Analysis Of George Huxley s Brave New World Essay

O?Brien 7 Devon O?Brien Ms. Rafferty H. English IV 22 August 2016 Quotes Connections ?Imagine the folly of allowing people to play elaborate games which do nothing whatever to increase consumption. It?s Madness.? (31) Huxley is known for his remarkable use of tone to properly set the mood in his novel Brave New World. Here, Huxley subtly slips in an excellent example of this. This quote was just enough to bring me out of the fictional world I was immersed in, to remember that it was a satirical work of fiction. It also effectively weaves into the theme of mindless conformity that is ever-present throughout the novel. The characters so absentmindedly subject themselves to the collective social body that it is almost admissible when reading their thoughts in the novel. This quote was such a characteristic thing to say for everyone in the novel that I almost didn?t catch that it was an abnormal thought. This quotation accurately depicts how the characters in this novel view aspects of their life. They simply see no reason behind partaking in anything that does not ?inc rease consumption?, and is therefore an excellent example of Huxley?s effortless use of language in the novel. ?To have dealings with members of the lower castes was always, for Bernard, a most distressing experience.? (64) Here, it is seen through Bernard?s eyes how members of different castes interact with one another. Bernard views members of lower castes as disgustingly inferior to himself;Show MoreRelatedGeorge Orwell s Brave New World1601 Words   |  7 Pagesattempted to predict what the future holds for our society. If one was to narrow their focus on the past century they would see the works and predictions of Aldous Huxley and George Orwell. Both Huxley and Orwell, as one could infer, composed novels that describe future societies and their inner workings. Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World, where members of society originate from a lab and who’s lives are pre-determined by the controllers. The controllers of Huxley’s futuristic society’s fundamentalRead MoreBrave New World vs Nineteen Eighty Four vs Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?2284 Words   |  10 PagesComparative Essay : Brave New World to Nineteen Eighty-Four and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The term dystopia aptly applies to all three of these novels in that each story is set in a future where society is less attractive than it is now. All three books are prefaced with a cataclysmic event that results in a dramatic change in society to address and avoid the perceived problems of present-day. Although each author takes a different approach to the solution, their worlds have striking similaritiesRead MoreThe Absence of Morals in Brave New World Essay1814 Words   |  8 Pagesstate. Huxley, in his novel Brave New World, argues that this is not the case. Through the creation of a type of scientifically led world order, the society has destroyed the one thing that people cherish most, their individualism (Brander 71). They are no longer individuals; they are consumers assimilated into an overall society by the power of genetics. However, that is not all. Baker contends that â€Å"Huxley’s greatest fear was the potential misuse of genetic engineering, but Brave Ne w World also reflectsRead MoreAnalysis Of Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451 Essay2089 Words   |  9 PagesThe analysis of Ray Bradbury s dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, shows that literature as books, education and alike is abused and criminalized in the hero’s reality, who is Guy Montag. The novel’s setting is when new things seem to have totally replaced literature, fire fighters set flames instead of putting them out, the ownership of books is deserving of the law and to restrict the standard is to court demise. The oppression of literature through innovation and technology can be analyzed throughRead More Mind Muscle Vs. Mind Mush1680 Words   |  7 Pagesmasses are utterly contemptible. They are incapable of abstract thinking and uninterested in any fact outside the circle of their immediate experience. Their behavior is determined, not by knowledge and reason, but by feelings and unconscious drives. (Huxley, 1958, p.3) If Hitler looked at mankind today with his opinion be the same? Would he succeed at moving the masses to the deplorable deeds as he once succeeded in doing? The instinctive answer would be no, of course not; but, there exist today a constantRead MoreGeorge Orwell s Brave New World, 1984, And King Lear3482 Words   |  14 PagesControl is presented in various ways in Brave New World, 1984, and King Lear. The ways in which the omnipresent governments in 1984 and Brave New World deploy power and control draw significant areas of comparison to each other, as well as contrasting to the presentation of power and control in King Lear. Various methods are utilised in order to exercise power and control in 1984, King Lear, and Brave New World. â€Å"Hypnopaedia† is employed in Brave New World as a method of mass control. Infants areRead MoreNineteen Eighty Four By George Orwell Essay1601 Words   |  7 PagesBook Review for Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell Jason Lee December 12, 2015 SECTION A Date published June 8, 1949 City where published London, England Publisher Secker Warburg Number of pages 267 SECTION B Summary of your book (key details only...address the beginning, middle, and end of the book) Nineteen Eighty-Four takes place in the fictional nationRead MorePolitics Is A Joke ! Essay1638 Words   |  7 PagesPolitics Is A Joke! Or Is It Really? By: Joshua McCray Dr. Kenneth Mulligan Political Science 314I-950 Paper 2 The book â€Å"Politics is A Joke! How TV Comedians Are Remaking Political Life† written by S. Robert Lichter, Jody C. Baumgartner, and Jonathan S. Morris, describes the influence of late night tv show comedians and their role in modern politics. Conan, The Colbert Report, Saturday Night Live, and many late-night comedy shows exist. These shows have played a major role in American politicsRead MoreEssay Utopia4252 Words   |  18 PagesEntitled, ‘DE OPTIMO REIPUBLICATE STATU DEQUE NOVA INSULA UTOPIA, clarissimi disertissimique viri THOMAE MORI inclutae civitatis Londinensis civis et Vicecomitis’, translated into English would read, ‘ON THE BEST STATE OF A COMMONWEALTH AND ON THE NEW ISLAND OF UTOPIA, by the Most Distinguished and Eloquent Author THOMAS MORE Citizen and Undersheriff of the Famous City of London.’. Utopia (Latin: no-place) is a society of great planning and capability. A community where individuals compromisedRead MoreEssay on Analysis of George Orwells 19844218 Words   |  17 PagesAnalysis of George Orwells 1984 War Is Peace. Freedom Is Slavery. Ignorance Is Strength. The party slogan of Ingsoc illustrates the sense of contradiction which characterizes the novel 1984. That the book was taken by many as a condemnation of socialism would have troubled Orwell greatly, had he lived to see the aftermath of his work. 1984 was a warning against totalitarianism and state sponsored brutality driven by excess technology. Socialist idealism in 1984 had turned to a total loss of

