record-keeping related to issues of health care, benefits, and training documentation that only serves to support the HR role more efficiently. However, there are many drawbacks that must be considered before implementing such a system in a dynamic organisation. First, lack of budget is a considerable problem if the company does not have adequate resources for the expenditure. Secondly, the costs associated with ongoing information technology support teams can be a burden. Further, these systems create an organisation-wide inter-dependency that forces unrelated operational systems to work together, thus requiring additional training (Ngai & Wat). If unrelated systems with no formal knowledge of one another now must rely on technology to become integrated, management must devote their labour and expertise to ensuring proper flow of information and the social systems that support such interdependencies. The re are significant benefits, however, to implementing new technology to support better business function. First, HRIS systems have self-service element to them that allow employees to handle some of their own human resources activities online. When linked with the corporate intranet, as one example, employees can request time off, review job postings as they change throughout the business, review company policy changes, and even update their demographic information in real-time (Copeland, 2004). Self-service systems give employees a broader sense of

Demand and Factors that Determine the Demand for Rail Transport Assignment

Demand and Factors that Determine the Demand for Rail Transport Between London and Preston - Assignment Example According to the law of demand, with other factors held constant, generally, the demand decreases/increases with the increase/decrease in price of the good. This relationship between demand and price is plotted on a graph as a â€Å"demand curve† as shown in Figure 1. What factors determine the demand for rail transport between London and Preston? The demand for rail transport between London and Preston depends on the following factors: 1. Price of rail travel between London and Preston: The most important factor that determines demand of this transport is the price of rail ticket to travel between London and Preston. Travelers would compare this price of ticket to cost of using alternative transport. This is important not only for people travelling once in a while but also for frequent travelers. If there exists considerably reduced fare possibility for frequent travelers, the demand could be expected to be higher from these frequent travelers would have lower cost of travel. 2. Time taken by rail travel between London and Preston: Time taken to travel by train is another important factor. If the time taken by train is considerably longer than other means of transport, the demand may be lower for rail travel. 3. Quality of rail service between Lo ndon and Preston: The quality of service could also be an important factor. It includes not only the quality and comfort of travel by train but also other factors like the frequency of trains, on-time arrival, and the time of departure/arrival of trains. Frequency of trains is important so that if consumer(s) change their itinerary suddenly, if there are alternative trains frequently running, they would not be forced to shift to another means of transport. Next, if the trains are frequently running late, consumers may not find the rail travel very efficient. Also, if the departure and arrival times of trains are not convenient, consumers would not find rail travel very attractive. For example if trains arrive only late at night or if the trains run during the entire length of the day, consumers may be put off. 4. Attractiveness of alternative modes of travel between London and Preston: There could be several other ways consumers to travel between London and Preston. If these service s are more attractive, then demand for rail travel would be low. The attractiveness of these alternatives also depends on the relative price of these modes, relative comfort, and other factors. Some of these are discussed below for the three other possible modes of transport a. By car: Several factors could influence the attractiveness of going by car instead. These factors include: fuel price (cost of taking the car), relative length of time taken to drive compared to rail travel, and quality of highways (comfort of ride). b. By air: Factors influencing the relative attractiveness of air travel are: price of air travel, relative total time taken to get from â€Å"door to door†, and of quality air transport services. However, there is another important factor here which is the distance of nearest airport from Preston. c. By bus: Factors influencing the relative attractiveness of bus travel are: price of bus tickets, time taken by buses, and the quality of bus services. 5. Day of the week and seasonal effects: The day of the week could be an important factor. For example, if business travel is frequent on this route, then weekends may see a much lower demand. Also, Seasonal effects are likely to significantly influence demand. For example, during Christmas the demand may be

