Darkness at noon by Arthur Koestler Research Paper

Darkness at noon by Arthur Koestler - Research Paper Example Darkness at Noon stands second in series of a trilogy of novels that revolves about the fundamental theme of political ethics and revolutionary ethics in general. The other two dystopian novels written at the same time were Brave New World by Huxley and Nineteen Eighty Four by Orwell. These novels are unique in themselves as they reveal ugly truths and disturb us. The title of the novel is aptly named as Darkness at Noon. Noon time is the brightest time of the day and it is only during extraordinary situations (such as a storm or solar eclipse) that noon is engulfed in darkness. The same darkness is felt in the heavy oppressive theme of the 2 novel that starts with a prison scene and ends with acceptance of guilt. The darkness reflected in the book was actually a reflection of the political scene prevalent in the political history of Soviet Union. Just at a time when Communism was rising at its peak like a glowing sun, there came a solar eclipse in the lives of the leaders and took a way many of their lives. What was more surprising that most of these leaders willingly accepted their so called crimes just for the sake of their party. The book looks into the interior monologue and the dire circumstances that make the men take up such extreme steps and sacrifice their names along with their lives. The story set in 1930s is compelling, didactic and angry. It revolves around Nicolas Salmanovitch Rubashov, who is imprisoned for counter revolutionary activities. Rubashov is an aging Communist Party member, now locked inside a cell as an indictment against a series of crimes that he could not have possibly committed. He has been ordered to be shot as soon as he publicly accepts the charges. But, he refutes the state’s offer to confess his guilt in public. Rubashov is not a saboteur, just a good communist. Though Rubashov possessed some degrees of independent thoughts and had arrogance of manner, he could not have committed such a serious crime such as conspiracy against his country. The country of his confinement is not confirm though from the various descriptions people can make out that he belonged to the Soviet Union and is confined in one of its cells. 3 Rubashov is arrested for crimes against the State and repeatedly interrogated and psychologically tortured till he give up and accepts those charges. As a former communist Koestler closely examines the high level of dedication filled in these Communists so that they readily confessed to quite ridiculous crimes at the Stalin’s Show Trials of the 1930s. By making the protagonist accept the guilt of the crimes, he projects that once you convince yourself that the ends justify the means, you should not be surprised when those means are turned against you. Soviet Union was experimenting to construct a new society. But, to make that society individuals were required to sacrifice some things. These ‘some things’ were life and a lifelong created reputation. Any sort of poli tical deviation would weaken the roots of that society Thus, by sacrificing himself, Rubashov have a feeble hope that people would take it as a lesson and never deviate from the paths of moral standings. Darkness at Noon is one of the first literatures to be found on Soviet Union in the English language. According to George Orwell there was â€Å"in England almost no literature of disillusionment about the Soviet

Journal Article1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journal Article1 - Essay Example The OPSCA will eventually lessen the burden on employees who manually monitor the performance of the company; therefore, leaving them more time to work on other important projects that will improve the quality of their healthcare service. Overall, the OPSCA offers health care providers with a system that will efficiently â€Å"track their clinical, financial, administrative and research data†. This news about the introduction of Oracle’s new software is indeed good news to those in the healthcare industry. The article gives its readers an idea on how IT companies are continually developing new software to improve the operating systems in various industries, in this case the healthcare industry. The description of the software as presented by the author is very enlightening and will be understood even by those who are not so much into new technologies. The readers will realize that the OPSCA is something which will be helpful for healthcare providers in making informed decisions as they pursue their business. One is made aware that the software will aid healthcare companies in reducing among others, their procurement expenses; thus, making them more

Islamic Culture (week 9) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Islamic Culture (week 9) - Essay Example By following this etiquette of differing the Muslim society can maintain the characteristics of love and brotherhood between Muslims (Al-Hashmi, 2007). It is easy for the people to control themselves during the situation of agreement and behave in proper manner. However, when people enter into any kind of disagreement it gets difficult for them to behave in appropriate manner. In order to justify their argument and point of view people indulge in unethical way of arguing which at times also leads to fighting. It is acceptable to have a different opinions regarding any specific topic or matter. The acceptable disagreements allow the people to get hold of different viewpoints with strong evidence and increase their knowledge. However, there are some etiquette of differing in the Muslim society which should be followed by the Muslims. Some of these etiquettes are as follow (Al-Hashmi, 2007): Muslims should use appropriate and good words while arguing and debating with other people and should avoid the use of harsh words, as mentioned in Holy Quran: ‘And Speak good to the people’. [Soorah al-Baqarah 2:83] The purpose of discussion should be to get clarification and to identify truth. The reason behind the discussion or differing opinion should not be for the purpose of satisfying ego or for feeling proud. Lastly, the parties and people involved in debate or discussion should respect the opinion of other people and if no agreement or mutual result is achieved the debate should be ended on positive notes (Baianonie, 1998). Islam has provided the concept of harmony, peace, love, and brotherhood between the Muslims and whole mankind. The concept of brotherhood and harmony among the Muslims is an important element in Islam and huge emphasis have been placed on it from the very start. It is important and essential to maintain the characteristics of love and brotherhood between Muslims because it

