Gambling essays

Gambling essays Have you ever felt remorse after gambling? Has gambling affected your reputation? Do you often gamble until your last dollar is gone? Do you ever borrow to finance your gambling? After a win do you have a strong urge to return and win more? A compulsive gambler will often reply yes to most of these questions, but many simply wont admit the fact that they have a problem. Admitting that their behaviour is compulsive is like accepting defeat. Gamblers spend most of their time trying to win, so giving in doesn ¡t come easy. Gambling has been seen as a problem in society, ever since it was made legal in Nevada and Atlantic City in 1976. Since then, pro-gambling lobbyists have fought to get a form of legalized gambling in every state, but the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling has prevailed. In 1987 however, the Supreme Court ruled that Native Americans, who are without state regulation, could offer legal gambling far outside Indian reservations. This decision has contributed to the rising numbers of compulsive gamblers in many states. More than 6% of adult gamblers are now considered to be addicted, and the numbers are continuing to grow. At present, Americans will wager over 550 billion dollars a year, a! 3,200% increase since 1976. Solutions to this problem are beginning to come forward, much to the gambling industry ¡s dislike, as the four percent of pathological gamblers may account for as much as 52% of an average casino ¡s The causes of compulsive gambling are similar to those which alcoholics and drug addicts encounter. Compulsive gamblers are preoccupied with seeking out gambling and gamble longer than intended, and with more money than intended. There is also the equivalent of  ¡tolerance ¡ when gamblers have to increase the size of their bets or the odds against them in order to create the desired amount of excitement. (Lesieur 2)  ¡The cause of the addicti...