The Waterways to freedom Essay Example for Free

The Waterways to freedom Essay As human beings, we ought to be endowed with the freedom of choice for we are naturally striving for channels of free will. We have a propensity to perceive life in an individualistic manner as we are all distinct entities. The art of entrapment we see from time to time deprives and suffocates our very being as individuals. However, the struggles we overcome are not always resolved by our own involuntary response to problems, but at times our very survival depends on the help of others to conquer a period of difficulty. Homers The Odyssey is a primary example of the idea of mans reliance on oneself and the occasional need for the assistance of others. Under Calypsos power, Odysseus is entrapped in her possession and loses all hope to escape on his own. After seven lengthy years of Odysseuss imprisonment, Hermes, the messenger of the gods, is sent by the gods to Calypsos island to order the release of Odysseus so that he can continue on with his voyage home. At times throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus did not consider the consequences of his actions and depended on guidance from the gods to steer him in the right direction. This particular passage describes Odysseus as a lowly mortal and reinforces his need of the aid of higher beings to help him surmount his struggles. Homer employs the act of the will to survive with the additional help of the immortals using diction, imagery, and structure to establish an apparent passage that focuses directly on mans struggle for freedom and the belief that man cannot escape his fate. One time or another, everyone has yearned for the comfort of having someone nearby, someone that leaves you feeling reassured and intact. For this need for companionship, the beautiful seductive magical (36) nymph Calypso seizes Odysseus and compels him to live a sensual yet vegetative existence where he wastes seven years of his ten year journey home on the lavish, luxurious island of Ogygia. For ten years, surrounded by men, Odysseus lives out the male heroic ideal image of a warrior and then spends several years further testing himself against life-threatening obstacles. In the process, he loses all of his followers, and has nothing left but the little that remains of himself. Here on Calypsos island, he lives in majestic paradise: A deep wood grew outside, with summer leaves of alder and black poplar, pungent cypress. Ornate birds rested there stretched wing horned owls, falcons, cormorants long-tongued beachcombing birds, and followers of the sea (22-26). With the use of diction Calypsos diatribe on Odysseus can be seen as a reaction to the reality of her life where she is a crooking vine (27) holding purple clusters under ply of green (28). The purple clusters effectively signifies Odysseus identity of a heroic leader, as the color purple represents royalty, who is twisted and detained under Calypsos crooking vine of power. Homer employs the use of his selected words to also establish Odysseus ongoing journey where he took channels here and there (30). Odysseus waterways of home shifts through beds of violets and tender parsley (31), indicating his temptations of sexual relationships with various women, including Calypso, throughout his voyage home. Violet is an enticing color which Homer utilizes to suggest Calypsos love and desire for Odysseus where he is entrapped on her island surrounded by the violet ocean (14). Through Homers establishment of words, he guides us to identify with Odysseus search for freedom under constraints of those who hold him back. Emancipated nature imagery displays the contrast between Odysseus suppressed captivity with the vast open world around him. The images of wild animals and plant life, alder and black poplar, pungent cypress (23) and ornate birds (24), denote Odysseus loss of hope of escape which contrasts with the serene tranquility of the environment around him. The image of birds is constantly utilized in the epic as omens that rely on the perception of Odysseus as an aggressive, predatory creature. With their stretched wings (24) the birds in this passage implies Odysseus stretched capability as a war hero in search of his homeland but is kept back by obstacles, just like the birds are kept from flying further because of their need to rest (24). The comparison of Hermes and Odysseus is evident in the beginning of the passage where it is seen through the imagery of Hermes movement. Whilst Odysseus is racked in confinement with his own heart groaning (42), Hermes is swiftly carried over water and over endless land in a swish of the wind (4). The high-speed action imagery of Hermes is illustrated to imply the higher being of an immortal and the never-ending limits of his freedom as he paced into the air (7), shot down to sea level (8), and veered to skim the swell (9). Odysseus and Hermes, who is wearing ambrosial, golden (3) sandals, which signifies his divine godly position, both possess brilliant godlike features, but differ in that Odysseus is a man of the mortal world while Hermes is immortal. However, although Odysseus and Hermes share common characteristics, in this passage, Odysseus is portrayed as a pitiable human with eyes wet scanning the bare horizon of the sea (42) who is in need of help from a higher being. The image of Hermes rescuing Odysseus is painted with the accompaniment of the seas and personified as the gull patrolling between the wave crests of the desolate sea (9-10). The desolate, barren sea suggests Odysseus loss of hope, loss of perseverance, and loss of will to survive, where the gull, Hermes, swoops down and douse his wings (11) to set Odysseus back on track along his journey home. All of this imagery imparts not only an in-depth depiction of the relationship between the lowly mortal of Odysseus and the glorified immortal being of Hermes, but also reinforces the deepness of his tragedy and depth of his sorrow. With the arrangement of structure, an understanding of the central idea can be communicated where both repetitions of common sounds are used and the order of the passage is recognized to grasp the fundamental concept of Odysseus survival. The repetitive use of s sounds is displayed within every line of the passage and as the poem is being spoken aloud, the s sounds transmits the serenity of the language but at the same time uncertainty of his undetermined fate. Each line is comprised of at least one s sound and can go to as many as four, for instance, scented the farthest shore with cedar smoke (18). The use of s sounds not only bestows the calmness of the atmosphere and the indecisiveness of what is yet to come, but also conveys Odysseus situation of captivity of being held back from his freedom against his own will as a thousand times before (40). The structure of mood within the passage enhances the extremity of Odysseus need for guidance from the gods. With the help of s sounds, the mood is displayed as tranquil and peaceful throughout the beginning of the passage but transitions into a sorrowful mood when Odysseus who sat apart racked with his own heart groaning and with eyes wet, is mentioned. The order of the mood change establishes the atmosphere to the central idea of freedom and Odysseus need for the assistance of a higher being for the outcome of his future. Homer successfully led us to develop a certain predetermined picture of Odysseus journey with the excessive amount of pain and sorrow he endured throughout his voyage home. One of the major themes of The Odyssey is the belief that man cannot escape the destiny which has been fated for him by the gods. Destiny plays an imperative role in the survival of Odysseus throughout his adventures. Finally, after seven years of languishing in Calypsos island, with the help of Hermes, Odysseus continues on with his journey and follows his fate the gods bestowed upon him. Through diction, structure, nature and contrasting imagery, as well as the relationship between mortal and immortals, the theme of mans act of will to survive and the struggle for freedom with the additional help of others is visibly recognized. Some people believe they can make it through life on their own two feet, but at times, the waterway in the course of life needs the assistance of a strong current to push us along and guide us to surpass the slow, immobile areas along the channels to our destination.