Discuss the barriers faced by firms wishing to enter an oligopolistic Essay

Discuss the barriers faced by firms wishing to enter an oligopolistic market structure - Essay Example Therefore, sellers in the oligopoly are constantly aware of competitor actions and respond accordingly in order to outperform the small volume of competition existing in the market structure. Oligopolists regularly take into consideration the strategic responses of competition, attempting to model the most likely retaliation of important market participants in order to maintain competitive edge. Even though competition is intense between the market players, there is also considerable influence in the oligopoly to prevent new competitors from entering the market. The most common barriers for new market entry include pricing, product differentiation and consumer switching costs, as well as intellectual property and patent laws. An explanation of barriers Firms operating in an oligopolistic market structure have often achieved economies of scale, which are the specific cost advantages achieved by a firm due to its size and scope of operations in which the cost of outputs continues to de crease whilst fixed costs are able to spread over a higher volume of unit outputs (Gelles and Mitchell 1996). This is achieved through better operational efficiency and productivity that also improves variable costs along the production model. Over time, as the oligopolist achieves profit maximisation, the business is able to low the cost of capital, especially as it pertains to asset procurement, thereby increasing production output whilst experiencing better cost efficiency. Economies of scale that have been achieved through continuous operation and success in sales in a market create barriers to new entrants, especially as it pertains to pricing. Businesses in the oligopoly are able to create predatory pricing structures in an effort to undercut emerging competition attempting to enter the market. Because the business competitor has achieved economies of scale and reduced the costs of capital, they are often equipped with the operational capacity to increase production without ha ving to incur significant costs in this manufacturing effort. One should consider the beer industry, one that is currently dominated by major players such as Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors which account for approximately 80 percent of the total market share in the international beer industry (New York Times 2009). If either of these oligopolists is aware that a new competitor is attempting to enter the market, thus providing competitive threat, these manufacturers are able to lower the prices of their selected products and sustain these low prices even though it would, in the short-term, reduce their quarterly profit expectations. New entrants, however, would have to invest considerable capital into the systems required to produce the product, distribute the product and market it. Oftentimes, the new competitor must establish brand recognition (a costly marketing objective) that requires, oftentimes, years of dedicated promotion in marketing simply to get consumers interested in the beverage brand. Major players such as Anheuser-Busch can theoretically cut their prices by 50% on products that are homogenous in relation to the production output of the new competitor. Sustaining these prices in an effort to drive out the new competitor is relatively simplistic when economies of scale have been achieved. Why is this so important in determining barriers to new market entry in the oligopolistic market structure? The law of demand indicates that as a price decreases, consumer demand increases when all other factors remain stable (Boyes and Melvin 2007). Therefore, market characteristics