Teen Mom and Effects on American Culture Free Essays

American teenagers take a lot of things for granted, but what we don’t take into consideration is what would happen if these things suddenly disappeared. Teenage life consists of school, jobs, driving, friends, sports, and going out with friends. We never consider others’ way of life. We will write a custom essay sample on Teen Mom and Effects on American Culture or any similar topic only for you Order Now In some cultures, they are just fighting to stay alive, while others don’t have the freedom to go out with friends, or play a certain sport. They are so consumed in family life or their future jobs that they have no social life. No one ever thinks what would happen if their way of life was completely turned around. This concept is shown on a reality television show called 16 and Pregnant. It follows a group of teenage girls throughout their pregnancy and a few weeks after. It shows the trials, worries, and changes in these girls’ lives. There is also a follow up show called Teen Mom that follows 4 girls from the first season of the show. I will be expanding on these girls’ lives from the beginning of their pregnancy to their lives now. Maci Bookout was just your ordinary teenage girl. She was an excellent student, played softball, and was very popular. She had big plans to go away for college and be a typical college student.This is the way the typical American is viewed. But things suddenly changed for Maci when she discovered she was pregnant. All her dreams and aspirations soon faded away and she had to consider her life with a baby. Maci comes from a middle upper class family, so concerns for money were minimal, and she didn’t have much of a struggle, other than with her baby’s dad, Ryan. But she couldn’t go away to college; she was just worried about graduating high school. She had to quit softball, and her friends soon turned on her. Her life was completely changed with just one decision.She took her teenage years for granted, but once she became a teen mom, that was all she wanted back. Amber Portwood was a big party girl, who didn’t care what others thought of her. She would party instead of doing homework, and didn’t have many friends that truly cared about her. She viewed life as a big party, and didn’t take it seriously, until she had to. She became pregnant at 16 and her whole life was changed. She dropped out of high school, and moved in with her boyfriend, Gary. They were from a lower class family, so they struggled with money. Gary and Amber soon both were working, and had to leave their aughter with Gary’s mother. It was obvious from the start that Amber and Gary were not meant for each other, because they would often get into fights. Fights started to get physical and Amber soon saw herself sitting home alone while Gary took their daughter and left, after many months of physical abuse. Amber knew she had a problem, and needed help, but she realized it too late. Gary broke up with her and she was alone, and without her daughter. She took her teen years for granted, and instead of living life to the best of her ability, she tried to grow up too fast, and got what she wanted. Farrah Abrams was the popular cheerleader in high school. She had great friends and an amazing boyfriend. She had big dreams of going to culinary school, becoming a chef, and opening her own restaurant. All those dreams were put on hold when she discovered she was pregnant. Things became even worse when the father of her baby, and boyfriend of 1 year, was killed in a car accident. 2 months later, her daughter, Sophia, was born. She had to go through the loss of her boyfriend, and the birth of her daughter. Soon after Sophia’s birth, Farrah began to miss her boyfriend and saw herself going out more, and leaving her baby with her mother.Farrah’s mom constantly had to remind her daughter that she was now a mother and couldn’t just go out with friends anymore. She was from a very wealthy family and had no problems with money, but all her other problems took the place of money problems. Farrah and her mother did not get along very well at all. She was constantly disrespecting her mom, and her mom was constantly nagging her about everything. When Sophia was almost 1 year old, Farrah’s mother punched Farrah. Cops came to the house and arrested her mother, and Farrah didn’t see or speak to her mom for months. Farrah had a successful life planned out for herself, but now she’s unsure of whether or not she’ll ever reach her goals. Catelynn Lowell is an ordinary girl. She doesn’t have any special gifts or talents, she’s just a teenager. She and her boyfriend, Tyler, were dating 3 years when she discovered she was pregnant. Ironically this was a good thing for her. She had no plans or goals for her life, because her mother and step-father (which is Tyler’s real dad) are both drug addicts and have never been strict on Catelynn about anything. Being pregnant made Catelynn realize she needed to do something with her life and not turn into her mother. She and Tyler talked for months, and both decided that they needed to give their daughter, Carly, up for adoption, because there was no way they could raise their daughter in the living situation they were in. Catelynn and Tyler are both from very low class families, and could barely provide for themselves, so they knew their daughter would be very unhappy. While it was a difficult decision, they also knew it was the best one. Catelynn and Tyler will be graduating from high school this year, and have many goals they’re eager to achieve. The similarities and differences between these girls are many.Amber dropped out of high school, and missed