Positive Feedback Loops in Early Human Development :: Environment Environmental Pollution Preservation

Positive Feedback Loops in Early Human Development There is no doubt that technology facilitated human development throughout history. However, what has been left largely untouched among the authors of the texts for this course is why technology has had such a tremendous effect on the evolution of the human species and its relationship with its environment. This essay will attempt to show that the effects of technology were subject to a multiplier effect inherent in positive feedback loops. In other words, every historical technological innovation gave way to a change in human behavior and physical capabilities, which, in turn, allowed for further technological innovation. Because this loop has been so incredibly successful, humans have overwhelmed the environment by continually growing towards, and sometimes beyond, its natural carrying capacity. The only reason why humans have not surpassed the upper limit of environmental tolerance is our own technological innovation which exists as part of the positive feedback loop; hence the or igin of the term "tech fix" (the idea that human ingenuity will overcome all environmental limitations). The positive feedback loop that is responsible for the dominance of the human species is very much like a game of elementary school dodge-ball. Initially, there is no skill involved; a mess of children with the sole intention of remaining alive in the game. Only, it is not entirely random because there are the few children who are particularly well-suited for the game. Be it because they are more agile or perhaps they understand the movement a little better than the rest. Whatever the reason, they are able to continue playing the game longer than a child who runs around as if his eyes were closed. The more able children will then gain more experience and be able to stay in even longer and dominate in the next game, and so the positive feedback loop proceeds to take shape. Early humans were similar in that what set them apart from the rest of the animals is that, for some reason, they had a natural inclination towards tool-making and technology. With these tools they were able to domi nate the evolutionary "game", so to speak. The multiplier effect comes from the fact that the loop, once it has begun, will be self-propagating, such that one invention will inevitably allow for another. Conversely, a negative feedback loop is "self-limiting rather than self-reinforcing", as put by Tom Tietenberg in his text Environmental and Natural Resource Economics.

