Project Management Project Essay

Question 1 South American Adventures Unlimited SA Adventures Unlimited was formed four years ago by Michael and Jill Rodriguez. Michael was a trained geologist, while Jill had a master’s degree in Spanish. They were both avid outdoor enthusiasts and fell in love while trekking across the Andes in Chile. Upon graduation they seized upon the idea of starting their own specialized tour business that would focus on organizing and leading â€Å"high-end† adventure trips in South America. Their first trip was a three-week excursion across Ecuador and Peru. The trip was a resounding success, and they became convinced that they could make a livelihood doing something they both enjoyed. After the first year, Adventures Unlimited began to slowly expand the size and scope of the business. The Rodriguezes’ strategy was a simple one. They recruited experienced, reliable people who shared their passion for South America and the outdoors. They helped these people organize specific trips and advertised the excursion over the Internet and in travel magazines. Adventures Unlimited has grown from offering 4 trips a year to having 16 different excursions scheduled, including trips to Central America. They now had an administrative support staff of three people and a relatively stable group of five trip planners/guides whom they hired on a trip-by-trip contract basis. The company enjoyed a high level of repeat business and often used their customers’ suggestions to organize future trips. Although the Rodriguezes were pleased with the success of their venture, they were beginning to encounter problems that worried them about the future. A couple of the tours went over budget because of unanticipated costs, which eroded that year’s profit. In one case, they had to refund 30 percent of the tour fee because a group was stranded five days in Blanco Puente after missing a train connection. They were also having a hard time maintaining the high level of customer satisfaction to which they were accustomed. Customers were beginning to complain about the quality of the accommodations and the price of the tours. One group, unfortunately, was struck by a bad case of food poisoning. Finally, the Rodriguezes were having a hard time tracking costs across projects and typically did not know how well they did until after their taxes were prepared. This made it difficult to plan future excursions. The Rodriguezes shared these concerns around the family dinner table. Among the members in attendance was Michael’s younger brother, Mario, a student at a nearby university. After dinner, Mario approached Michael and Jill and suggested that they look into what business people called â€Å"project management.He had been briefly exposed to project management in his Business Operations class and felt that it might apply to their tour business. 1. To what extent does project management apply to Adventures Unlimited? Or, in other words, is this company managing projects? Explain your answer. Answer in a short paragraph (no more than 100 words) using font size 12. Question 2 Answer question #1 on page 147 in the exercises section. Question 3 Pg. 192 Optical Disk Preinstal lation Project Draw the network diagram A – Complete the following table with information from the network diagram:

Great Gatsby Reading Response Essay

Characterization: Simply put, indirect characterization is the author’s way of giving the reader clues as to how a character is really like. Such clues may be describing how the character dresses, letting the reader hear what the character says, or revealing the character’s private thoughts. Example: â€Å"Gatsby, his hands still in his pockets, was reclining against the mantelpiece in a strained counterfeit of perfect ease, even of boredom† (The Great Gatsby, 86). Function: The nervous appearance of Gatsby as he meets Daisy suggests a different side to Gatsby’s personality. This meeting with Daisy, which takes place at Nick’s house, gives one a closer look as to how Gatsby can seem like a different person altogether. Gatsby’s surprisingly timid nature even disables him to directly ask Nick to invite Daisy for tea. Gatsby, usually sophisticated and composed, is in distress as he tries to mimic a pose of â€Å"perfect ease† when he tries to talk with Daisy (86). Gatsby’s awkward character directly involves Nick as he turns to him for help in reuniting him with his love. The author characterizes Gatsby differently from Nick’s first impression to show the reader the sincere love he feels for Daisy. Similar to how a man in love can be sheepish and disheveled, Gatsby is clearly characterized as a typical man who fell in love through his failed attempts at being calm in Daisy’s presence. His appearance at the beginning of the novel differs from the true feelings he hides deep inside. This complete change of character with Gatsby emphasizes the climax of the novel, which is when Gatsby and Daisy finally meet. All of Gatsby’s actions, including his parties, were done with Daisy in mind. In relation with the change of pace in the novel as the novel switches from Gatsby’s mysterious nature to a complete revelation of Gatsby’s inner workings, the plot of the story changes to include Gatsby’s course of action in the hopes of reviving his past with Daisy.