USS Valley Forge (CV-45) in the Korean War

USS Valley Forge (CV-45) in the Korean War USS Valley Forge (CV-45) was the final Essex-class aircraft carrier to enter service with the US Navy. Though intended for use during World War II, the carrier was not completed until late 1946, long after hostilities had ended. Valley Forge was serving in the Far East in 1950 and was the first American fleet carrier to take part in the  Korean War. The vessel saw extensive service during the conflict before being converted to an antisubmarine carrier later in the 1950s. Further change came in 1961 when Valley Forge was modified into an amphibious assault ship. In this role it conducted multiple deployments to Southeast Asia during the early years of the Vietnam War. Decommissioned in 1970, the ship was sold for scrap the following year. A New Design Conceived in the 1920s and 1930s, the US Navys  Lexington- and  Yorktown-class aircraft carriers were intended to fit the tonnage limitations put in place by the  Washington Naval Treaty. This enacted restrictions on the sizes of different types of warships as well as placed a cap on each signatory’s total tonnage. This scheme was re-examined and extended by the London Naval Treaty in 1930. As international tensions increased in the 1930s, Japan and Italy elected to leave the treaty system. With the collapse of the treaty structure, the US Navy moved forward its efforts to design a new, larger class of aircraft carrier and one which used lessons learned from the  Yorktown-class. The new type was wider and longer as well as incorporated a deck-edge elevator system. This had been employed earlier on  USS  Wasp  (CV-7). In addition to carrying a larger air group, the new class possessed a stronger anti-aircraft armament. Work commenced on the lead ship,  USS  Essex  (CV-9), on April 28, 1941. Long-Hull Following the Japanese  attack on Pearl Harbor  and US entry into  World War II, the  Essex-class quickly became the US Navys principal design for fleet carriers. The first four ships after  Essex  used the class initial design. In early 1943, the US Navy elected to make several changes with goal of improving future vessels. The most noticeable of these changes was lengthening the bow to a clipper design which allowed for the inclusion of two quadruple 40 mm mounts. Other alterations saw the addition of improved ventilation and aviation fuel systems, the combat information center moved under the armored deck, a second catapult installed on the flight deck, and the mounting  of an additional fire control director. Referred to as the long-hull  Essex-class or  Ticonderoga-class by some, the US Navy made no distinction between these and the earlier  Essex-class ships. Construction The first vessel to begin construction with the enhanced  Essex-class design was USS  Hancock  (CV-14) which was later re-named  Ticonderoga. This was followed by several additional carriers including USS  Valley Forge  (CV-45).  Named for the location of  General George Washingtons  famed encampment, construction commenced on September 14, 1943, at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.   Funding for the carrier was provided by the sale of over $76,000,000 in E Bonds throughout the greater Philadelphia region. The ship entered the water on July 8, 1945, with Mildred Vandergrift, wife of  Battle of Guadalcanal  commander General Archer Vandergrift, serving as sponsor. Work progressed into 1946 and  Valley Forge  entered commission on November 3, 1946, with Captain John W. Harris in command. The ship was the last  Essex-class carrier to join to the fleet. USS Valley Forge (CV-45) - Overview: Nation:  United StatesType:  Aircraft CarrierShipyard:  Philadelphia Naval ShipyardLaid Down:  September 14,1943Launched:  July 8, 1945Commissioned:  November 3, 1946Fate:  Sold for scrap, 1971 Specifications: Displacement:  27,100 tonsLength:  888 ft.Beam:  93 ft. (waterline)Draft:  28 ft., 7 in.Propulsion:  8 Ãâ€" boilers, 4 Ãâ€" Westinghouse geared steam turbines, 4 Ãâ€" shaftsSpeed:  33 knotsComplement:  3,448 men Armament: 4 Ãâ€" twin 5 inch 38 caliber guns4 Ãâ€" single 5 inch 38 caliber guns8 Ãâ€" quadruple 40 mm 56 caliber guns46 Ãâ€" single 20 mm 78 caliber guns Aircraft: 90-100 aircraft Early Service Completing fitting out, Valley Forge landed Air Group 5 in January 1947 with a F4U Corsair flown by Commander H. H. Hirshey making the first landing on the ship.  Departing port, the carrier conducted its shakedown cruise in the Caribbean with stops at Guantanamo Bay and the Panama Canal. Returning to Philadelphia, Valley Forge underwent a brief overhaul before sailing for the Pacific. Transiting the Panama Canal, the carrier arrived at San Diego on August 14 and formally joined the US Pacific Fleet. Sailing west that fall, Valley Forge took part in exercises near Pearl Harbor, before steaming to Australia and Hong Kong. Moving north to Tsingtao, China, the carrier received orders to return home via the Atlantic which would permit it to make an around the world voyage. Following stops in Hong Kong, Manila, Singapore, and Trincomalee, Valley Forge entered the Persian Gulf for a goodwill stop at Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia. Rounding the Arabian Peninsula, the carrier became the longest ship to transit the Suez Canal. Moving through the Mediterranean, Valley Forge called at Bergen, Norway and Portsmouth, UK before returning home to New York. In July 1948, the carrier replaced its complement of aircraft and received the new Douglas A-1 Skyraider and the Grumman F9F Panther jet fighter. Ordered to the Far East in early 1950, Valley Forge was in port at Hong Kong on June 25 when the Korean War commenced. Korean War Three days after the start of the war, Valley Forge became flagship of the US Seventh Fleet and served as the core of Task Force 77.  Having provisioned at Subic Bay in the Philippines, the carrier rendezvoused with ships from the Royal Navy, including the carrier HMS Triumph, and commenced strikes against North Korean forces on July 3. These initial operations saw Valley Forges F9F Panthers down two enemy Yak-9s. As the conflict progressed, the carrier provided support for General Douglas MacArthurs landings at Inchon in September.  