Hamlet Second Soliloquy

In the last scene of act I Hamlet is told by the ghost that his father has been murdered by Uncle Claudius, the brother of the deceased king. Hamlet once mournful and grim turns revengeful, he promises the ghost to â€Å"sweep† to revenge. But he is tormented with doubts. The ghost has taken its toll on Hamlet but has not been convincing enough, he cannot fully trust it given that it might also be an evil spirit willing to make him change course, misleading him to murder an innocent man and be â€Å"damned† as Hamlet puts it in his words full of fear and anxiety.For such reasons Hamlet conceives a plan, he is going to wear a mask of madness, or put on ‘the antic disposition’, which Hamlet considers will make things easier for him: Hamlet under the mask of madness intends getting people talk more freely in his presence and thus he might easily find the truth about his uncle. But, far from working his plan turns to be counterproductive. Soon, Hamlet draws eve n more attention to himself, the royal court is intrigued by his strange behavior and King Claudius summons Hamlet’s school friends Rosencratz and Guildernstern asking them to go spy on him.Hamlet is suspicious of his own friends and soon conceives a new idea to trap his uncle: the reenactment of his father’s murder under the cover of a play called â€Å"The Murder of Gonzago†. In this particular soliloquy, which comes right after, the audience is waiting to see a more determined Hamlet ready to avenge his father’s murder: indeed it has been a while since Hamlet promised to act. Instead we are presented with an even more confused character, not only uncertain of the world surrounding him but also himself. Shakespeare through the soliloquy paints Hamlet’s character.Thus, the audience finds out that Hamlet is self-loathing -Hamlet’s opening words: expression of self-disgust: â€Å" O what a rogue and peasant slave am I! †, Hamletâ€℠¢s self-critic is obvious here, he reduces himself to the state of a slave. The Prince must really be mad at himself. Shakespeare’s choice of the word â€Å"slave† might signify Hamlet’s inaction, passiveness, just like a slave is chained to his master and incapable of acting against his will, so is Hamlet attached to the shackles of thought and meditation, which impede him from acting, acting freely. -The first layer’s acting has left Hamlet with a sense of amazement. How come the actor can get himself to cry for something that is imaginary, for â€Å"Hecuba†, dead thousands of years ago and Hamlet, who has real, true reasons to cry proves unable to express his anguish over the loss of his father and the incestuous remarriage of his mother: â€Å"can say nothing, – no not for a king†. -Hamlet suggests here that his inability to express himself is like a betrayal, for Hamlet seems to have forsaken his duty of avenging his father. He c alls himself â€Å"A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause†.The choice of the adjective â€Å"dull† reminds the audience of what the ghost told him in Act I. If Hamlet didn’t take revenge the ghost said that he would be â€Å"duller than the fat weed/ That roots itself on Lethe wharf†. Hamlet seems to be accusing himself of not having the player's passion, of not hating Claudius strongly enough, of not loving his father strongly enough. Hamlet is mad at himself not because he hasn’t killed Claudius but because he hasn’t said anything. So Hamlet instead of plotting against Claudius dwells on himself.Another character trait is being developed by Shakespeare, one that the audience is very much familiar with since Hamlet’s first soliloquy where he extrapolates his own grief over Denmark, the world in general. It is Hamlet’s egocentric side. -Note the abounding number of personal pronouns (I, my, me) used by Hamlet in the soliloquy. It is as if the world revolved around him. When Hamlet shows the actor’s passion and enthusiasm about his role it is only to stress on his own lack of passion. It is as if the actor were a tool that Hamlet makes use of in order to urge himself into action. The soliloquy is presented as a dialogue between Hamlet and himself. The prince is willing to work himself into a state of passion, revengefulness: â€Å"Am I a coward? † The use of the future tense at the end of the soliloquy when Hamlet confirms his intentions concerning the mouse trap is also significant, in sense that Hamlet seems like convincing himself that he will finally do something, that he has a plan, he projects himself into the future trying to influence it â€Å"I’ll observe his looks, I’ll tent him to the quick (†¦) I’ll catch the conscience of the king.At some stage he seems to imagine someone insulting him, â€Å" Who calls me a vi llain, breaks my pate across, plucks off my beard and blows it in my face†. This helps building his rage which culminates when he remembers Claudius in the following lines†Bloody bawdy villain! Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless, villain! Oh, vengeance† Note the emotiveness of the passage, Hamlet breaks into an emotional climax; he is outraged at the simple thought of his father’s murderer.One could imagine him spitting these words out loud with his finger pointed at an imaginary Claudius accusing him of all of his crimes and ultimately stabbing him with an imaginary dagger with† vengeance† in his mind. -But, this is only an imaginary vengeance or Hamlet trying to rehearse in order to get himself in the mood. In the lines that follow Hamlet’s focus is again back on himself and how pathetic the whole buildup of passion has been† What an ass am I†.The prince thinks that it is not fit for him to curse himself, as he sou nd like a â€Å"whore† or a â€Å"drab† or a male whore â€Å" a scullion†. Hamlet here is putting on his misogynist character, he cannot tolerate women that in his opinion are all â€Å"whores†, like his beloved Ophelia who betrayed him, or his mother who betrayed his â€Å"dear† father. This negative vision, attitude toward women is consistent with Hamlet who in his first soliloquy has already made a sweeping condemnation of the latter â€Å"Frailty thy name is woman†. So the prince’s main target in this soliloquy is himself.He is concerned with questions related with whether he is a coward or not, whether he should act or continue â€Å" like a whore unpack my heart with words†. We could therefore ask ourselves what purposes this passage serves in the play apart from characterizing Hamlet. -It has little dramatic value given that there is no action. The tension is released, Hamlet is alone on stage meditating yet again and a part from the bits where he gets over agitated the tension in the passage is kept at the minimum. -The passage has also little value in terms of its contribution to the plot.The plot hardly advances in the soliloquy, the mouse trap idea that Hamlet comes up with at the end has been conceived earlier when he asked the first player to prepare for the Murder of Gonzago right before the soliloquy. -The passage therefore rather confirms the plot and serves as a means of delaying the Murder of Gonzago as well as the eventual Hamlet’s murder of Claudius. The mouse trap seems to be the first practical idea that Hamlet has ever had since the beginning of the play. It is a relatively reliable plan which would help him find out whether or not his uncle has anything to do with his father’s death.But the audience wonders if this is not simply another excuse for not acting. Indeed, if Hamlet really wanted to kill his uncle the soliloquy would be unnecessary. Hamlet’s characte r is pretty ambiguous. On the one hand he considers that his uncle is the most sinful person that has ever existed â€Å"Bloody bawdy villain, remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindles, villain†. On the other hand, this enumeration of adjectives that negatively qualify his uncle is counterbalanced by the fact that the ghost might also be a misleading â€Å"devil†, a possibility which Hamlet reconsiders at the end of the soliloquy.This uncertainty that revolves around Hamlet’s character brings us back to the central question of the soliloquy: is Hamlet a coward? Is he ever going to act? The later developments of the play reinforce the doubt. -It is also important to mention the theme of appearance versus reality that is embedded in the central figure of the soliloquy, that of the actor. For Hamlet the actor stands for â€Å"conceit†, or in other words deception, which Hamlet despises and is disgusted with. In this sense Uncle Claudius, the ultimate liar and deceiver of the play is certainly viewed by Hamlet as an actor as well.Ironically enough, in order to uncover the truth and show Claudius’ deceptive nature Hamlet resorts to deceit as well by conceiving the mouse trap. For Hamlet therefore deception is a way of revealing the truth, and he certainly views theater as a powerful tool capable not only of putting masks on but also dropping the others. But, what is more striking is Hamlet’s obsession with the idea that there is often a disconnect between what people appear to be and what they really are â€Å"is it not monstrous.. †.Note the mocking tone with which he relates to the actor’s job, one filled with admiration as well, given that Hamlet finds himself unable to do the same for his genuine reasons. In the case of his uncle, Hamlet has been told by the ghost that he is a serpent, but the ghost itself under his father’s outfit could also be the devil. Hamlet cannot trust anybody, especially not women who he associates with deception; he is disgusted with human nature â€Å"that one can smile and smile and be a villain†, which is again ironic when Hamlet realizes that in his world lies and deceit take a necessary part of the daily life.So the passage is the occasion for Shakespeare to further characterize Hamlet, to show his exacerbated feelings towards himself and those who deceive. Two of Hamlet’s character traits are confirmed in the passage: he is self-loathing and egocentric. Also, this passage explores one of the fundamental themes of the play: the theme of appearance versus reality. Also, Shakespeare through the figure of the actor, and the play within the play demonstrates and acclaims the powers of theater.