out on graduating. Will she ever get her GED? Farrah is the only one who does not have a father in her baby’s life; will her baby ever have a father figure? Maci seems to have it all together, but does is she really happy not being with her first love? Catelynn and Tyler gave their daughter up for adoption, and while it was a smart decision, will they later regret it? All these girls’ lives will be affected forever because of the decisions they’ve made. I believe this show takes the concept of the average American teenager, and adds some reality into it.While not all teen girls become pregnant, it’s amazing to see that this is what it take to make some teens grow up. Other cultures would think that this is just crazy because these girls took for granted the fact that they had people who loved them, a house to live in, and a chance for education. American culture is very different from other cultures, just in the fact that we don’t value things that should be valued, such as family, morals, and God. If we viewed life a little more seriously, and not as a game, then we may be a much stronger, happier nation. How to cite Teen Mom and Effects on American Culture, Papers

Ethics Management Auditing and Developing

Question: Discuss about the Ethics Management for Auditing and Developing. Answer: Introduction A profession is a particular field of specialization in which as a person is adequately trained and experienced to perform functions in this field of study with expertise. An expert performs duties in the field that they have been trained on. To become an accountant, one has to fulfill certain academic, ethical and legal requirements before they are allowed to practice as an accountant (Arens, 2010). Before practicing accounting, it is a requirement that a person must have fulfilled certain academic qualifications to join an accountant training institution There are many ethical requirements in the auditing profession. This report identifies and analyzes an ethical issue that is common in the accounting profession. The report also analyzes past literature and research that has been done on the subject and identifies gaps that need further research to be done. Critical review of what it means to be an accountant Auditing is the independent process of accessing and investigating the final financial statements presented to the shareholders at the annual AGM to verify if the information submitted is true, accurate and represents the genuine and fair financial value of the business or organization in question. There are two types of auditors I.e., internal auditors, and external auditors. The internal auditor is appointed by the shareholders of the organization (Gul Fung, 2014). They have several functions and roles that they perform in an organization. The duties of internal auditors include establishing an internal control system that responds accurately to the needs of the organization, advising the management on various aspect of accounting, determining the relevant accounting methods for an organization depending on its characteristics, reviewing of an organization's internal financial controls and assessing the companys financial risk position (Kretzschmar, (2012). The internal auditors a re answerable to the shareholders and are required to be independent. The external auditors are a statutory requirement for all companies in Australia. All companies must have an external auditor whose responsibility is to investigate the financial report of an organization to make sure they reflect the genuine and fair value of the group. Auditors are required by law to be independent even though sometimes their integrity is compromised by the management of the organizations they audit. This can be very dangerous because an auditor whose integrity is compromised may collaborate with the management of the organization to infringe on the rights of shareholders (Kretzschmar, 2012). The auditing profession has a code of ethics that is followed by all auditors internationally. Auditors are governed by a set of rules and regulations that are able to guide them in their professional practice. The code of ethics for auditors is developed by The Institute of Internal Auditors, Australia (IIAA). Another body that develops the code of conduct for auditors is the Charted Institute of Internal Auditors. In Australia, there is a government body that also set ethical standards of auditors. The Auditing and Assurance Standards Board established under section 336 of the Corporations Act 2001 sets standards and controls quality in the auditing profession (Moller, 2013). Some of the basic ethics for the auditing profession include the following principles; The integrity of auditors establishes trust between the auditor and the client and therefore provides reliance on the judgment made by the auditor. The auditors should be able to do their work without the influence of any forces whether personal needs, internal or external forces. Objectivity. This principle require auditors to exhibit the highest level of objectivity in gathering, analyzing, evaluating and communicating information obtained during the auditing process. Auditors should make an assessment based on all the available information before coming up with a judgment. Another important principle of ethics in auditing is the principle of confidentiality. Auditors should be discrete with the information they obtain from a client during the audit process. The auditor can only share the information when required by law to do so. The ethic principle of competence is also very crucial for auditors. This involves proper application of skills, knowledge and experience in auditing work. This will be the subject of research in this report since an analysis of secondary sources of information reveals very gaps in the competence principle that needs further research. Ethics are very important in the auditing profession. There are various rules and code of conduct guidelines that have been put in place by professional bodies to help control the behavior of auditors (Campbell, 2005). This ethics helps in preserving the image and dignity of the profession. The values also help to protect the rights of clients to prevent them from being abused by auditors. This report analyzes the gaps that exist in ethics in the auditing profession so as to carry out further research to determine how these gaps can be filled. Background of the issue and justification The question of competence