The Impact of Social Media on the Egyptian Revolution 2011 Dissertation

The Impact of Social Media on the Egyptian Revolution 2011 - Dissertation Example However, scholars and researchers differ on their opinion on the role of social media. Some have used terms such as Facebook revolution while others undermine the importance of social media platforms and tools. With the aim to evaluate the role of the social media during the Egyptian Revolution, three objectives were set in Chapter I. all the three objectives have been achieved. The social media plays a very active role in political movements as it provides people a platform to address their concerns, express their opinions, provides an avenue to extend and receive support. The government of any country usually controls and monitors the traditional media but when the same strategy is applied to the public sphere such as social networking sites and blogosphere, people resist and revolt to the extent it can be counter-productive for the governments. When the President in Egypt imposed web censorship people took to streets. Social media during the Egyptian revolution 2011, helped to ext end solidarity and confidence to the oppressed. Citizen journalists emerged registering their protest against the regime. The impact of social media was so intense during this revolution that the president had to finally resign in 18 days from the day the protest started. Social media enables activists and coordinators to start specific pages in the interest of the people. The use of social media in politics is still in the nascent stage but it is extensively being used by the citizens, professional journalists, by the politicians and by coordinators of protests and social movements. In fact, even the mainstream media has been using quotes from the social media in their articles. While the degree may not be very intense, at least it suggests the importance that the social media has been gaining. The study concludes that social media has played a very significant role in the Egyptian revolution 2011. It not only initiated the movement, it helped people at all stages, it helped in eff ective communication and collaboration, it enabled an international audience to receive information, and it also enabled protection to people in danger. As suggested by some authors, the role of social media in the Egyptian revolution is not hyped; it has been of tremendous value in shaping reforms. It is a valuable tool in developing anti-government protests and in designing collective action. It is a disruptive force that can drastically bring about change and reform. It can accelerate social and political movements far beyond what the traditional media can do. The study concluded by highlighting limitations and making recommendations for further research on the subject. Table of Contents Chapter I Introduction 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Social Media & Politics 1 1.3 Rationale for Research 3 1.4 Research Aims & Objectives 4 1.5 Scope of the Study 5 1.6 Structure of the Study 5 Chapter II Literature Review 2.1 Introduction 7 2.2. Definition of Social Media 7 2.3 Social Networking Platfor ms 7 2.4 Benefits of Social Media 10 2.5 Social Media and Politics 11 2.6 Arab Countries & Egypt 12 2.7 Social Media in Egypt 12 2.8 Web Censorship in Arab countries 14 2.9 Chapter Summary 16 Chapter III Research Context 3.1 Introduction 17 3.2 Arab Spring 17 3.3 Egyptian Revolution 19 3.4 Summary 21 Chapter IV Research Methods 4.1 Introduction 23 4.2 Research Methodology 23 4.3 Choice of Method 23 4.4 Data Collection Methods 25 4.5 Secondary Research 26 4.6 Data Analysis 27 4.7 Summary

In the second half of the 20th century, the growth of interest in Essay

In the second half of the 20th century, the growth of interest in human rights has been accompanied by a revival in natural law. Consider why this should be so - Essay Example Indeed, the cinema is the best medium to illustrate how human rights are wantonly violated all over the world. Such films force everyone to fling their cloaks of apathy and go down from their ivory towers and make a stand or a reaction to such abuses. Practically all rights proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were violated i.e. "the rights to life, liberty, and security of person; to freedom from arbitrary arrest; to a fair trial; to be presumed innocent until proved guilty; to freedom of movement and residence; to asylum, nationality, and ownership of property" and so on.1 The Last King of Scotland, meanwhile, illustrates how a demented ruler, so intoxicated in his powers, can heap so much suffering and destruction to everyone who crosses his path. Idi Amin of Uganda in the 1970's ruled as a dictator and "forced most of the Asians who lived in Uganda to leave the country and had many of his opponents massacred".2 One scene showed his Scottish doctor-adviser hanged on a tenterhook with the hook piercing his chest. 2 The Killing Fields is Cambodia's version of Europe's holocaust. Like the Schindler's List, there's gore galore and human rights abuses to the max. It's so poignant and compelling that critic Rex Reed was made to comment i.e. "no film in my memory has more harrowingly telegraphed the ravages of war than The Killing Fields".3 The most affecting scenes are the scenes of torture ; the one where emaciated Cambodians had to eat live lizards in order to survive and the one where fathers and mothers were mercilessly slaughtered by their brainwashed children. The Killing Fields saga is faithful to history as attested by Amnesty International USA and by the Genocide Studies Program of Yale University. Says the latter "The Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979, in which approximately 1.7 million people lost their lives (21% of the population) was one of the worst human tragedies of the last century".4 It further continued, "the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot combined extremist ideology with ethnic animosity and a diabolical disregard for human life to produce repression, misery, and murder in a massive scale". One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich was transported to the screen from the novel by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. The Russian Nobel Prize winner in Literature novelist, was himself incarcerated in the same gulag that he wrote about and thus his tale was almost biographical. The gulag or a "network of forced labor camps in the former Soviet Union"5 was a symbol of Russian brutality and godlessness during that communist regime. The character Ivan represented the suffering of those who had to do "hard, manual work for 12