MOBA Game Addiction

The first mechanical or automatic computer was made in 1822 by Charles Babbage. It was capable of computing several sets of numbers and making had copies of the results. Despite its only single purpose, it was the start and the foundation of all the technology we have today. Ever since the day the computer was first made, different inventors have been creating their own computers with different functions, they also improved the inventions of others. For almost two centuries, computers have always been evolving. In our era, computers have many different functions, functions that do efficiently better than human beings.Functions of computers can be solving mathematical problems, socializing, searching answers for specific problems, or entertaintment. But nowadays, computers are used mostly for entertainment purposes. The reason is because computers are machines that are able to capture images,videos and audio. An examples would be, instead of watching shows from your television, listen ing music to the radio or checking photos from your albums, you are able to do all these using the computer alone. But the main objects of entertainment from computers are video games.Video games contain both video and audio files, it also has a purpose or goal for someone to achieve. The first ever computer game made was in 1952 by A. S. Douglas, a graphical computer version of Tic-Tac-Toe. The game was programmed on a EDSAC vacuum-tube computer, which had a cathode ray tube display. Like the computer, computer-based games were also evolving at the same time, people are creating games of their own. Graphics of computer games was the notable characteristic of a game evolving. Computer games have different genres, they can be puzzles, shooters, action or strategy.According to (____), the average of people who play computer games is 18-49, and the most played genre is puzzle. Computer games have also become competitive because of the amount of players trying to achieve the highest sco re possible. Because of this nature, game developers are developing more multiplayer games which purpose is generally to win by performing better than the other player. Due to multiplayer games, a term called â€Å"eSports† has been developed. eSports is the term for organized video game competitions, especially between professionals. The most common genre associated with eSports is multiplayer online battle arena.

Jainism in Early India essays

Jainism in Early India essays During the fifth and sixth centuries B.C.E. many new religions and philosophies sprang up in India that appealed to the interests of new social classes. Among the most influential of these new religions was Jainism. Jainism had strong foundations, and formed into a unique and influential religion, but many factors might explain why it never became as successful as Hinduism or Buddhism. Vardhamana Mahavira was a great teacher of Jainism who helped it become popular. Legend has it that he spent twelve years in the Ganges Valley, after which he gained enlightenment and many disciples. These disciples referred to him as Jina (the conqueror), and to themselves as Jains. Jains believed that everything in the universe possessed a soul, and could experience physical and psychological suffering. Only by purification from selfish behavior could souls gain release from their imprisonment, shed their karma, and reach the eternal state of bliss. The way that the people underwent purification was by observing the law of ahimsa, or nonviolence to other living things or their souls. Jain monks went to extremes observing this law, and avoiding all the tiny souls that surrounded them. Jainism represented an attractive alternative to the traditional sacrificial cults of early India. Jainist values and ethics had significant social implications. If all these souls participated in the ultimate reality of the world, social hierarchies made no sense. The Jains did not recognize these classes of human beings based on caste or jati. Because of this, their faith became popular especially among members of lower castes who did not command much respect in the traditional social order, including merchants, scholars, and literary figures. They did little overt violence to other creatures, and appreciated the high moral standards that Jainism encouraged. Ultimately, Jainist ethics were so demanding that few people ot ...