in the auditing profession is very crucial in making sure that the accounting information presented to the shareholders and other stakeholders of an organization are accurate and correct. Competence, therefore, is a very basic principle of accounting. The lack of competence even when all the other principles of accounting are met means that the financial reports and records cannot be relied upon by any of the stakeholders (Campbell Houghton,2005). Over the past few years, the issue of competence of shareholders has been arising with many organizations filing complaints about regulatory bodies on issues of competence realized among auditors. Having auditors who are competent in performing their tasks helps in boosting the confidence of the shareholders as well as other stakeholders of the organization. Due to this reason, it is, therefore, important to investigate the importance of competence among auditors and how competence can be enhanced among auditors. A lot of literature has been written on the issues of ethics among auditors and accountants. These issues have been addressed in both books and peer-reviewed journals. In auditing, competence is a very important principle in the ethics of the accounting profession. It is a fundamental principle because auditing is a very sensitive occupation and due to this reason the activities carried out by the auditors have a huge effect on the organization itself and even the stakeholders(Botica Redmayne, 2011). The key to achieving competence in auditing lies in using and adhering to all the international standards of accounting and auditing. This helps the auditor to reduce errors that arise during the verification process and therefore provide high-quality services to the client. According to Pickett (2013), incompetence by auditors can be caused by among other factors lack of proper training for auditors. This means that the auditor may not have been trained well or that they lack experience in real work environment despite being well trained and qualified. Kretzschmar,(2012) argues that many auditors become incompetent because of pure ignorance and lack of due care when going about their auditing work. According to Moller(2013), the issue of incompetence of auditors can be resolved and reduced through improving the level of training of accounts and organizing professional seminars to train and remind auditors of the importance of competence in auditing. Auditors should put a lot of emphasis on following the principles and standards of accounting and be careful in the judgment they make so as to ensure the accounting principle of competence is met(Gay, Simnett, n.d.)The gaps on the research topic are the role of professional bodies in ensuring adherence to the auditing principles and guidelines. The research methodology to be used in this project proposal will include a collection of both secondary and primary data. Interviews will be conducted with members of the acc ounting profession as well as officials of the regulatory bodies. Structured questionnaires will also be used to carry out this research. The secondary sources of information to be utilized in this research includes books and peer-reviewed journals that have been written in the past concerning this subject. The data analysis methods that will be employed in this study will be determined by whether the data collected in quantitative or qualitative. Secondary information will be collected from professional bodies and associations. Data obtained will be analyzed using various methods such as observation and comparison with past trends. The researcher will come up with a scale of measuring data to help in the analysis. The plan for conducting this study will be as presented in the Gantt chart below. Conclusion Ethics are crucial in any profession or field of specialization. Ethics help in governing the behavior of individuals within an organization and give guidelines on how people should go about their professional work. In accounting, ethics are critical. This profession deals with finance, and therefore, it is very vital for people in this business to adhere to the code of ethics. There are various professional bodies some national and others international that register accountants and auditors. These bodies help in regulating the accounting profession and make sure that the laid down procedures are followed. These institutions punish members who fail to adhere to the set guidelines and ethical requirements. References Arens, A. (2010). Essentials of auditing, assurance services and ethics in Australia (1st ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Pearson Australia. Botica Redmayne, N. (2011). Auditing and Assurance Services and Ethics in Australia: An Integrated Approach20111Alvin A. Arens, Peter Best, Greg Shailer, and Brenton Fiedlerd. Auditing and Assurance Services and Ethics in Australia: An Integrated Approach. 2009. 8th ed. Journal Of Accounting Organizational Change, 7(4), 408-410. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/18325911111182330 Gay, G., Simnett, R. Auditing and assurance services in Australia (1st ed.). Gul, F. A., Fung, Y. K. (2014). Hong Kong auditing: Economic theory practice. Hong Kong: City University of Hong Kong Press. Mruthyunjaya, H. C. (2013). Business ethics and value systems. Place of publication not identified: Prentice-Hall Of India Pv. So?jka, J., Wempe, J. (2000). Business Challenging Business Ethics: New Instruments for Coping with Diversity in International Business: The 12th Annual EBEN Conference. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. Pickett, K. H. S. (2013). The internal auditing handbook. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley Campbell, T., Houghton, K. A. (2005). Ethics and auditing. Canberra: ANU E Press. Kaptein, M. (1998). Ethics Management: Auditing and Developing the Ethical Content of Organizations. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., Ferrell, L. (2013). Business ethics: Ethical decision making and cases. Mason, OH: South-Western/Cengage Learning. Kretzschmar, L. (2012). Ethics for accountants and auditors. Cape Town: Oxford University Press Southern Africa. Moeller, R. R. (2013). Brink's modern internal auditing: A common body of knowledge. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Ghandar, A., Tsahuridu, E. E., CPA Australia (Organization). (2013). Auditing, assurance and ethics handbook 2013. Frenchs Forest, N. S. W: Pearson Australia.

Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall free essay sample

From the smoothest lines to the screeching, racing notes that resonate like a flock of geese overhead, John Coltrane’s sax has always mesmerized listeners. Forty years after his death, he and the Thelonious Monk Quartet still have a best-selling jazz album. John Coltrane, who emerged as a timid yet strong sideman in the early 1950s and went on to become one of the most influential jazz musicians of the century, always learned from those with whom he played. On this newly released album, the interaction between two of the greatest players of all time is heard: pianist Thelonious Monk and saxophonist John Coltrane. To understand this album, one must know when and why it was recorded. In 1957, after Coltrane was released from the Miles Davis’ Quintet for heroin use, he teamed up with Thelonious Monk. Clean, revitalized and ready to jump back into the music scene, Coltrane learned from Monk and transformed his style in a matter of months. We will write a custom essay sample on Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He moved away from his early â€Å"cool† sounds to the wild Coltrane style of â€Å"Giant Steps.† Discovered recently in an unlabeled box in the Library of Congress, this album is the only recording of the Thelonious Monk Quartet with Coltrane that has quality sound. On it we can hear Monk’s multitonal effects influence on Coltrane and the daring leap he was forced to take by playing Monk’s complex songs. This concert is a landmark in jazz history. The first set opens with a solo piano intro to â€Å"Monk’s Mood,† presenting a familiar Monk sound: spare notes, cascading, dreamy scales, and jagged chords that stick out like nails. Next, Coltrane steps in with a clean and beautiful sax, helping with an extended intro. As soon as Shadow Wilson and Ahmed Abdul-Malik enter with bass and drums, the remarkable tightness of the band is evident; each musician learns and plays off the other. They then move into â€Å"Evidence,† a much faster song. Coltrane is able to utilize his speedy solo method, introducing the basis of his â€Å"Sheets of Sound† style. He runs up and down his notes like a staircase, then levels the tune back down for Monk’s solo. A great cut of â€Å"Epistrophy† is played, along with a memorable â€Å"Sweet Lovely† in which Monk plays his superb sax and then accelerates into a zippy tune carried by Coltrane’s explosive solo. This new release is not only a must-have for any serious jazz listener, but a great pick for anyone looking to enter the genre. It can only be hoped that another gem like this will be discovered. . J

SEABURY CONSTRUCTION CORP. V. DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION E

SEABURY CONSTRUCTION CORP. V. DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION E SEABURY CONSTRUCTION CORP. V. DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COMMENT The price preference program for minority-owned and woman-owned business enterprises and qualified joint ventures in public works procurement projects with the City of New York was declared invalid by the New York State Supreme Court of New York County.1 The City had implemented a price preference procurement program under the authority of the New York City Charter (?NYC Charter?), which generally requires that all competitive procurements using sealed bids be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder. Section 313(b)(2) of the NYC Charter has an exception to the general rule: The agency letting the contract ? shall ? award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder, unless the mayor shall determine ? that it is in the best interest of the city that a bid other than that of the lowest responsible bidder shall be accepted. In 1991, a new NYC Charter section was added which required the Department of Business Services to promulgate rules to ensure meaningful participation of minority-owned and woman-owned businesses in the City?s procurement procedures. The rules which were promulgated established a 10 percent ?target percentage? for minority-owned and woman-owned businesses, and qualified joint ventures. If a bid from a minority-owned or woman-owned business, or a qualified joint venture was not the lowest bid, but was within the target percentage of the lowest bid, then the purchasing agency would forward that bid and the lowest bid to the Mayor for a determination as to whether it was in the best interest of the City to award the contract to other than the lowest responsible bidder. In early 1993, the Department of Environmental Protection awarded three projects to two companies that were qualified joint ventures. The lowest responsible bidder for these contracts had been submitted by Seabury Construction Corporation (?Seabury?). The two companies awarded the contracts submitted bids which were higher than Seabury?s bids, but were within the 10 percent ?target percentage.? The City?s Chief Procurement Officer, acting for the Mayor, had determined that it was in the City?s best interest to accept the higher bid from the qualified joint ventures. Seabury then sued the City, claiming that NYC Charter ? 313(b)(2) violated section 103(1) of the General Municipal Law (?GML?). The relevant part of GML ? 103(1) reads as follows: Except as otherwise expressly provided by an act of the legislature or by a local law adopted prior to September first, nineteen hundred fifty-three, all contracts for public work involving an expenditure of more than twenty thousand dollars ? shall be awarded by the appropriate officer, board, or agency of a political subdivision ? to the lowest responsible bidder?. The court turned its attention to NYC Charter ? 