Tersiary education in South Africa Essay Example for Free

Tersiary education in South Africa Essay Many young south Africans face the problem of deciding what to study after school. Tertiary education is a higher form of education that furthers a learners knowledge of a particular field. Tertiary education is also referred to as third stage, third level, higher education and post-secondary education, it is the educational level following the completion of a school education (after grade 12). tertiary education includes universities, technikons, internships and institutions that specify in skills such as FET colleges. There are also other higher education facilities such as nursing schools There are 4 main options for higher education in South Africa Universities the dictionary defines university as a high-level educational institution in which students study for degrees and academic research is done. There are many universities in south Africa, but they are often hard to be accepted into. They require students who are prepared to study long hours and and make sacrifices in return for a degree which takes a minimum of 4 years to complete Universities are mostly revloved around theory and do not include much practical work. Universities only accept students after grade 12. Benifites of university: Degrees are required for a wide range of careers such as Medicine, Education, Engineering, Accounting and Law. A university education will help establish a career. University graduates gain professional qualifications that are recognised and respected worldwide. University graduates are offered higher pay and greater financial stability. Requirement and thing to do to increas your chances of admittion For a undergraduate diploma study the student must have atleast a NSC cod of 4 (40-49%) and for a bachelors degree study, learnes must of achieved a minimun o a NSC cod 5 (50-59%) To increas chances of getting in to university: apply early, achieve high marks/ higher than NSC code 5, get strong letters of recogmendation , particxipate in extra cirriculem activity and participate in community servise. They also check your social network accounts so delete anything that may bring your character down. FET collages Further education and training collages offer vocation courses which get you ready for a particular job. FET collages focus on scarce skills and careers. They are practical but also involve theory. They provide opportunities for work experience as part of there course. Some FET courses are accepted at university, meaning you can continue to further your knowledge/degree at university, which could get you higher paid jobs. FET collages accept students from grade 9-12 and offer exciting practical courses. Advantages of FET collages: Finding jobs are more easy. Collages have links with institutions and corporal world You don’t have to pass grade 12 to be accepted Requirements and things to do to increas your chances of attening a FET collage; at least a grade 9 certificate is required . to help your chances of being accepted, apply with a grtade 12 certificate, they get first preference, get good references, show interest in community projects and sport. Apply early Technikon or university of technology Technikons offer mainly diploma and certificate courses, as well as degree courses and diploma courses usually take three years to complete. Technikons focus more on the technical study fields a practical form of training, as one third (e. g. one year) of the study period consists of on-the-job training and experience. A technikon is basically a mix between a university and a fet collage. They offer the same level of study as a university Advantages students are exposed to the world of work at an early stage high-quality work and motivation might lead to full-time employment very quickly after graduation. Requirement and thing to do to increas your chances of admittion For a  undergraduate diploma study the student must have atleast a NSC cod of 4 (40-49%) and for a bachelors degree study, learnes must of achieved a minimun o a NSC cod 5 (50-59%) To increas chances of getting in to university: apply early, achieve high marks/ higher than NSC code 5, get strong letters of recogmendation , particxipate in extra cirriculem activity and participate in community servise. They also check your social network accounts so delete anything that may bring your character down Learnerships  A learnership is a s learning process that involves on the job training, where you gain practical skills and theoretical knowledge in ajob which leads to a qualification. Learners participating in a learnership have to attend classes at a college or training centre to complete classroom-based learning, and they also have to complete on-the-job training in a workplace. The workplace experience must be relevant to the qualification. You can also get payed while doing a learnership . Some learnership programmes do not require any entry requirements while others require a Grade 12 certificate. Learniships do not usually cost anything, most are free of charge. What are the benefits of a Learnership? You will receive a nationally recognised qualification upon successful completion of the learnership proramme. You will gain work experience that will improve your chances of getting work. You gain links with the employment network, increasing your chances to find work. You can earn a promotion or be redeployed into a more satisfying job. You can progress onto a higher level learnerhship for personal growth and development. Requirements and things to do to increase your chances of admission; . A grade 12 certificate is required to join and a good letter of recogmendation also good marks will assist. Many people have the believe that university is the best option, because you get better qualifications and a degree. But it might not always be the best option of study and it might not be possible to attend a university. Many companies look for people that have work experience, which university students will not have after sitting inside lecture rooms for 4 years. Universities are also extremely expensive. They can cost a small fortuin, which the average person does not have readily available. Yes loans can be taken out but it may take years to repay and can lead to further debt due to the increase in interest rates. Its not always possible for students with a bad perfermance in grade 12 to attend universities. Universities do not accept students with extremely poor marks. To enter university a bachelors pass is required, which is a NSC with an achievement of rating 4 (adequate achievement 50-59%). FET collages and learnerships are a great option for under performers that want to improve there skills , they involve lots of practical work that can be very benifitial. At the end it all comes to the marks you got in school that effect your choice in tertiary education, those who normaly get bad marks chose learnerships and collage and those who get good marks go to univerities and techhnikons. But there might always be that surprising clever student that wants to persue something practical. The choice is yours.