Ground Sloths - A Survivor of the Megafaunal Extinction

Ground Sloths - A Survivor of the Megafaunal Extinction Giant ground sloth (Megatheriinae) is the common name for several species of large bodied mammals (megafauna) who evolved and lived exclusively on the American continents. The superorder Xenarthranswhich includes anteaters and armadillosemerged in Patagonia during the Oligocene (34-23 million years ago), then diversified and dispersed throughout South America. The first giant ground sloths appeared in South America at least as long ago as the late Miocene (Friasian, 23-5 mya), and by the Late Pliocene (Blancan, ca. 5.3-2.6 mya) arrived in North America. Most of the large forms died out during the late Pleistocene, although there is recently discovered evidence of ground sloth survival in central America as recently as 5,000 years ago. There are nine species (and up to 19 genera) of giant sloths known from four families: Megatheriidae (Megatheriinae); Mylodontidae (Mylodontinae and Scelidotheriinae), Nothrotheriidae, and Megalonychidae. Pre-Pleistocene remains are very sparse (except for Eremotheriaum eomigrans), but there are lots of fossils from the Pleistocene, especially Megatherium americanum in South America, and E. laurillardi in both South and North America. E. laurillardi was a large, intertropical species known as the Panamanian giant ground sloth, who may well have survived into the late Pleistocene. Life as a Ground Sloth Ground sloths were mostly herbivores. A study on over 500 preserved feces (coprolites) of the Shasta ground sloth (Nothrotheriops shastense) from Rampart Cave, Arizona (Hansen) indicate that they mainly dined on desert globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) Nevada mormontea (Ephedra nevadensis) and saltbushes (Atriplex spp). A 2000 study (Hofreiter and colleagues) found that the diet of sloths living in and around Gypsum Cave in Nevada changed over time, from pine and mulberries around 28,000 cal BP, to capers and mustards at 20,000 years bp; and to saltbushes and other desert plants at 11,000 years bp, an indication of changing climate in the region. Ground sloths lived in a variety of ecosystem types, from treeless scrublands in Patagonia to wooded valleys in North Dakota, and it seems that they were fairly adaptive in their diets. Despite their adaptability, they almost certainly were killed off, as with other megafaunal extinctions, with the assistance of the first set of human colonists into the Americas. Ranking by Size Giant ground sloths are loosely categorized by size: small, medium and large. In some studies, the size of the various species seems to be continuous and overlapping, although some juvenile remains are definitely larger than the adult and subadult remains of the small group. Cartell and De Iuliis argue that the difference is size is evidence that some of the species were sexually dimorphic. Megatherium altiplanicum (small, femur length about 387.5 mm or 15 inches), and about 200 kilograms or 440 pounds per adult individuals) Megatherium sundti (medium, femur length about 530 mm, 20 in) Megatherium americanum (large, femur length between 570-780 mm, 22-31 in; and up to 3000 kg, 6600 lb per individual) All of the extinct continental genera were ground rather than arboreal, that is to say, lived outside of trees, although the only survivors are their small (4-8 kg, 8-16 lb) tree-dwelling descendants. Recent Survivals Most of the megafauna (mammals with bodies greater than 45 kg, or 100 lbs) in the Americas died out at the end of the Pleistocene after the retreat of the glaciers and about the time of the first human colonization of the Americas. However, evidence for ground sloth survival into the late Pleistocene has been found in a handful of archaeological sites, where research indicates that humans were preying on ground sloths. One of the very old sites thought by some scholars to be evidence of humans is the Chazumba II site in Oaxaca state, Mexico, dated between 23,000-27,000 calendar years BP [cal BP] (Vià ±as-Vallverdà º and colleagues). That site includes a possible cutmarkbutchery markon a giant sloth bone, as well as a few lithics such as retouched flakes, hammers, and anvils. Shasta ground sloth (Nothrotheriops shastense) dung has been found in several caves in the southwestern United States, dated to as late as 11,000-12,100 radiocarbon years before the present RCYBP. There are also similar survivals for other members of the Nothrotheriops species found in caves in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile; the youngest of those are 16,000-10,200 RCYBP. Solid Evidence for Human Consumption Evidence for human consumption of ground sloths exists at Campo Laborde, 9700-6750 RCYBP in the Talpaque Creek, Pampean region of Argentina (Messineo and Politis). This site includes an extensive bone bed, with over 100 individuals of M. americanum, and smaller numbers of glyptodons, panamanian hare (Dolichotis patagonum, vizcacha, peccary, fox, armadillo, bird, and camelid. Stone tools are relatively sparse at Campo Laborde, but they include a quartzite side-scraper and a bifacial projectile point, as well as flakes and micro-flakes. Several sloth bones have butchery marks, and the site is interpreted as a single event involving the butchery of a single giant ground sloth. In North Dakota in the central US, evidence shows that Megalonyx jeffersonii, Jeffersons ground sloth (first described by the U.S. President Thomas Jefferson and his physician friend Caspar Wistar in 1799), were still fairly widely distributed across the NA continent, from Old Crow Basin in Alaska to southern Mexico and from coast to coast, about 12,000 years RCYBP and just before most of the sloth extinction (Hoganson and McDonald). The most recent evidence for ground sloth survival is from the West Indian islands of Cuba and Hispaniola (Steadman and colleagues). Cueva Beruvides in Matanzas Province of Cuba held a humerus of the largest West Indies sloth, the Megalocnus rodens, dated between 7270 and 6010 cal BP; and the smaller form Parocnus brownii has been reported from the tar pit Las Breas de San Felipe in Cuba between 4,950-14,450 cal BP. Seven examples of Neocnus comes have been found in Haiti, dated between 5220-11,560 cal BP. Sources and Further Information Cartelle C, and De Iuliis G. 2006. Eremotherium Laurillardi (Lund) (Xenarthra, Megatheriidae), the Panamerican giant ground sloth: Taxonomic aspects of the ontogeny of skull and dentition. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 4(2):199-209.Hansen RM. 1978. Shasta ground sloth food habits, Rampart Cave, Arizona. Paleobiology 4(3):302-319.Hofreiter M, Poinar HN, Spaulding WG, Bauer K, Martin PS, Possnert G, and Pbo S. 2000. A molecular analysis of ground sloth diet through the last glaciation. Molecular Ecology 9(12):1975-1984.Hoganson JW, and McDonald HG. 2007. First Report of Jeffersons Ground Sloth (Megalonyx jeffersonii) in North Dakota: Paleobiogeographical and Paleoecological Significance. Journal of Mammalogy 88(1):73-80.Iuliis GD, Pujos F, and Tito G. 2009. Systematic and Taxonomic Revision of the Pleistocene Ground Sloth Megatherium (Pseudomegatherium) Tarijense (Xenarthra: Megatheriidae). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 29(4):1244-1251.Messineo PG, and Politis GG. 2009. New Radiocarbon Dates from the Campo Laborde Site (Pampean Region, Argentina) Support the Holocene Survival of Giant Ground Sloth and Glyptodonts. Current Research in the Pleistocene 26:5-9. Pereira ICdS, Dantas MAT, and Ferreira RL. 2013. Record of the giant sloth Valgipes bucklandi (Lund, 1839) (Tardigrada, Scelidotheriinae) in Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil, with notes on taphonomy and paleoecology. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 43:42-45.Steadman DW, Martin PS, MacPhee RDE, Jull AJT, McDonald HG, Woods CA, Iturralde-Vinent M, and Hodgins GWL. 2005. Asynchronous extinction of late Quaternary sloths on continents and islands. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 102(33):11763-11768.Vià ±as-Vallverdà º R, Arroyo-Cabrales J, Rivera-Gonzlez II, Xosà © Pedro R-, Rubio-Mora A, Eudave-Eusebio IN, Solà ­s-Torres ÓR, and Ardelean CF. 2015. Recent archaeo-palaeontological findings from Barranca del Muerto site, Santiago Chazumba, Oaxaca, Mà ©xico. Quaternary International in press.