313(b)(2) in an effort to determine whether that section of the NYC Charter was adopted prior to September 1, 1953. However, both counsel and the court appear to have overlooked a key statutory construction analysis which could have provided a colorable, though likely unsuccessful, argument contrary to the court?s conclusion. GML ? 103 was enacted in 1953.2 The relevant part of the original statute read as follows: Except as otherwise expressly provided by an act of the legislature, or except in an emergency, all contracts for public work involving an expenditure of more than twenty-five hundred dollars ? shall be awarded by the appropriate officer, board, or agency of a political subdivision ? to the lowest responsible bidder?. The phrase, ?or by a local law adopted prior to September first, nineteen hundred fifty-three? is conspicuously absent from the original legislation. The department memorandum relating to the bill includes the following remarks: The primary objective of this bill is to harmonize and to extend the application of laws relating to public bidding on contracts let by counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts and district corporations?. Section 103 will apply ?except as otherwise expressly provided by an act of the legislature?. The quoted phrase was inserted in view of provisions in city charters and other laws of limited application which may prescribe different requirements with respect to public bidding.? The law was then amended in 1955.3 The amended law read as follows: Except as otherwise expressly provided by an act of the legislature or by a local law adopted prior to September first, nineteen hundred fifty-three, or except

Baudrillards ideas on the film The Matrix Essay Example for Free

Baudrillard’s ideas on the film The Matrix Essay Lewis Carroll (50) , Alice in Wonderland (49) , The Matrix (6) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints It has long been a condition of western culture to act for the accumulation of material objects. This is in part due to the capitalist nature of the world within which we live. Marx identifies in ‘The Critique of Capitalism’ the emergence of two new classes of people, namely ‘capitalists’ and ‘labourers’. The term ‘capitalist’ describes any person who has personal ownership of capital, which ‘consists of raw materials, instruments of labour and means of subsistence’ (Marx). In contrast a ‘labourer’ has only the value of his labour (life activity), which he exchanges with the capitalist for a wage and as such ‘the worker sinks to the level of commodity’ (Marx). Because the labourer produces for the capitalist a commodity of greater value than that of his wages and in addition those wages are paid back to the capitalist in return for subsistence, therefore social control in exerted over the working class, whilst providing the capitalist with excess commodity. The labourer consentingly becomes a slave to the system on which he depends. In addition Marx states that as the relation between capitalist and labourer (manufacturer and consumer) develops, so competition between rival capitalists becomes apparent. In effect the capitalist is forced to capture more of the market by selling goods more cheaply by the consolidation and exploitation of labour power e. g. by machinery. Such a strategy ultimately limits the demand for labour and so new industries must be developed for exploitation. These new industries are necessary because capital exists only in relation to its ability to command labour and social control and as such ‘they reciprocally condition the existence of each other’ (Marx). These forced increases in demand and therefore production are evident in the contemporary world market. Important to the development of Capitalism is the use of money which abstracts labour and commodity values to a common unit for the purpose of trade. In effect the labourer discovers that ‘the product of his activity is not the object of his activity’ (Marx) thus a level of abstraction occurs, which was consistent with the modernist values of the time. Karl Marx and early capitalism were mainly concerned with production which remains important but it was Situationist, Guy Debord, who gave the first insights into late capitalism and the theories that best apply to today’s world economics and culture of commodities. Debord, in his book ‘The Society of the Spectacle’, bases his examination of commodities around consumption, media, information and technology. As such Debord suggests that ‘in societies where modern conditions of production prevail, all of life presents itself as an immense accumulation of spectacles. Everything that was directly lived has moved away into a representation. ‘ By this he means to describe the world and its products as mere appearances, where the real meanings and values of commodities are translated into signs. Essentially ‘it is a world vision that has been objectified’ (Debord). Debord explains the phenomenon of the spectacle as resulting from the ever increasing production of capitalism. Because competition between capitalists inevitably leads to an excess of produce, so consumer demand must be increased. Such an increase is controllable by the spectacle as ‘the real consumer becomes a consumer of illusions,’ (Debord) so he can be manipulated to believe he must consume beyond the basic necessity for survival e. g. leisure products. Therefore ‘the spectacle’s form and content are identically the total justification of the existing system’s conditions and goals’ (Debord). The spectacle is mediated in society ‘as information or propaganda, as advertisement or direct entertainment consumption,’ (Debord). The effects of the mediated spectacle tend to lead the consumer to an experience of alienation as the consumers’ want for commodities is dictated to serve and maintain capitalism. In addition the spectacle constantly reinforces