Valley Forges aircraft continued to pound North Korean positions until November 19, when, after over 5,000 sorties had been flown, the carrier was withdrawn and ordered to the West Coast.    Reaching the United States, Valley Forges stay proved brief as the Chinese entry into the war in December required the carrier to immediately return to the war zone.  Rejoining TF 77 on December 22, planes from the carrier entered the fray the next day. Continuing operations for the next three months, Valley Forge aided United Nations forces in halting the Chinese offensive. On March 29, 1951, the carrier again departed for San Diego. Reaching home, it was then directed north to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for a much needed overhaul. This was completed that summer and after embarking Air Group 1, Valley Forge sailed for Korea. The first US carrier to make three deployments to the war zone, Valley Forge resumed launching combat sorties on December 11.  These were largely focused on  railway interdiction and saw the carriers planes repeatedly strike at Communist supply lines. Briefly returning to San Diego that summer, Valley Forge commenced its fourth combat tour in October 1952. Continuing to attack Communist supply depots and infrastructure, the carrier remained off the Korean coast until the final weeks of the war. Steaming for San Diego, Valley Forge underwent an overhaul and was transferred to the US Atlantic Fleet. New Roles With this shift, Valley Forge was re-designated as an anti-submarine warfare carrier (CVS-45).  Refitted for this duty at Norfolk, the carrier commenced service in its new role in January 1954.  Three years later, Valley Forge executed the US Navys first ship-based aerial envelopment exercise when its landing party was shuttled to and from a landing zone at Guantanamo Bay using only helicopters. A year later, the carrier became flagship of Rear Admiral John S. Thachs Task Group Alpha which focused on perfecting tactics and equipment for dealing with enemy submarines.   In early 1959, Valley Forge sustained damage from heavy seas and steamed to New York Naval Shipyard for repairs.  To expedite the work, a large section of flight deck was transferred from the inactive USS Franklin (CV-13) and transferred to Valley Forge. Returning to service, Valley Forge participated in the Operation Skyhook testing in 1959 which saw it launch balloons to measure cosmic rays. December 1960 saw the carrier recover the Mercury-Redstone 1A capsule for NASA as well as provide assistance to the crew of SS Pine Ridge which split in two off the coast of Cape Hatteras.   Steaming north, Valley Forge arrived at Norfolk on March 6, 1961 to undergo conversion into an amphibious assault ship (LPH-8). Rejoining the fleet that summer,  the ship commenced training in the Caribbean before embarking its complement of helicopters and joining the US Atlantic Fleets ready amphibious force. That October, Valley Forge operated off the Dominican Republic with orders to aid American citizens during a period of unrest on the island. Vietnam Directed to join the US Pacific Fleet in early 1962, Valley Forge airlifted its Marines into Laos in May to aid in thwarting a Communist takeover of the country.  Withdrawing these troops in July, it remained in the Far East until the end of the year when it sailed for the West Coast. Following a modernization overhaul at Long Beach, Valley Forge made another Western Pacific deployment in 1964 during which it won a Battle Effectiveness Award. Following the Gulf of Tonkin Incident in August, the ship moved closer to the Vietnamese coast and remained in the area into the fall. As the United States escalated its involvement in the Vietnam War, Valley Forge began ferrying helicopters and troops to Okinawa before making a deployment to the South China Sea. Taking up station in the fall of 1965, Valley Forges Marines participated in Operations Dagger Thrust and Harvest Moon before playing a role in Operation Double Eagle in early 1966.  After brief overhaul following these operations, the ship returned to Vietnam and assumed a position off Da Nang. Sent back to the United States in late 1966, Valley Forge spent part of early 1967 in the yard before commencing training exercises on the West Coast. Steaming west in November, the ship arrived in Southeast Asia and landed its troops as part of Operation Fortress Ridge. This saw them conduct search and destroy missions just south of the Demilitarized Zone. These activities were followed by Operation Badger Tooth near Quang Tri before Valley Forge shifted to a new station off Dong Hoi. From this position, it participated in Operation Badger Catch and supported the Cua Viet Combat Base.   Final Deployments The early months of 1968 continued to see Valley Forges forces take part in operations such as Badger Catch I and III as well as serve as an emergency landing platform for US Marine helicopters whose bases were under attack.  After continued service in June and July, the ship transferred its Marines and helicopters to USS Tripoli (LPH-10) and sailed for home. Receiving an overhaul, Valley Forge commenced five months of training before ferrying a load of helicopters to Vietnam. Arriving in the region, its forces took part in Operation Defiant Measure on March 6, 1969. With the conclusion of that mission, Valley Forge continued to steam off Da Nang as its Marines conducted a variety duties. Following training off Okinawa in June, Valley Forge arrived back off the northern coast of South Vietnam and launched Operation Brave Armada on July 24. With its Marines fighting in Quang Ngai Province, the ship remained on station and provided support. With the conclusion of the operation on August 7, Valley Forge debarked its Marines at Da Nang and departed for port calls at Okinawa and Hong Kong. On August 22, the ship learned that it would be deactivated following its deployment. After a brief stop at Da Nang to load equipment, Valley Forge touched at Yokosuka, Japan before sailing for the United States. Arriving at Long Beach on September 22, Valley Forge was decommissioned on January 15, 1970. Though some efforts were made to preserve the ship as a museum, they failed and Valley Forge was sold for scrap on October 29, 1971.

JUDGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

JUDGEMENT - Essay Example gusz, especially during Christmas, who has become increasingly isolated and distrustful of everyone, living without a phone and scared of being burgled2. In addition, there is no evidence that Mr Bogusz has been in contact with his Ukrainian family. There are several facts that give rise to donatios mortis causa. Vallee visited Mr Bogusz on the 6th of August 2003 and found him to be quite unwell with a â€Å"chesty† cough, although the two did not discuss any diagnosis. When they referenced the next Christmas period, Mr Bogusz said that it was not his expectation that he would live for much longer. In fact, he claimed that he may not live to see the next Christmas. According to Vallee, Mr Bogusz wanted the land to pass on to her after his death, giving her the keys and title deeds to his house3. However, over the course of the appeal case at the High Court, she corrected this to mean one key, which she did not retain. In addition, Mr Bogusz gave Vallee a plastic bag that contained his photo album and war medals. However, Mr Bogusz continued living in his house and property and Vallee had no access and did not visit him after that4. Thereafter, Mr Bogusz survived for at least another four months before dying on the 9th of December 2003 from bronchopneumonia. Initially, this was thought to create bona vacantia and intestacy. Ms Vallee intimated a claim to TSol who rejected her claim of a donatio mortis Causa5. The defendant involved heir hunters to trace a brother, as well as other relatives living in the Ukraine and, in 2009; Tsol accepted the brother’s entitlement. Ms Vallee instituted a claim in 2012 and circuit judges decided in her favour during the trial in Oxford County Court. This they did with little academic analysis, while they did not cross-examine Ms. Vallee. The case was appealed at the High Court Chancery Division to Judge Jonathan Gaunt QC, sitting as deputy judge. The case was again dismissed and the case was appealed at the Court of

Robie House, University of Chicago,Frank Lloyd Wright Essay

Robie House, University of Chicago,Frank Lloyd Wright - Essay Example as his profession and this was the right decision he made, that is which resulted in his successful career of building a lot of famous civil, commercial and public building. From his child hood aspiration of natural beauty he adopted prairie style of architecture. And for a lot of period before he got inspiration from Japanese art of architecture he built number of famous buildings the most famous among them are Robie House and Unity Temple in Oak Park. He brought a revolution in the field of architecture by building these places. Robie house was completed in the first decade of twentieth century. Other famous buildings that he made was his own house Taliesin which caught due to different reasons many times and rebuilt it again and again. The Taliesin was mixture of the prairie and modern style of architecture he obtained from his long experience. In 1915 he went to Japan on the request of Japanese emperor for building Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. He spent 7 years of his life here and a natural style Imperial Hotel was constructed in this period. The feature that become the reason of fame for him was that this building was â€Å"earthquake proof†. This was acclaimed by Frank Lloyd Wright after completion of the construction and was proved right after the earthquake struck of Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923. The whole city was devastated except this building in the whole city. He in his life gave idea of new thinking in the field of architecture. The novelty of his ideas was the key to his successful works. He was a nature lover and believed in construction for pleasurable life of man. This fact is evident from his works all the buildings he constructed in the symbol of simple beauty. He was considered retired from profession after construction of Taliesin, but he came back to the profession dramatically by constructing Falling Water Residence in 1935 which was one of the masterpieces of his works. The social conditions that influenced Robie House was that it is situated