Ecology is Good Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ecology is Good Business - Essay Example With the obvious realism of coming global ecological crisis, there have been many efforts that have been made for moral revolution which would look into probability of incorporating ecological values in the world especially in the global business culture. This has been expressed through many efforts like the green thinking that seeks to transform the world to go green and reverse the trend of environmental pollution. The call for concept of sustainable development has informed us that this world does not belong to us but rather it belongs to the coming generation. Moral transformation that leads to sustainable development has been supported by many efforts. This paper will look closely at ecology as a good business practice that is vital to the concept of sustainable development. (Brown 1996, p. 1) The concept of good ecology as equal to good business can be argued on many front depending on the issue at hand. For some issues, good ecology can turn to be bad business but on many issues, good ecology is good business. Good ecology means development both technologically and socially that is conscious of the world we are living in and the issues that are currently locking the world especially the issue of environment. Every time we mention about ecology, we cannot avoid the issue of the environment simply because it is what composes the planet. Environment is anything that surrounds us from forests, people, infrastructure, soil, and other natural and manmade features. The issue of ecology in the modern days has taken the turn of environment laws fighting to reverse the trend of a polluted landscape which is taking toll on the communities inhabiting these landscapes. Good ecological practices have been seen as those practices which care about the environment where we are living in. Unfortunately, the issue of environment has been so much politicized which has made it difficult for the world to tackle