itself, for example the television, which is in itself a product of the spectacle that is then used by the capitalist to implement the advertisement of other spectacles. Essentially the ‘spectacle is the nightmare of imprisoned modern society’ (Debord) and explains the transition from the ‘degradation of being into having’ to ‘having into appearing’ (Debord). Jean Baudrillard took Marx’s ‘Critique of Capitalism’ and Debord’s ‘The Society of the Spectacle’ to their conclusions with his own theory of simulation and simulacra. Similar to the idea of the spectacle, Baudrillard describes a world where the subject of everything has been replaced by a semiological value that has become more important than the original, ‘real’ meaning of the object. This object he calls a ‘simulacra’. In ‘Simulacra and Simulation’ Baudrillard adds extra complexity to these ideas by establishing a hierarchy of simulation, which he gives four orders. In the first order the object is a copy of an original and so can be linked to a basic reality, for example a photograph of an actual event. The second order of simulation misrepresents the original subject; in the example the photography has been digitally manipulated in Photoshop to present a non-occurrence. In the third order a reality is recreated from a simulation of an original reality, when in fact, through the process of simulacra, the original has been lost, e. g. a scene is recreated from the digitally manipulated photograph of the original event. Finally, the forth order of simulation is the combined process of the first, second and third order to such an extent that the object bears no relation to reality or the original, for example the photograph has become a virtual reality. In this instance the link between reality and the signifying systems is almost impossible to ascertain, thus creating a ‘hyper-reality’. It is the use of one simulacra as a basis for the formation of another simulacra that shows the first signs of relevance to post modernity. Consequently, in post modernism, everything is understood in relation to everything that has come before, which in design manifests itself in referencing. Post modernism is also concerned with the fact that there is no right or wrong and essentially that no real truth exists. It is of course possible for a sign to make a transition through all four of the orders of simulation, constantly abstracting meaning and widening the gap between simulation and reality. However due to the complexity of repeated abstraction and signification it becomes necessary for an amount of speculation and simplification to occur when examining transitional examples. If we take, for example, the now famous emblem of automotive company Rolls Royce, it becomes apparent the extent to which a symbolic object can be re-simulated, each time loosing a part of it’s original meaning. ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’, designed by sculptor Charles Sykes and mass produced in 1911, is a cast metal emblem representing the figurine of a girl with arms outstretched to hold the folds of her gown blowing in the breeze. To the present day this emblem has been displayed on the bonnets of Rolls Royce cars and is the first order of simulation in terms of it being a representation of a real person from which the sculpture has been modelled. The object also references the figure heads of classic sailing ships in an attempt to convey the automotive product as an elegant, quite and reliable vehicle, which were the mediated associations with the brand during the early development of the company. In this instance the object enters the third order of simulation as a real event (model posing for sculptor) is created from an existing symbolic object (sailing boat figure heads) in order to be recreated as a new symbolic object (Spirit of Ecstasy emblem). At this point it is important to note that this example as an investigation could examine many more stages of referencing prior to the sign’s use as figure heads, though this could prove too difficult and inaccurate, again reinforcing the existence of a hyper-reality. The tea pot, designed by Michael Graves in 1985 for Alessi, brings the symbol to its conclusion. The tea pot employs a plastic emblem of a bird that is attached to the spout of the kettle and creates a whistling noise when the water is boiled. This creates a pun between the whistling of a kettle and the singing of bird but more importantly, its similar visual appearance (i. e. the wings of the bird and the outstretched arms and gown of the girl) makes a reference of Rolls Royce cars. Because during the late 20th century the values associated with Rolls Royce have matured to convey the brand as one of top class and status, so it are these value that are associated with Grave’s tea pot, supposed to the original associations that Rolls Royce was referencing from classic sailing ships. Therefore the product has clearly entered the forth order of simulation is it holds no relation to the original meaning that the original object as sign attempted to represent. Also, by referencing past signs, it can be described as a post modern object. Like Debord, Baudrillard agreed that simulation was important to the survival of capitalism as it, through mediation, can control the level of consumption within society. Baudrillard used the term ‘valorisation’ to describe the process through which symbolic objects attain value. An excellent example of valorisation is Pokemon cards, which are essentially printed illustrations on card and so their use value is very low. However, via mediation, Pokemon cards have been given a simulated symbolic value that has made them desirable and powerful as a commodity. As well as design, Baudrillard’s theory of simulation and simulacra has also proved