Tears Idle Tears Essay Example for Free

Tears Idle Tears Essay Tears, Idle Tears is from the The Princess published in 1847. The poem was set in a fairy tale realm discussing women’s rights in education. The poem has interludes of songs or lyrics that were so acclaimed that they were seen as independent from the original Princess. Tears is one of those songs. The song begins with someone crying but not knowing ‘what they mean’ by crying. The person is crying from somewhere deep inside, a ‘divine despair. ’ Emotionally charged tears that are yet to have a cause. Throughout the song Tennyson speaks of ‘days that are no more’ speaking of a time that was happy and now all that is left is a depressed reflection. He begins with ‘happy Autumn fields’ reminiscing on the memories that were once of spring and growth and now all that is left in the field is emptiness. The song was written while Tennyson was in Titern Abbey in autumn, where the area held the burial place of his friend, Hallem. So perhaps the tears are from some underlying emotion for the death of his friend. This can be proven in the next line â€Å"Fresh as the first beam glittering on a sail, that brings our friends up from the underworld,† the line referring to the underworld in which the boatman ferries the dead to Hades. The third stanza refers to a man dying in the ‘earliest pipe of half-awaken’d birds. ’ It is an interesting contrast that as a new day dawns an old life ends, even more so that the last thing the man hears is the soft hymn of the morning birds. A gentle way to approach death as Tennyson would have wanted for his friends. In the final stanza Tennyson continues his somber teary remarks as in the first stanza where he now mentions: Dear as remember’d kisses after death And sweet as those by hopeless fancy feign’d On lips that are for other; deep as love, Deep as first love, and wild with all regret; O Death in Life, that days that are no more. The speaker is wild with regret in concern for the days lost with his friends that were the ‘Death in Life’ as he experienced loved ones dying and coping with the emotions that come and go as in the first stanza when ‘idle tears’ form. He does not know why he cries but subconsciously he is aware that it is because of death. The final line eclipses the subjective meaning in each stanza that the memories and happiness he had once felt are in ‘the days that are no more. ’

Brain Wave Genereation :: essays research papers

Theory behind BrainWave Generator EEG and the brain's state EEG (Electroencephalography) technology is used to measure brain's electrical vibrations from the surface of the scalp. The resulting EEG pattern will contain frequency elements mainly below 30Hz. The frequencies are categorized into four states as follows: State Frequency range Amplitude State of mind Delta 0.5Hz - 4Hz high (up to 200uV) Deep sleep Theta 4Hz - 8Hz low (5uV - 20uV) Drowsiness (also first stage of sleep) Alpha 8Hz - 14Hz high (up to 200uV) Relaxed but alert Beta 14Hz - 30Hz low (less than 10uV) Highly alert and focused The dominant frequency in the EEG pattern determines what shall be called the current state of the brain. If the amplitude of the alpha range frequencies is highest, then the brain is said to be in the alpha stage. Note, that other frequencies still exist and it is impossible to give any "exact frequency your brain is operating on". However, later references to the brain states use the simplification of assuming that such a single frequency exists. Entraining the brain to a desired state If external stimulus is applied to the brain, it becomes possible to entrain the brain frequency from one stage to another. For example, if a person is in beta stage (highly alert) and a stimulus of 10Hz is applied to his/her brain for some time, the brain frequency is likely to change towards the applied stimulus. The effect will be relaxing to the person. This phenomenon is also called frequency following response. When the brain's state is close to the applied stimulus, entrainment works more efficiently. Thus, when doing a sweep from one frequency to another, the starting frequency should be as close to your current brain state as possible. The sweep speed should be such that your brain's state changes steadily with it, so that the difference never gets very large. In practice, it is difficult to determine your brain state without extra equipment (like EEG devices). However, you can quite safely assume that during the day your brain is in the beta stage (about 20Hz) and you can start the sweep from there. If you are already somewhat relaxed, you can use a start frequency of 15Hz or a few Hz lower. Stimulating the brain with binaural beat frequencies The easiest way of applying stimulus to the brain is via ears. Other senses could be used as well, and vision is actually used quite often (often in addition to hearing).

Baudrillard’s ideas on the film The Matrix Essay

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. References 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 Bibliography 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 http://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/master_frame.html