Steps in the Fracking Process Essay Example for Free

Steps in the Fracking Process Essay Step 6: Once the drilling gets about 500 feet above the shale formation, a downhole drilling motor with sophisticated measuring instruments begins the angle drilling creating a new horizontal path into the shale formation. Step 6: Once the drilling gets about 500 feet above the shale formation, a downhole drilling motor with sophisticated measuring instruments begins the angle drilling creating a new horizontal path into the shale formation. Step 4: The cement and casing are then pressure tested to ensure hydrocarbons and other fluids don’t seep out. Step 4: The cement and casing are then pressure tested to ensure hydrocarbons and other fluids don’t seep out. Step 3: Cement is then poured into this tubing throughout, displacing any remaining fluids and securing the casing in place. Step 3: Cement is then poured into this tubing throughout, displacing any remaining fluids and securing the casing in place. Step 2: The drill pipe and bit are removed and a steel â€Å"surface casing† tube is inserted into the well which stabilizes the well sides, creating a barrier. Step 2: The drill pipe and bit are removed and a steel â€Å"surface casing† tube is inserted into the well which stabilizes the well sides, creating a barrier. Step 1: Vertical well begins to be drilled with a drill pipe and drill bit past the ground water level a few thousand feet down. Step 1: Vertical well begins to be drilled with a drill pipe and drill bit past the ground water level a few thousand feet down. Steps In The Fracking Process Step 5: Both the drill pipe and drill bit are put back into the well and the drilling continues. Another layer of casing and cement is added for a second permanent behavior. The whole vertical drilling process costs about $663,000 Step 5: Both the drill pipe and drill bit are put back into the well and the drilling continues. Another layer of casing and cement is added for a second permanent behavior. The whole vertical drilling process costs about $663,000 Step 10: bridge plugs are inserted behind the fractures and the perforating tool continues to move backwards in the well whiles plugs are inserted behind each puncture in the shale. The entire fracturing process takes about $2.5 million. Step 10: bridge plugs are inserted behind the fractures and the perforating tool continues to move backwards in the well whiles plugs are inserted behind each puncture in the shale. The entire fracturing process takes about $2.5 million. Step 11: Plugs are then removed once all of the horizontal well has been punctured and the gas flows to the top of the well. Step 11: Plugs are then removed once all of the horizontal well has been punctured and the gas flows to the top of the well. Although we weren’t able to find exact figures for each of the steps, we did find that the entire process from beginning to end costs about $7 million dollars. Although we weren’t able to find exact figures for each of the steps, we did find that the entire process from beginning to end costs about $7 million dollars. Step 7: Once the desired horizontal path is at the desired length, the drill pipe and bit are removed and the casing and cement layers continue to the end of the well. The whole horizontal drilling process costs about $1.2 million. Step 7: Once the desired horizontal path is at the desired length, the drill pipe and bit are removed and the casing and cement layers continue to the end of the well. The whole horizontal drilling process costs about $1.2 million. Step 9: The tool is removed and fracturing fluid enters the well. The sand creates fractures in the shale and the fluid leaves with the sand remains in the fractures allowing the gas to flow into the well. Step 9: The tool is removed and fracturing fluid enters the well. The sand creates fractures in the shale and the fluid leaves with the sand remains in the fractures allowing the gas to flow into the well. Step 8: A perforating tool is inserted creating holes in the shale layer allowing hydrocarbons to the well stream. Step 8: A perforating tool is inserted creating holes in the shale layer allowing hydrocarbons to the well stream.

Privacy on the Internet: Advantages and Disadvantages

Privacy on the Internet: Advantages and Disadvantages The scenario asks me to explore how the advantages, and disadvantages of privacy on the internet, and how it would affect Grandmas Treats business, and address the concerns of the internet and how would it be effective in protecting you and others from sharing information that should be kept private. It also would like me to choose which environment would be best for Grandmas Treats and why? Well lets take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages that I believe would help us all when using the internet, and e-commerce. When a computer connects to a network or website, and begins talking with other computers its taking a chance or a risk of getting effected. The internet world could be very dangerous if companies dont know how to protect themselves or theyre computers. Now let me ask this question, what can happen with an unsecured web site? Well let me explain, the list below should give you an example of the kind of things that can occur. Unsolicited mail Files and information attacks Viruses, and worms Stolen credit card information Computer hackers, have access to personal information Customers feel threatened and will refuse to your web site Annoying messages Spams messages These are just a few concerns that one would have over an unsecure web site. Now most company try to protect their computers, and fell to add the necessary requirements to fulfill their needs, that why, I will explore the advantages of having a secure site. With a secure website it will allow the company to protect the customers private information so that virus or hacker cant access their records. The list below is the advantages that a secure website has over an unsecure site. It makes customers feel secure about their information Protect the sites integrity and well being Stop unwanted attacks or misuses Encourages customer to shop and share information with companies With this type of security feather in place it allows companies to give their customer the protection that they need. It also allows the company to make the customer feel more secure about providing information on their website knowing that it cant be access from the company main data base. When it comes to Grandmas Treats the approach should be focusing on protecting the security and privacy of their customers. This means that the secured site would be the best choice for their business. The secured site is the best choice, because of the following list below. Make customers feel secure Encourage customers to shop and share private information Stop unwanted attacks or misuses Firewalls Software and hardware tools that define, control, and limit access to networks and computers With these measures in place it would allow grandmas treats to operate a safe, secure environment that would protect their customer privacy. References Web companies Announce Privacy Standards (announcing partnership of Netscape, VeriSign and Firefly). Internet Site Agrees to Settle FTC Charges of Deceptively Collecting Personal Information Agencys First Internet Privacy Case, FTC News Release, August 13, 1998.