Public speaking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Public speaking - Assignment Example The third strength that I possess is coherency and fluency in speech. This makes me to present my ideas clearly in a way that the audience will understand and enjoy (Jaffe, 2013). It indicates that I am professional in my field and I know what I am doing. There are also weaknesses that I need to improve on. First, I always get tired easily. I can give a public speech for 2-3 hours and after that I lose energy to go on with my speech. In order to address all issues involved in my speech, I need to develop more energy to provide my speech strongly and consistently until the end (Jaffe, 2013). My second weakness is that I like providing a lot of information which may burden the audience and fail to capture all the ideas I present. I need to improve on this and be straight to the point. The effective speaker I know is a youth leader in my town. What makes him an effective speaker is his deliver style. He always makes a good eye contact with the audience and uses a good tone that everyone enjoys. He also tells stories clearly in an exciting manner. Furthermore, he connects with his audience and engages them in his speech. He understands the needs of his audience and addresses them well. He influences the people around him by being empathetic; putting himself in their shoes and tells them what he things they wish to hear. He has good negotiation skills including good listening to understand and influence his

Macroeconomics Assignments & Disscussions Assignment - 1

Macroeconomics Assignments & Disscussions - Assignment Example Two years before Pearl Harbor, the United States was a neutral country, meaning it did not want to be involved in the war since the country was still recovering from the effects of the Great Depression. But after Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt sought reason to enter the war. The president said that the only way to fight was to produce weapons and materials for war. This led to economic activities in the once sleepy towns of the U.S. which had been hard hit by the Great Depression (â€Å"PBS.org: War Production† par. 1). Production of war material such as aircraft and aircraft carriers, artillery pieces, tanks and hundreds of thousands of army trucks triggered the growth of the American economy. The United States manufactured more guns and ships than Europe and Japan did. The US had to shift from manufacturing agricultural products to war material (â€Å"PBS.org: War Production† par. 4). This is a report of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the second quarter of 2014 which has registered at $17,311,300,000,000. GDP, the article explains, is the gross economic output of the country, which may include goods and services. GDP is an economic measure which tells whether the economy is doing fine or not good. The article also explains about nominal in relation to real GDP. Nominal GDP provides information about economic output, with some quarterly output statistics but with no inflation calculation, and is also used for U.S. debt comparison. Debt-to-GDP ratio, which has been calculated at 102%, is an important part of the nominal GDP report. On the other hand, the U.S. per capita for 2013, an economic indicator for every American in the U.S., was estimated at $52,800. The article clearly explains the amount of GDP the country attained for the second quarter which is more than $17 trillion, but only for the second quarter of this year. It does not only provide news about GDP but it also explains about the U.S. economic output. The

Science Fiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Science Fiction - Essay Example The man-machine characters and events must blend so that even if either the character or event or both are grotesque they appear credible to the audience. The levels of consciousness and intelligence of the man-machines must also blend with those of the audience. The highlights of this consciousness and intelligence, or the lack of these, must be intelligible to the audience. The action of the man-machines and their characteristics often lead to their ultimate survival or extermination. The man-machine is guided by his extra-ordinary senses, or sometimes lack of sense in certain areas such as inability to hear. In this scheme, the man-machine makes up for the weakness in one area with extra strength in another. This additional strength comes from the machine part of the man comprising chips and boards elevating the man's physical resources manifold and even to timelessness. The man-machine thing has awareness about his environment and when this awareness is interrupted it creates an element of surprise. This leads to examination and analysis. The man-machine does all this. He has tremendous physical strength. He has the capacity to bounce back from destructive encounters. He has the capacity for self-cure and self-rectification. With the advancement of technology, his powers have increased (Neme: Prosthetic Head). The perfection of the human spirit is not in the man-machine. Technology will have to advance much more for this status. The loose ends of the man-machine will be covered up as technology advances. As of now, the process is very long. It consists of perfecting the behavior of man-machine to those of man himself. Knowledge and self-realization will have to be perfected. Frankenstein's monster The... This essay discusses the science fiction, that has led to many inventions and discoveries. Before the advent of rockets, fiction abounded with stories of man firing projectiles. Subsequently, there were stories of man himself flying, either with the help of machines or by his own efforts with prosthetic wings or wings growing out of his body. The mingling of man and machine or the creation of a being, most of the time a malevolent being that was only partly man began with Frankenstein’s monster. The creation of the monster is by far the most intriguing and fascinating expression of the man-machine theme that has seen the character of Frankenstein’s monster adapt and evolve with the advancement of technology. The character of the monster is successfully used before large audiences to project the tendencies and capabilities of science. Firstly, will science accept the theory of the soul and the spirit? There is plenty of debate on this issue. The man-machine has to deal w ith this question to capably solve the riddle of creating a being that is equivalent to a machine with living emotions. Or will it be possible to create a man-machine with intelligence and information that can be equivalent to the dogma of emotions? Once man has created a machine with enough intelligent and information inputs to correspond to human emotions, he will have crossed the bridge to accept and discuss machines as living beings. Then he will have created a machine that is as alive and tangible as human beings.