influential in film making, for example in ‘The Matrix’, directed by the Wachowski brothers. The Matrix is set in the future at a time when the real world has been reduced to a desert waste land by a war between humanity and machines; after the invention of artificial intelligence. Because the machines are dependant on solar power, the humans have caused the equivalent of a nuclear winter by blocking out sunlight. This has caused the machines to retaliate by imprisoning humans in gel filled pods so that energy can be extracted from them in the form of heat. In order to control the humans in this procedure a computer simulated world called the matrix exists, that all of the imprisoned humans are connected to, living their lives in what they believe is the late 20th century, oblivious to the fact that their real bodies are in stasis in the real world. The film therefore acts as a metaphor for contemporary western cultures. Firstly the matrix is an existence of the fourth order of simulation in that it is a system of mere signs that are completely detached from reality, i. e. hyper-reality. Just as in contemporary cultures, the people who live in the matrix are unaware that they are controlled by a system through simulation. â€Å"You are a slave, neo, like everyone else you were born into bondage, born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch, a prison for your mind†¦ What is the matrix? Control. The matrix is a computer generated dream world built to keep us under control in order to change a human being into this† (he holds up a copper battery) (Morpheus talking to Neo, The Matrix). In addition the film suggests that the prisoners of the Matrix are also dependant upon it, to the extent that they will fight to protect it. Baudrillard’s idea of mediasation appears in the film when it is suggested that there was a machine â€Å"spawning a whole race of machines† (Morpheus talking to Neo, The Matrix), thus the social control of the machines (mediation of signs) increasingly exert themselves with every new generation. Interestingly The Matrix seems to offer a solution to simulation and social control by the system, which is one of enlightenment. Once Neo understands the systems and can see the signs (computer code) of the matrix for what they really are, then he can choose to follow a different set of rules thus gaining control of his environment. As well as a theological basis on Baudrillard, The Matrix tends to convey the story via symbolic references and thus is post modern by nature. For example the ‘follow the white rabbit scene’ employs a tattoo of a white rabbit, which is referenced from ‘Alice in Wonderland’ in order to convey the uncertainty in discovering the truth of an alternate reality. In the same scene Neo also opens a copy Baudrillard’s ‘Simulacra and Simulation’ in effect reinforcing links to that element of the film. In conclusion, I have identified the main themes surrounding Baudrillard’s orders of simulacra and simulation, shown how they relate to modern and post modern design and have given contemporary examples of their use in product design and film making. I believe that such an understanding of simulation has served well to better understanding referencing in post modernity. Debord, G., (1977) The Society of the Spectacle, Black & Red Poster, M., (1998) Jean Baudrillard: Selected Writings, Polity Press Tucker, R. C., (1978) The Marx – Engels Reader Second Edition, Norton & Company Hebdige, D., (1994) Hiding in the Light, Routledge http://www.geneseo.edu/~bicket/panop/baudrillard.ht http://www.artisanitorium.thehydden.com/nonfiction/film/matrix.htm Baudrillard’s ideas on the film The Matrix. (2017, Aug 08). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Latin America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Latin America - Essay Example In addition, thousands of people moved in to work on the projects, an aspect which further led to degraded environment and global warming. The subdivision of land led to reduced food, turning small holder’s farmers into peasants ( Hobbs, 2008). Mining areas degraded farming lands and destroyed the natural environment for micro-organisms. These developments were both for worse and better of the region. For worse, the natural environment had been destroyed and better, it lead to production of minerals which spurred economic growth. Initially, the entire Latin America was under colonial government which also had many interests in the region. It had an America based United Fruit company which functioned as a unifying factor in the region. The Company owned large tracts of land which covered or spilled in nearly all countries in Latin America. This means that Latin America during colonial time was actually treated like one region geographically ( Hobbs, 2008). As such, the company and thus, the United States had a lot of influence on the regional politics. However, local leaders started changing laws governing land. For instance, the president of Guatemala, Arbenz developed land reform laws that were actually seen as a threat to the existence or interests of the American Based Fruit company. The president did not stay for long; he was ousted in 1954 by a group supported by CIA. This aspect disorganized the politics of the region. In fact, some of the countries in the region have not been so stable in terms of leadership. They also play second fiddle to the US when it comes to international trade treaties. What is more, its institutions have lacked behind of because of the unstable leadership. For instance, Mexico only started maximizing its petroleum potential in 2003, despite having discovered the mineral in 1960 ( Hobbs, 2008). Personally, I think the challenges faced by the region were instigated or triggered by the colonial government. For instance, most of